197: 096: It must be so gratifying to ruin such a perfect night!
(Asking for monthly tickets!)_2 197: 096: It must be so gratifying to ruin such a perfect night!
(Asking for monthly tickets!)_2 “You might not know this, but Roger likes to sell originals.
I heard his uncle does that for a living.”
“In any case, it’s not possible, Michael.”
“Fuck Jerry, fuck it.
All you do is sit in your office all day, thinking about how to screw up this team.
You can’t get anything done, not even a jersey, fuck it.”
Having said that, Jordan slammed the door as he left.
Krause was so mad he felt like ordering ten pizzas and stuffing himself to death, after bearing the blame for Jordan for so long and still being accused of spoiling the team.
In the afternoon, news that Jordan wanted to switch back to number 23 spread throughout the team.
But everyone was powerless to help.
Pippen suggested using black tape to modify his number 33 jersey into a 23.
But Steve Kerr reminded them, “The referees definitely won’t let Michael play in a jersey like that.”
Jordan was about to explode with anger, his competitive spirit started to get the better of him.
He was determined to wear it!
The more it was forbidden, the more he felt uncomfortable with number 45!
He had to make it happen!
At this moment, a small figure once again changed the course of history.
John Ligmanowski, the Bulls’ equipment manager, was a kind-hearted man.
Last year, when Jordan retired and the Suns claimed they would defeat the Bulls in the ’93 Finals, he was the first to encourage Roger: “You can kick Charles Barkley’s ass, don’t be nervous.”
Today, hearing that Jordan wanted to switch back to number 23, he eagerly stepped forward once more.
As the equipment manager, he had kept one of Jordan’s number 23 jerseys.
And as if he somehow knew what Jordan was thinking deep down, he had been carrying the jersey with him all this time.
And so, the day before G4 began, the entire sporting world focused its attention on Jordan.
Because there were reports saying Jordan was going to wear his retired number 23 in G4!
David Stern didn’t send Krause razor blades, but he did call and give him a dressing-down: “You’re acting against our sponsors!
What are you going to do with all those number 45 jerseys that are already being sold?
It’s not possible to let players decide on a daily basis what number they want to wear!
I warn you, manage your player, don’t defy the rules!”
After berating Krause, the league promptly stated: if Jordan wore the number 23 jersey to play, he would be fined $25,000 per game.
Jordan told the Bulls, “I’ll take care of the fines.”
Nike told Jordan, “We’ll take care of the fines!”
For Nike, this was a business opportunity.
Although the jersey was Reebok’s, the image of number 23 belonged to Jordan and Nike.
In the past, the league also forbade Jordan from wearing red AJ, and what happened then?
Sometimes, a fine isn’t necessarily a bad thing; instead, it can serve as a promotional effect.
So, at the end of the afternoon training, Jordan announced to the reporters with great fanfare: “Tomorrow, I will play wearing number 23!”
Between the league’s warnings and fines, and Nike’s financial clout backing him up, the issue became incredibly sensational.
It caused all the major media to rush to report it, and the people of Chicago were ecstatic.
He really is back!—Chicago Tribune.
I don’t mean to bring up Michael’s embarrassing moments, but when he played baseball with number 45, his batting average was only 20.2%.
Now, wearing number 45 on the basketball court, his shooting percentage is also dropping.
Perhaps it’s time to go back to number 23, the real Michael Jordan.—Chicago Sun-Times.
This isn’t just a simple jersey swap; it could be the beginning of a miracle!
Number 23 always creates miracles!
Nothing can stop Michael now, not the fines, not Roger!—Chicago Chronicle.
To think that changing a number could change the outcome of the game, you can’t explain what Chicago fans and media are thinking.
It’s just that in times of despair, people desperately grasp at any glimmer of hope, no matter how faint.
Nike was much more pragmatic; they didn’t expect Jordan to actually come back from 0 to 3, their goal had already been achieved, Jordan once again became the focus of the world’s attention.
And, Jordan also regained his confidence.
As long as Jordan wearing number 23 and regaining his confidence can win one game, even just one, then the damage to his image from this series wouldn’t be so severe.
The buzz about Jordan changing his number even made the Admiral’s woeful underperformance against Olajuwon seem less dramatic.
Everyone was curious whether number 23 Jordan could do something different.
The next day, the East Finals Game 4.
The entire league experienced what’s called traffic.
To witness Jordan wearing jersey number 23 again on the court and creating impossible miracles, this game set a record for the highest viewership of the NBA season with a rating of 7.9!
One had to admit, Michael Jordan still possessed a strong appeal.
Before the game, players from the Bulls and Magic were all talking about it.
Pippen was very excited, “We only care about whether we win or not, I don’t care what number he wears.
If wearing number 23 helps us win, then let there be a fine, it doesn’t matter.”
“After all, I’m not the one paying the fine,” Pippen thought to himself.
O’Neal, with a displeased smirk, sarcastically said, “Sometimes I also think about wearing the number 33 from my college days, but someone always tells me I can’t do that.
However, it seems that there are some privileged players in this league.”
Roger simply didn’t care, “Mike could go without a number for all I care, I have no objections.”
Before the start of tonight’s game, the Bulls deliberately organized a classic entrance ceremony.
All the lights in the arena dimmed, and that classic, oppressive Bulls exclusive BGM “sirius” began to play as soon as the intro hit.
The roar of the crowd was deafening, and the arena DJ shouted with his voice, “Now!
Entering the court is the starting lineup of the Chicago Bulls!”
“From central Arkansas, 6 feet 7 inches, forward, number 33, Scottie~~~Pippen!”
“From New Mexico, 7 feet 2 inches, center, number 13, Luc~~~Longley!”
With each name the arena DJ announced, that player would high-five their teammates and run onto the court under the spotlight, the ceremonial atmosphere maxed out.
The vibe in the arena was heating up gradually, and finally, after two more names were called, things started to go out of control.
The entire venue was shaking, no, Roger was certain, at that moment, perhaps the whole of Chicago was shaking!
Everyone stood up, even the bald man on the bench stood up.
“From North Carolina, 6 feet 6 inches, guard, number 23!
As the lights came on, Jordan took off his warm-ups, and the Bulls’ number 23 stood tall on the court once again.
He pointed to the floor with both hands and roared to the heavens, “This is my home court!”
Some fans excitedly reached out their hands toward Jordan, while others covered their faces and wept bitterly.
They were as if they had seen the real savior.
The NBC broadcast gave a low-angle shot of Jordan’s back, making that number 23 seem immensely imposing.
Magic Johnson shouted excitedly, “He’s back, the real Michael Jordan is back!”
This atmosphere, this display, this spectacle.
It was indeed Jordan.
Jordan must be satisfied with this, in fact, even Roger was pleased with it.
Jordan had switched back to number 23, the Bulls had staged a grand entrance ceremony for him, and all of Chicago felt that tonight was Jordan’s night.
Even the viewership for the game set a new season high — everyone wanted to see number 23 Jordan defy fate at the United Center and create miracles.
Roger wanted this effect, he wanted the whole world to focus on this game.
In such a scenario, to sweep Jordan out of the playoffs, the more spectators witnessing it, the deeper the impression it will leave!
Roger was rubbing his hands together, ready to spoil this perfect night, wouldn’t that be thrilling?
The grand stage was indeed built for Michael Jordan.
But it was not his showtime.
It was the scene of his public execution.