“It was like a funeral!” Scott Williams reveals the ‘state of shock’ Bulls team had during Michael Jordan’s first retirement

How Jordan’s first retirement rocked the Bulls and the NBA

“It was like a funeral!” Scott Williams reveals the ‘state of shock’ Bulls team had during Michael Jordan’s first retirement

Michael Jordan shocked the basketball world when he announced his first retirement from the NBA in 1993, just months after leading the Chicago Bulls to their third straight championship. The decision left his teammates, his fans and the league in disbelief and dismay.

One of those teammates was Scott Williams, who played with Michael Jordan for four seasons and won three rings with him. Williams recently spoke to the Bulls Talk Podcast with Leila Rahimi and Will Perdue about that fateful day and how it affected the Bulls.

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Williams said he was at home watching TV when he saw the breaking news that Jordan was holding a press conference at the Berto Center, the Bulls’ practice facility. “I thought maybe he was going to announce a new shoe deal or something like that,” Williams said. “And then when I heard him say he had lost his desire and passion for the game, I was just stunned. I couldn’t believe it.“

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Williams said he rushed to the Berto Center to see if he could talk to Jordan and convince him to change his mind. He said he saw Jordan’s father, James, who had been murdered a few months earlier and hugged him. He also saw Jordan’s wife, Juanita, and his kids, who were crying. “I was just hoping that maybe he would reconsider,” Williams said. “But when I saw him walk out of that room with that look on his face, I knew it was over.“

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Williams said the mood in the locker room was sombre and silent. He said he felt like he had lost a brother and a mentor. “It was like a funeral,” Williams said. “We were all in a state of shock. We didn’t know what to say or do. We just sat there and looked at each other.”

He said he wondered how the Bulls would cope without Jordan, who had led them to three straight championships and had won three consecutive MVP awards. He said he knew Scottie Pippen would step up as the leader, but he also knew it would be hard to fill Jordan’s shoes.

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The ripple effect of Micheal Jordan’s retirement on the NBA

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Via Chicago Tribune

Michael Jordan’s retirement not only affected his teammates and the Bulls, but also the entire NBA. His absence created a power vacuum in the league, as other teams and players tried to take advantage of his departure.

One of those teams was the Houston Rockets, who won back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995, led by Hakeem Olajuwon. The Rockets were able to defeat teams like the Knicks, the Magic and the Jazz, who had been unable to get past Jordan and the Bulls in previous years.

Another player who benefited from Jordan’s retirement was Charles Barkley, who won his only MVP award in 1993 with the Phoenix Suns. Barkley had been one of Jordan’s fiercest rivals and closest friends, but he had never been able to beat him in a final series against Jordan’s Bulls in 1993. But he never got another chance to win a ring after Jordan returned.

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Jordan’s retirement also opened the door for other stars to shine and make their mark in the league. Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, John Stockton and Gary Payton were some of the players who challenged for the throne in Jordan’s absence. Some of them even faced Jordan in the Finals when he came back, but none of them could dethrone him.

However, Jordan’s retirement also created a sense of anticipation and excitement for his eventual comeback. When he announced his return with a simple fax that read “I’m back” in March 1995, it was one of the biggest stories in sports history. His first game back against the Indiana Pacers drew a record-breaking TV audience of 35 million viewers.

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