Christmas Eve Eve, 1988: Michael Jordan's first NBA game in the state of North Carolina.
The Wilmington native and North Carolina Tar Heel was drafted 3rd overall in the 1984 draft. Four years into his NBA career, the two-time scoring champion and reigning steals champion was already wowing fans across the league. However, for all of the highlights and milestones, MJ had yet to return to his home state.
The arrival of the expansion Charlotte Hornets provided that opportunity in 1988. In front of a national TV audience on TBS, the new teal-pinstriped outfit was able to show off their sparkling new hive and raucous sellout crowd for all of America to see. It also gave the expansion team the chance to prove themselves against His Airness.
The game came down to the wire, with the Hornets pulling out the close victory 103-101 on a Kurt Rambis layup at the buzzer. It's funny he's the hero in this win after he blew a layup early in the game that led to a Bulls score. Kelly Tripucka led Charlotte with 30 points. The team forced 23 turnovers while only giving up 14. The Hornets bench also outscored the Bulls 38-19.
Michael Jordan was fantastic, pacing his team with 33 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 steals. However, he also had 7 turnovers in the losing effort. It was amazing to watch how acrobatic and nimble he was throughout the game. When the curtain closed on MJ's career, he had played 37 games against the Hornets. He would finish with averages of 32.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. Jordan was so good against Charlotte, he owns the team now!
Video courtesy of UndisputedGoldLion. Footage is from WFLD 32 Chicago (I wonder how a Bulls game would look now if they still did games). The late duo of Jim Durham and Johnny "Red" Kerr are on the call. Enjoy!
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