The world was a much different place in 1986. Gas cost $.89 a gallon, the average cost of a new home was $89,000, Madonna and Tom Cruise were on the top of their games, Larry Bird was on top of the basketball world and Michael Jordan wasn’t quite Michael Jordan yet.
Jordan had yet to win a playoff series and was coming off of a regular season in which he played just 18 games after breaking his foot.
On April 20, 1986 Michael Jordan and the 8th seeded Bulls went into game 2 of their best of five series against the Celtics with little chance of competing. The Celtics were 40-1 in “The Garden” that season and beat the Bulls by 19 points in Game 1.
Jordan put on an absolute show in Boston, scoring an NBA playoff record 63 points in a 135-131 double overtime loss to the Celtics.
Here are some highlights of Jordan’s coming out party, including the iconic double between the legs:
We look back to one of Michael Jordan?'s historic playoff moments; 63 points vs @Celtics? in the 1986 #NBAPlayoffs!https://t.co/rqn3Ld4TT2
— NBA India (@NBAIndia) April 20, 2016
Here is a breakdown of Jordan’s shot chart during the game:
30 years ago today, Michael Jordan scored 63 vs the Celtics. An in-depth look at his game: https://t.co/BxQ1ko4uYC pic.twitter.com/G2zcFJpvhN
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 20, 2016
The game also produced one of the most memorable post game quotes in NBA history by Larry Bird:
“I didn’t think anyone was capable of doing what Michael has done to us,” said Bird post-game. “He is the most exciting, awesome player in the game today. I think it’s just God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
If anybody has a chance to break that scoring mark for one playoff game it would have to be Steph Curry himself, but we will never forget the greatest player of all-time’s playoff coming out party in maybe the most historic basketball venue.
