Longtime Chicago Bulls insider Sam Smith on the narrative surrounding Michael Jordan in his early years in the NBA

Michael Jordan was a one-man show in his early years.

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Sam Smith is a well-respected journalist and a renowned chronicler of the Chicago Bulls who has seen the franchise through its many highs and lows. Smith was front and center when Michael Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 and began blazing a trail to greatness.

But despite Jordan's undeniable talent and success on the court, there was always a lingering doubt and criticism surrounding him in his early years. Many believed that he was too focused on stats and individual accolades and would never be able to lead a team to victory.

In an interview with Jack Silverstein, Smith reveals his experience witnessing this narrative unfold firsthand.

Big numbers didn’t translate to winning

Jordan hit the ground running, winning Rookie of the Year and then the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards a few seasons later. He averaged 32.6 points in his first six seasons in the NBA, leading the league in scoring in four of them. 

However, for all of Jordan’s spectacular performances, the Bulls never made it to the NBA Finals. Smith, then a prominent writer for the Chicago Tribune, doubted that the Bulls could ever win with Jordan as their main star.

“They weren’t winning yet. We didn’t know if they were going to. The notion around the NBA was, “You can’t win with Jordan. He’s too selfish a scorer. He’ll be like George Gervin — a great scorer who’s never going to win.” Or a better player like Julius Erving, who was a big star and did all the dunking, but he didn’t win until he got Moses Malone,” Smith shared.

27 years ago today, Michael Jordan dropped 51 on the Knicks after coach Jeff Van Gundy called MJ a "con man," saying he befriends other NBA players to gain a competitive advantage.

Phil Jackson: "It was probably a tactical mistake to attack Michael" pic.twitter.com/ZssZuUbXFR

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) January 21, 2024

Proved them wrong

Jordan eventually shrugged that narrative off as he began trusting his coach, Phil Jackson, and teammates like Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and John Paxson more. He also worked on his passing and defense, recognizing that he couldn’t do it alone. All these led to Jordan and the Bulls winning their first NBA title in 1991, defeating Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, 4-1.

(1991) 27 years ago today, Michael Jordan won his first NBA Championship. He averaged 31.2 PPG, 11.4 APG, 6.6 RPG in the Finals. pic.twitter.com/VEPQVMZBUH

— Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) June 12, 2018

Michael Jordan's legendary game in which he scored 53 points in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers