Why doesn't MJ attend Bulls games?
Chris Chelios's number retirement would have been MJ's first UC trip in 12 years.
“I don’t come around Jerry. I don’t have to come around Jerry. I can come around and see some of the players. I don’t have to report to him or any of the Jerrys. I know this is their facility and this is their team but I still have friends on this time that I relate well with and I stay in contact with and I come back to support them. In that essence, I’m supporting the Chicago Bulls. So they don’t have to ask and I don’t have to ask them if I can come back around. I think I’m entitled to do that without asking.”
— Michael Jordan, November 1999, after visiting Bulls practice
Yesterday, Michael Jordan was expected to make his first visit to the The House that Air Jordan Built in 12 years. Like that visit in 2012, this one would have been for the Blackhawks.
Though Jordan ended up not attending, the four-plus days where Chicago thought the GOAT was coming home was a painful reminder of the broken relationship between MJ and the Bulls1. The day was reminiscent of another “MJ returns” moment; this would have been the second time in 25 years that Chelios brought Jordan back to the United Center.
In March of 1999, the Hawks stunned, well, everyone, when they traded hometown hero Chelios2 to the hated Detroit Red Wings. A month later on April 17, the Hawks played their season finale… against the hated Detroit Red Wings, and, of course, Chris Chelios. Jordan had friends on a Bulls team struggling through the worst season in franchise history. Proud champions who couldn’t leave when the music stopped, or didn’t, and believed they were the barrier between the three-time defending champion Bulls and historic ignominy.
One week earlier, five of his former teammates3 had played heavily in arguably the worst loss in NBA history, losing 82-49, the fewest points scored in the shot-clock era. To think, less than a year before that, those same five were on the other side of the record, each scoring in the Bulls’ 96-54 win over Utah in Game 3 of the ’98 Finals.4 Jordan saw his fellow ex-heroes score those sickly 49 points, even seeing his old backcourt mate catch an inadvertent elbow from teammate Dickey Simpkins, and then called him to talk about it. As Harp reported:
“[Jordan] said, ‘You got a cut in the eye, you get your nose torn up and you score just 49 points. I can score that myself.’”
Hell, in February of ‘99, at the start of the lockout season, Jordan attended a Lakers-Rockets game at Staples Center, sitting courtside next to Jack Nicholson to watch Houston’s Scottie Pippen battle L.A.’s Dennis Rodman. He would drop in on Bulls practices in 1999, including in November at the start of the ’99-’00 season to see friends and spar with rookie Corey Benjamin. But he didn’t hit any games.
What got him back to the United Center was hockey.
“Chelios asked me to come here,” Jordan said after the 3-2 Hawks win over Detroit5. “I hadn’t been to any games and my boys wanted to go. I’ve always known Cheli and I wish him the best.”
After getting booed by the home fans, Chelios played sparingly.
“Per Scotty’s6 instructions, I dressed and watched the third period with Jordan in a suite,” Chelios wrote in his 2014 memoir. “Jordan had my back, telling everyone, ‘I'm not here for the Blackhawks. I'm here for Chris Chelios. I don't like how they treated him.’ That was nice of MJ to say, but as I mentioned, I didn't have any ill will toward the Hawks.”
So it’s fitting that once again, Chelios was the one who nearly got Jordan back to the United Center. And it’s upsetting that MJ remains a ghost at Bulls games. He famously missed the team’s Ring of Honor ceremony last month. He was noticeably absent from the UC during the 2020 All-Star weekend despite celebrating his 57th birthday in Little Village. We understood that one, him not wanting to overshadow the mourning of the recently passed Kobe. But if it wasn’t for his famous statue — appropriately named “The Spirit” — MJ would barely be at the UC at all.
I’ve combed newspaper reporting of the time, Google and Getty Image searches. As far as I can tell, these are Michael Jordan’s visits to the United Center all-time:
Nov. 1, 1994 — Jordan jersey retirement ceremony. This was the first year of the United Center, three days before the home opener. The immediately iconic MJ statue, named “The Spirit,” is dedicated. By all accounts, this was MJ’s first time at the UC.
Mar. 24, 1995 — Jordan’s first home game after baseball. By all accounts, MJ did not attend a Bulls home game this season until he played in one. Considering he was playing baseball at this point, that sounds right.
June 12, 1998 — Jordan’s final home game of the second three-peat. He missed the would-be Finals winner, as I chronicled here.
