Michael Jordan, could he have won 8 rings in a row?

[HEAT33]

OK, we all know he took 2 years off between his 3 peats.
Lets say he didnt, could he won those 2 years he was out? I understand he did come back in the playoffs for the second year off but was rusty as hell.

Whats the chances he would of won 8 rings in a row? If he did, would there be any Kobe, Lebron comparisons talk like there is today.

Lets just say for fun he did win those 2 and add 2 more MVP's all-defensive teams etc X 2 to his already untouchable achievement.

Would comparing Durant, Lebron and Kobe be considered trolling today?

[Frank Mulely]

Hakeem was playing insane and those first 3 rings + his fathers death wore Jordan down. Rockets win at least one of those two years vs. Bulls if Jordan didn't go play baseball. Probably 95, I think that was the year Hakeem pretty much was out of his mind great. I hate to say it but I think Hakeem's peak was arguably > Jordan's peak.

[therealbig3]

No, I don't think so. Jordan was mentally worn down by everything that had happened, both personally and professionally, I don't think he had the drive anymore shortly after the 93 season. But if so, I could maybe see them winning 4 straight in 94, because Pippen played like an MVP in Jordan's absence, and they still had Horace Grant, who was huge for them. I don't see them winning in 95, because they had no inside defensive presence with Grant gone. They didn't get that presence until Rodman joined the team in 96.

So I don't think 8, but I think assuming Jordan stays motivated, I could see 7 rings in 8 years, with a 4-peat and a 3-peat.

[Zubby]

Nope.

During Jordan's 1st 3-peat team, he went 1-5 vs Olajuwon and the Rockets, The one game he won was the only close game.
Every other game Olajuwon beat him by double digits...


Also Jordan was away for 1.5 years....

He played in 95 playoffs where he Pippen and the Bulls lost in the 2nd round to Shaq/Penny Magic team in six games.

Rockets swept the Magic in the finals.


Jordan has no chance vs. Olajuwon in the playoffs, its his weakness in fact all bigmen were for those Bulls, and Olajuwon was the greatest.

[Winsome Gerbil]

Could he on talent? Sure. yes. Those Rockets teams were not great championship teams in any historical sense. But I think mentally that would have been really tough, even for him. And if not for him, then for his lesser teammates. Teams just seem to wear out and lose focus after two or three titles, no matter how good they are. I think the only team to ever win more than 3 in a row were the old 50s/60s Celtics, and that was in a different era with a 10 team league, no salary cap, and the Celtics kind of playing Globetrotters to everybody else's Washington Generals.

[jc23]

we will never know. But its usually a bad idea to pick against MJ.

[durden_tyler]

Yes easily. Jordan was simply on a different plane when motivated. Assuming the personal reasons did not affect him (Father's death) then the Houston Rockets would have been dispatched too.

[clutch23]

i think its probably possible....but for 7 rings because i think 94 was an easy ring for MJ and the bulls...not for 95.
but the real thing is that in the modern era of basketball nobody has winned 2 x 3 peat in 8 years....and the real statement is that jordan win 6 finals mvp with unreal stats 6 finals and 35 games ).

33.6PPG - 48.1%FG - 36.8% 3PTS - 80.6%FT - 6 RPG - 6 APG - 1.8 SPG

nobody can't beat him in FINAL....period

[6_Rings]

Bulls couldve easily beaten the Rockets during that 2 season lull

[Joao Saraiva]

Could. But didn't. And don't even start with isolating those 2 seasons. It's very different to go to the finals 3 times in a row, then rest, then go another 3 times than go 8 times in a row. Can you imagine how tired he would have gotten?

Plus Michael coming back and not being able to do some things was what made him adjust his game. If you see him playing during the 1st 3 he's very different from what he was in the last 3. Maybe he'd still adjust, but I don't think so fast.

Coulda sholulda woulda.... who knows. I really think he wouldn't have won 8 in a row. But my points are as valid as anybody elses, nobody knows.

[bledredwine]

Yes, he would have without a doubt IMO

He never had a game 7 for a reason... he took it to another level in the finals.


1991 - 13 fg's straight and "the move" against Magic's Lakers
1992 - 6 3's in a half against Clyde's Blazers
1993 - averaging 45 PPG and crazy defense and assist numbers against Barkley's suns
1996 - the only year he was just himself in the finals, but against IMO the best perimeter defense finals team of all time
1997 and 1998 - 2 game winners and a game winning assist to Kerr, including that consecutive 3 plays of lay-up, steal, then pad-on-the-butt winner against Russel

he literally was legendary in every finals except for the Sonics who IMO had one of the best defenses of all time,

there's no way that Hakeem and co. would stop him from going berserk. Regular season match ups don't matter; we know that. The Jazz had a better record and the Bulls still took them out in 6. He literally quit the game because he felt there were no challenges left. He was in his prime... I highly doubt seeing as that there were 6 championships straight surrounding those 2 years that he would have had trouble winning two more.

Players would have also bandwagoned to the Bulls during free agency. That's what happens when you win your first few championships.

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

Yes. They would have won 8 in a row. MJ was just on another level.

[chudak]

I dont think so... They always had problems with Hakeem

They probably would win in 94 though and I dont think Grant would have left if Jordan was there, even though he did not like him, so maybe no Rodman

[SunsRback4Good]

If he played those two years he'd definitely win at least 1 more ring. Could of finished his career with 7 championships but 6 is pretty nice too.

[Shaheen]

MJ never won more than 3 consecutive rings and now people are thinking he could have almost triple that?

I seriously doubt it. He would not be able to keep it up for 8 seasons. I don't think he would have even made it to the finals. And if he did the hungry Rockets team would have won.

MJ was an amazing player but sometimes we get ahead of ourselves. He was not some God, he had limitations. Winning it all 8 years in a row is something not even Jordan could do.

[Quinarvy]

I think they would have split them, but man, Jordan vs. Olajuwon would have been amazing to watch.

[HotRocks34]

Probably so. BUT...but...Jordan's Bulls did not match up well with Hakeem's Rockets. That would have been an amazing Finals or 2. Though I favor the Bulls, that Houston team gave the Bulls problems.

[te887848]

Yes, he would have. No disrespect to Hakeem, but his rings are somewhat tainted as he likely would not have won them if Jordan had stayed in the league. Jordan has always been the greatest winner ever, even greater than Russell when you consider the much tougher competition and number of seasons played. Guys like Bird and Magic are clearly worse. LeBron isn't even close and never will be.

[Ming Kong!]

Could he have - YES
Would he have - Don't know, like others have said emotions could of taken a toll on him.

In the end, the break might of done him good, he came back, got 3 more titles and people regard him as the goat a decade after his last retirement.

[Krodis]

Could he have? Sure, possibly. But I wouldn't have bet on it. Even if he did beat Hakeem's Rockets those two years, I don't terribly like his chances in 97/98 without the earlier rest. Plus, who know how the team ends up constructed without him missing those years?