It was Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls vs. Charles Barkley's Phoenix Suns. The game was in Phoenix with the Bulls clinging to a 3-2 series lead. A Game 7, if necessary, would also be held in Phoenix.
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That meant the Bulls had to win at least one game on the Suns' home court.
But the Bulls had Jordan and he had at least as much confidence as any man who played the game. That's why Jordan told his teammates on the plane that they wouldn't need a Game 7. They would be winning in six.
Jordan was smoking a cigar on the flight to Phoenix to boot.
"I'm only packing one suit," he declared, "We're going back to win one game."
Jordan revealed all this in The Last Dance documentary on Netflix.
"Everybody is dreading getting back on the plane and going back to Phoenix," he said. "So I just say, 'Look man, I don't know about you guys, I'm only packing one suit. We're going back to win one game. I'm not going there to play two games.'"
Jordan played 44 minutes in Game 6, finishing finished with 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while shooting 13-of-26 from the field, 3-of-5 on 3-pointers and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line.
The Bulls did indeed beat the Suns by a final score of 99-98 to capture their third straight title. John Paxson hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left.
With his third Finals MVP accolade in hand, Jordan's brilliance illuminated the NBA landscape once again, solidifying his status as a transcendent figure in the annals of basketball history.
The Bulls' unparalleled success in the Jordan era, marked by six championships and an undefeated record in the Finals, stands as a testament to his unparalleled greatness.
