If MJ didn't retire for in 1993 for two year would he have won 8 straight championships?

Question

what do think?

Answer 1

Without question

the rockets couldn't beat the bulls before Jordan retired and they couldn't beat him after he retired

the 2 years jordan was away from the game he was still in his prime and his team was still a playoff team so add a prime jordan to that and it's the 8peat

Hakeem really lucked out on the timing as without those 2 titles his legacy would have taken a big hit. Those 2 years made him

Answer 2

Absolutely barring injury. He had a will to win that was unmatched. The question woudl be whether Horrace Grant would stay, who would replace grant as the thug. WHether the worm would be there. But Jordam and Pippen were majic. I saw someone write that the core of the first three were the same as the last three that is untrue. Except for Pippen and Jordan, I don't think anyone else was the same.
Purdue was traded I think for Rodman--Jordan loved to haze Purdue. Kochoch was in the 3rd. Grant was gone replaced by Rodman, Paxson was replaced by Kerr. The bench was different. Cartright Retired. Harper was the guard/SMall Forward for the last 3. No BJ for final 3. Judd Buchler was in teh final three.

The key was having two of the greatest defenders ever to play the game on the court at the same time. Jordan made everyone better around him and the way he learned to share the ball was majical. Majic and Jordan should really never be in the same sentence.

The guy who suggests that Jordan woud have lost to the rockets both years is ridiculous. The east was not that much stronger, then how did the Bulls destroy them when Jordan came back after a 2 year absense. That is crazy.

Answer 3

I would have to go with probable but not guaranteed especially in for the 94-95 season. Michael Jordan's Bulls from the 90-91 to the 92-93 season were clearly the best team in the NBA by far. Jordan retired before the 93-94 season due to:
1. Being physically drained. 3 full NBA seasons being the top dog where everyone is coming at you 100% is tough for anyone. For a player like Jordan, who was a perennial all defense selection as well as all NBA selection, he had to work even harder on both sides of the court. Couple that with having to play during the 1992 Olympics leads to almost 2 full years of non stop basketball for Jordan (1991-1992 season into 1992 Olympics into 1992-1993 season).
2. Mentally drained. His father was murdered which took a huge toll on him. On top of that his issues with gambling started to become well known.

Had Jordan returned and was able to give his best without any let down then the only teams from the western conference that could have even challenged a Jordan led 93-94 and 94-95 team for the championship were:
1. An aging Portland Trailblazers team with the likes of Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, and Buck Williams. The Blazers would be decent competitors for the 93-94 season but would fade for the 94-95 season which would bring in the most likely team to bring down the Bulls dynasty...
2. An up and coming but solid Houston Rockets team led by (the serverly injured at that time) Hakeem Olajuwon, pre gone fishing Kenny Smith, a young Robert Horry, and an uknown and unheralded 93-94 season rookie called Sam Cassell.
3. An aging (but not as old as the Blazers) and injury hampered Phoenix Suns team led by Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson could also be a factor.

Of course we are assuming that Jordan would have got his Bulls past eastern conference teams lilke a New York Knicks team with Patrick Ewing still in his prime and a young Orlando Magic team with some guy called Shaq.

Answer 4

No doubt about it. The Rockets were not a very good team and with the East having the Magic and Knicks representing those two years, the Bulls could have beaten both, though I do know it was those very Magic that beat Chicago in the playoffs, though Jordan has recently returned. I think they would have won 8 and possibly 10 if not for the dismantling of the team in '98

Answer 5

Jordan DID NOT retire for two years. He was retired for the 1994 season ONLY. He returned toward the end of the 1995 season and played in 18 games.

The Bulls made the playoffs, but were eliminated in the second round by the Orlando Magic. Jordan played in EVERY playoff game that year.

If the Bulls, with a healthy and rested Jordan, couldn't get past Orlando, then how could they beat the Houston Rockets (who SWEPT the Magic)?????

Doesn't seem like he was able to "will his team to victory" that year, does it? HA HA!!

Answer 6

I think he might have melted down, because at the time there was a lot of scrutiny on MJ about his gambling , his personal relationships and the death of his father...there is the thinking that the bulls were made quite well at the time and that if he had stayed on and the distractions werent too much that they could have won more championships... do you think they could have won 9 in 11 years like the celtics did with bill russell?

Answer 7

possibly, but not probable that houston rockets team was really good and there were alot better teams in the east those years too. so he would probably ended up losing one or both those years.

Answer 8

Yes, I believe they would've beaten those Rockets, despite how great Olajuwon was in his day. It would've been fun to see that matchup!

Answer 9

yes......when he came back he essentially had the same core group of players as when he left. new center and 2 guard but he showed that you can win it all w/o a center anyway.

Answer 10

No, i dont think so. Dont get me wrong he is one of the greatest players in basketball but he knew it was time for him to hang it up.