Jan. 13, 1999 — Jordan announces his retirement at a press conference at the UC.
Apr. 17, 1999 — Jordan attends the Hawks-Wings game to cheer on Chris Chelios7.
Oct. 17, 2000 — Now president of basketball operations for the Wizards, Jordan attends a preseason Bulls-Wizards preseason game, a 104-103 Washington winner at the buzzer. This would be the only Bulls game MJ attends before un-retiring.
Jan. 19, 2002 — MJ returns to the UC as a player in a 77-69 Wizards win. On the lakefront, the Bears lose to the Eagles in the playoffs, the final day of old Soldier Field.
Jan. 2, 2003 — Jordan scores 10 in 25-point Wizards win.
Jan. 24, 2003 — Jordan scores 11 in 7-point Wizards loss.
Dec. 9, 2005 — MJ is a guest of honor at Scottie Pippen’s jersey retirement. The opponent: the Los Angeles Lakers and coach Phil Jackson.
Feb. 10, 2009 — Jordan is a guest of honor at Red Kerr’s appreciation night.
May 22, 2009 — Jordan is in the house for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals between the Blackhawks and Red Wings.
June 6, 2010 — MJ is in the house with Chelios for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Feb. 15, 2011 — MJ and Scottie watch courtside as Jordan’s Bobcats play the Bulls. This appears to be the only time MJ attended a Bulls-Bobcats/Hornets game while owner of the Charlotte franchise.
Mar. 12, 2011 — The Bulls celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first championship. Jordan is among the players and coaches in attendance.
Apr. 23, 2012 — MJ is a guest for a Blackhawks playoff game, sitting with Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita8.
If the above list is complete, that Blackhawks game is the last time MJ was at the United Center. Since last playing for the Bulls, Jordan has attended four regular season Bulls games (not including games he played in as a member of the Wizards), one Bulls preseason game and four Blackhawks games.
Of the Bulls games, the preseason game was Bulls-Wizards when he was running the latter, while three of the four Bulls games were for events: Pippen night, Red Kerr night, ’91 Bulls night. The other Bulls game was Bulls-Bobcats, again when he was owner of the Charlotte franchise. He has not, to public knowledge, simply hit a Bulls game to see the Bulls.
He attended the Hawks games, on the other hand, as a fan or friend: to support Chelios in ’99, Hawks playoff games in 2009, 2010 and 2012, and nearly another Chelios event yesterday.
Sure, he can’t be a “fan” at a Bulls game if he owns another NBA team, yet his Charlotte franchise played at the UC 24 times from 2010 to 2023, and other than the above game on Feb. 15, 2011, two games had reporting that he did not attend while the other 21 had no reporting either way, which likely means he wasn’t there, since Illinois papers would report any time MJ was in the house. A Getty Image search also does not turn up any MJ-at-Bulls-games results.
“MJ rarely attends away games because he doesn't want to deal with all the rah rah,” then-Hornets GM Rich Cho said in 2014.
I get that, but I still think that MJ would visit a Bulls game more than once as Bobcats/Hornets owner. Another Getty Image search turns up Jordan at Madison Square Garden twice for Bobcats-Knicks games, in 2006 and 2008, before he was owner. The Bulls also played 14 playoff games at home from 2005 to 2009, when MJ was not an NBA owner, and he does not appear to have attended any of those.
I understand why Jordan didn’t attend the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago, but it’s hard not to notice that he attended All-Star weekend or the game in:
2000 (Oakland, promoting the 2001 All-Star Game in D.C., when he was Wizards owner)
2001 (D.C. as Wizards owner)
2007 (Las Vegas as a slam dunk contest judge)
2016 (Toronto, promoting the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte, when he was Hornets owner)
2018 (Los Angeles, promoting the 2019 All-Star Game in Charlotte, when he was Hornets owner — the replacement for the NBA moving the 2017 ASG from Charlotte to New Orleans9)
2019 (Charlotte, as Hornets owner — and promoting the 2020 All-Star Game in Chicago)
2022 (Cleveland, for the 75 Greatest Players celebration)
Even if any individual absence can be explained, the cumulative effect of Jordan not being involved with the Bulls speaks volumes about the state of the Bulls. MJ’s absence from the Ring of Honor in January was the latest instance, with the Bulls rushing the event without locking in MJ’s appearance. That he was nearly in the house a month later, but for a Hawks event, underscores the disconnect between the Bulls organization and player who put them on the map.
