What if Michael Jordan Did Not Retire During the Chicago Bulls’ Reign in the 1990s?

The GOAT debate rages on with fans of Michael Jordan and LeBron James passionately supporting their respective heroes.

James’ claim as the greatest basketball player of all time got a huge boost recently, when he became the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, breaking the record held by Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar.

That being said, the fact remains that ''His Airness'' has won more championships than the King, with the ring tally currently standing at 6-4 in favor of Jordan.

Those six titles came in the 90s during Chicago’s dominance, with the Bulls recording two separate three-peats.

One question always hangs around that Bulls dynasty, however, and that is; what if Jordan did not retire after the 1992-93 season?

We all know the story by now, but we’ll discuss it again to refresh everyone’s memory. The Bulls had established themselves as an NBA powerhouse, winning three straight titles from 1991 to 1993.

Chicago records first three-peat

Jordan and the Bulls finally got that elusive championship, beating Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals to win their first-ever title.

They continued their stronghold the following season, defeating Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1992 NBA Finals to retain their crown.

The Bulls entered rarefied air after winning their third consecutive title in 1993. They had to dig deep in the Finals against Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, ultimately prevailing in six games with John Paxson hitting the championship-winning trey.

Jordan shocks fans with retirement

Jordan shocked sports fans worldwide when he announced his retirement days before the start of the 1993-94 season. Many were in disbelief as MJ was only 30 then and in the prime of his NBA career.

Jordan told reporters in the press conference that he had lost his sense of motivation to play the game of basketball, per Sports Illustrated. There were many speculations about why he decided to retire, with some saying he was burned out from the constant pressure of being the sport’s biggest star.

Others said he was tired of the grind of the long NBA season. The leading theory was that he lost his passion for the game following the murder of his father in July 1993.

Rockets pounce on Jordan's absence

Jordan did not rule out returning to the NBA, though, saying that he doesn’t believe in the word never. Sure enough, he ended his hiatus in the middle of the 1994-95 season, announcing his return with the words “I’m back” in a press release.

The Bulls fell short that season, losing to the Orlando Magic in six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That fueled the fire for Jordan and co. who went on to win three straight championships from 1996 to 1998.

The Houston Rockets took advantage of Jordan’s temporary absence in the NBA, winning back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. They edged past the New York Knicks in a thrilling seven-game series in the 1994 NBA Finals before sweeping the Orlando Magic in the Finals the following year.

Why Chicago could have won

Could the Bulls have stopped the Rockets, though, if Jordan did not retire? The answer is yes and no. The Bulls were still a force to be reckoned with in the 1993-94 campaign, winning 55 regular-season games even without Jordan.

Scottie Pippen assumed the leadership role for the Bulls, leading Chicago to the second round of the NBA playoffs. They pushed the New York Knicks in that series, losing to the eventual Eastern Conference champs in seven games.

The Knicks nearly won the NBA title that year, taking a 3-2 series lead in the Finals but failing to close the deal against Houston.

If Jordan had played in the New York series that season, he surely would have made a difference. He tormented the Knickerbockers the previous three seasons, with the Bulls beating them in the playoffs in each of those campaigns.

Given how tight the matchup was between New York and Chicago in 1994, having the best basketball player in the world could have swung the series in the Bulls’ favor.

If Jordan did not retire in 1993, rust would not have played a factor in the Bulls’ early exit in the 1995 NBA playoffs. Even though he averaged 26.9 points in 17 games played that season, Jordan did not have the same explosion that defenders feared in years past.

Nick Anderson alluded to that fact during Orlando’s series win against Chicago. He stole the ball from Jordan in the dying seconds of Game 1 to give the Magic the comeback win.

"His Airness" was shut down in the series clincher, with Orlando unleashing a 14-0 run in the final three minutes to erase an eight-point deficit and seal the victory.

Anderson’s trash talk lit a fire on Jordan, who went on to dominate the league for the next three years. He led Chicago to championship wins against the Seattle Supersonics in 1996 and against the Utah Jazz in 1997 and 1998.

Can the Bulls handle Hakeem?

The Sonics and the Jazz did not have an elite center, though, like Hakeem Olajuwon. He was unstoppable during the 93-94 and 94-95 seasons, leading Houston to the promised land on both occasions.

He averaged 26.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks against the Knicks in the 1994 NBA Finals, outplaying New York center Patrick Ewing.

"The Dream" then gave Shaquille O’Neal a lesson in the 1995 NBA Finals. He dominated the young Magic center, with Olajuwon averaging 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in the four-game sweep.

Frontcourt was the weakness of Jordan’s Chicago teams during this period, which Hakeem could have exploited in the Finals. The two teams split their series in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 regular seasons.

Pressure of winning multiple championships

Winning one championship is difficult. Winning back-to-back titles is even more challenging. The pressure builds on the champs as their reign stretches, with all teams looking to dethrone them.

Jordan felt that pressure in 1993 when he retired for the first time after winning three in a row. So imagine the toll a bid for four or five consecutive titles would have placed on him and his Bulls teammates if he did not walk away from the sport.

Getting that almost two-year break from the sport and losing to the Magic in the 1995 Playoffs gave Jordan the freshness and motivation to launch another bid for the NBA mountaintop.

Jordan and the Bulls winning eight in a row? It probably would not have happened.

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The Hall of Famer's donation is the largest ever received in the 43-year history of the organization from an individual.