Larry Bird couldn’t believe a young Michael Jordan could dominate his championship-caliber Boston Celtics so vigorously.
The 1985-86 Boston Celtics team, boasting four Hall of Famers in their starting lineup, were determined to reclaim championship glory. With former Finals MVP Bill Walton coming off the bench, the Celtics not only recorded the best defensive rating that season but also presented such a stern challenge for even the greatest scorers that they were unable to impose their presence against them.
However, in the first round of their playoff series against the Chicago Bulls, sophomore Michael Jordan defied expectations by averaging 56 points in the initial two games of the series. While all the experienced Celtics stars applauded MJ’s incredible showing, it also left Larry Bird in a state of disbelief. The three-time MVP was so shocked to see his team getting dominated by a mere 22-year-old that he even threatened retirement if the onslaught continued in Game 3.
Larry Bird threatened retirement
Despite the Celtics being confident in their ability and talent to beat a relatively young Bulls team that had an aging George Gervin, they were simply unprepared for Jordan writing his name all over the series opener. In Game 1, the 1985 ROY dropped 49 points on 50% shooting from the field, necessitating four Celtics starters to score in double digits to register a win.
In Game 2, Boston was absolutely clueless on how to contain Mike, who elevated his performance even further by dropping 63 points on 53.7% shooting from the field. With the contest going into double OT, the Celtics outscored the Bulls 10-6 to secure a 2-0 advantage, courtesy of six of their players scoring in double digits. While Larry Legend famously likened the experience to witnessing ‘God disguised as Michael Jordan,’ he was simultaneously astonished to see a newcomer dominate every player on his team