The MJ-Bulls beef goes back to 1985, carried into the end of the dynasty, and flamed up in MJ’s Wizards years. But the Bulls gave MJ a fitting send-off for his final game at the UC. And his post-playing days had three magical nights: honoring Pippen and Red Kerr or celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 1991 Bulls. A lot has changed since then, including MJ’s relationship with Scottie. Between MJ, Scottie and both Jerrys, there has always been plenty of blame to go around.
But I think I speak for most Bulls fans when I say that letting the organization’s relationship with MJ sour is an all-time blunder. Ultimately, I see this as a Bulls problem, not an MJ problem. Jordan surely has his reasons not to be involved with the Bulls, and perhaps more importantly, he can afford it. He loses nothing by not coming to Bulls games, but the Bulls have lost a lot by alienating Jordan, such as free agency in 2000 or 2010 or simply the optics of hosting a Ring of Honor with Jordan’s name at the top of the list and Jordan not here.
Or maybe not. I’ve long noticed MJ’s lasting economic impact on the franchise. I’m not alone. As longtime Bulls head marketing executive Steve Schanwald told me last month: “The Bulls continue to this day to reap the benefits of an iconic player like Jordan.” Continued Schanwald:
“It was because we had Michael Jordan that we were able to build the United Center, $180 million back in the early 90s when $180 million was really $180 million, and pay it off in five and a half years, free and clear. And sell all the suites that paid for it. Sell the naming rights to United Airlines that paid for it. And of course continue to sell tickets. To this very day, I believe that the Chicago Bulls are reaping the benefits that a once-in-a-lifetime iconic player like Michael Jordan brings to it.”
MJ missing the Chelios event turned out to be but a ripple in a tidal wave of fun, nostalgia, history and new memories at the UC on Sunday. Among the attendees were Wayne Gretzky, some of Cheli’s teammates from the 1992 Stanley Cup runner-up Hawks, members of the 2010s dynasty Hawks, Cindy Crawford, Theo Epstein, Dennis Rodman and Eddie Vedder.
Fittingly, another Chicago legend returned. Patrick Kane — of the Red Wings — made his first appearance at the UC since the team traded him to the Rangers last February.
Chelios back. Kaner back. MJ open to being back. The Blackhawks have the last three championships among United Center tenants. Count yesterday among their wins, too.
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I hope everyone has a great week!
Best,
Jack
Chris Chelios announced on The Score on Wednesday that MJ was coming to the ceremony. Chelios then announced on Sunday that MJ had to cancel. Jordan sent a video; NBC Sports Chicago Blackhawks reporter Charlie Roumeliotis reported that Jordan had a death in the family.
Chelios grew up in Evergreen Park and attended Mt. Carmel High School.
Of the five teammates, Ron Harper and Toni Kukoc started both Game 3 of the 1998 Finals and the horrific 1999 loss to Miami. Randy Brown and Dickey Simpkins came off the bench for Game 3 and started the 1999 game, while Bill Wennington came off the bench for both.
Their lines in Game 3 and the Heat loss, respectively — HARPER: 30 minutes, 8 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal and 1 block; 23 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals. KUKOC: 34 minutes, 16 points, 4 steals; 32 minutes, 10 points. Brown, Simpkins and Wennington all checked in at the same time in Game 3, each playing 5:22 and each scoring two points. In the 1999 game — BROWN: 29 minutes, 4 points, 2 steals. SIMPKINS: 30 minutes, 5 points, 8 rebounds. WENNINGTON: 22 minutes, 7 points, 8 rebounds.
The MJ interview video, located by Detroit sports reporter John Keating.
Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman
Reporting noted that while at the UC for the Chelios event, MJ recorded a statement in tribute to Wayne Gretzky, who had announced his retirement the day before. I can’t find that footage, but MJ clearly also recorded a message that day for Phil Jackson for his banner ceremony, which was held at the UC on May 5, 1999. See the photo comparison above and the video here for the same outfit.
Joining Jordan, Stan the Man and Hull in the box was David Kaplan. My friend and fellow Kup champ Scott King (Chicago WHEN?) interviewed Kap in 2020 to get the story.
The NBA took a political stand against North Carolina House Bill 2, which sought to limit LBGTQ protections.