After Portland passed on Jordan at No. 2, the Bulls promptly picked him as the franchise's cornerstone. All he accomplished as a rookie was average 28 points per game while capturing his first scoring title in his third season, averaging more than 37 points each game. He also led the league in rebounding with 7.5 rebounds per contest.
Jordan's performance as a rookie got many people thinking about what would have happened if someone other than Bill Walton had been drafted first by Portland and then by Chicago. It is possible that without Jordan, both teams might never have become contenders.
In 1998, Sports Illustrated published an article that analyzed every one of Jordan's seasons and came up with what would have been his career stats if he had played only one year instead of three. According to the article, if Jordan had played only one season, he would have averaged 36 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists instead of the actual 31-11-81 line that he recorded in 1993-94. The same article also noted that if Seattle had not traded their pick to Portland, they would have chosen Jordan too. In conclusion, SI wrote that if anything is sure, it's that without Jordan, there would be no NBA today.
Michael Jordan turned pro after his third season at North Carolina. In his first two seasons, he averaged 30.5 points per game.
In his first season, Jordan rapidly established himself as the Bulls' top player, averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. Jordan went on to earn Rookie of the Year that season before going on to win seven consecutive scoring titles during his sophomore season in the NBA.
During his first season, Jordan also led the Bulls to their first playoff appearance since 1970 by averaging 26.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game in six post-season games. The Chicago Bulls were defeated by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs that year.
After one season with the Bulls, Jordan was traded to the Washington Wizards where he would finish out his career. There he finished as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.
Overall, Michael Jordan's rookie season was very successful as he averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. The Chicago Bulls ended up winning the Central Division title that season with a record of 52-30. They were eliminated from the playoffs by the Utah Jazz in the first round.
Jordan was also selected to the All-Rookie Team that year along with Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George among others.
Michael Jordan, at 21, entered the league before the 1984 season and became the franchise's face right away. He was unanimously voted NBA Rookie of the Year.
After winning their first championship in 4 years, the Bulls lost their star player to retirement after the 1993 season. However, they have remained a force in basketball with many future all-stars filling in around the league. In 2001, Jordan returned for one final season before retiring for good. The Bulls have also established themselves as a perennial playoff team.
In terms of age, Jordan was born on January 16th, 1963. So he turned 33 years old in 2005, just two months before the beginning of the season.
Jordan scored 13 points in one game as a rookie in 1984-85. He was only held under the age of 20 nine times. Michael Jordan averaged 33.6 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game, and 11.4 assists per game, and he recorded a triple-double in 10 of 11 games (and had a career-high 17 assists in the game before that 11-game stretch-March 24th). In short, it was an incredible season for him.
As for other great players, Moses Malone averaged 25.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks as a rookie. John Salley averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals while playing only 32 games because of injuries. Bill Walton played only five games as a rookie due to leg injuries but still managed to score 14.2 points per game.
In conclusion, Michael Jordan's rookie season was amazing. He averaged 33.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 11.4 assists, and he recorded a triple-double in 10 of 11 games (and had a career-high 17 assists in the game before that 11-game stretch).
7 games Michael Jordan scored 40 points or more in seven games during his first season in 1984-85. The only other player to do so is Karl Malone, who had 6 games with at least 40 points in 2001-02.
Jordan's average score per game was 50.4. That's one point less than Wilt Chamberlain's average of 51.4 in 1960-61 when he played all 82 games for the first time in his career.
Chamberlain also has the record for most points in a single game (100). Two other players have reached the 40-point mark twice in a season: Jerry West (40-41-81) in 1975-76 and Elgin Baylor (40-41-81) in 1951-52. Both players are in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Charles Barkley had 5 games with at least 40 points in his first season in 1980-81. He's the only other player to have more than three seasons with at least four players scoring at least 40 points in a season. Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have all done it this decade.
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