Michael Jordan’s savagery towards the « Jordan-Stopper »
Levitating on the league in the early 1990s, Michael Jordan had to manage a certain « Jordan-Stopper », supposed to foil him in the 1993 playoffs, thus bringing down the Bulls. A name taken up by the media, that MJ heard … and that he treated as only he knows how to do.
In the early 1990s, the NBA belonged to Michael jordan. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird gone, His Airness reigned supreme over the league, champion in 1991 and 1992, and big favorite for the title for the 1993 edition. It was in that year that the Cavaliers, traumatized by the number 23 for almost a decade, have tried a move that aimed to change everything.
The idea? Recruit Gerald Wilkins, aka the « Jordan-Stopper ». A Knicks player in the 1980s, the slender winger had always given MJ a hard time. The Cleveland front office has therefore awarded its services with one goal: finally to ward off bad luck, and eliminate the Bulls in the playoffs.
In front of the « Jordan-Stopper », Michael Jordan releases a recital
You guessed it, the Ohio troops’ plan didn’t quite go as planned. In the conference semifinals, the Bulls effectively crossed paths with the Cavs, and Wilkins was indeed the most used defenseman over Michael Jordan. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the latter dominated the proceedings insolently, leading Chicago to a humiliating 4-0 sweep.
After 43 points in the first game to announce the flush, MJ ended his streak with an average of 31 pawns, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. To top it off, Jordan ended the Cavs’ suffering with … an old-fashioned buzzer-beater:
In the end, the rout is total for Cleveland: while they finally thought they had found the anti-Jordan parade, the latter did not even have to work to destroy them. Well aware that he was facing the famous supposed « Jordan-Stopper », His Airness slipped the following sentence with a smile once the massacre was over:
I just wanted to prove to them that hey, no matter what you do, what changes you make, who you put on me… I’m going to overcome this challenge.
Gerald Wilkins had a low-key career end after that, with his lifelong mission annihilated by a Michael Jordan just too strong. One more victim in His Majesty’s immense purse.
