The veteran play-by-play announcer was caught off guard by MJ ditching their routine meetups.
During Michael Jordan's reign as the NBA's most successful and lethal player, having led the Chicago Bulls to six championships in eight years, former NBA on NBC play-by-play announcer Marv Albert had a front-row seat to witness all the action. Not only did the latter establish a close relationship with the 6'6" shooting, but he also witnessed some of his most iconic moments, including MJ's famous shrug during the 1992 NBA Finals.
Given the style of play in the 1990s, Mike never prioritized establishing himself as a prominent 3-point shooter, and his shooting rate of 32.7% in his career proved that.
However, given his knack for being the best player every time he stepped on the hardwood, Jordan knew that he couldn't stick to a one-dimensional strategy and had to cause an odd shock to dominate his opponents. During Game 1 of the '92 NBA Finals, Mike recognized the need for a different approach beyond attacking the paint if his Bulls were to take an advantage. Consequently, he eschewed his customary ritual of meeting media personnel before the game and instead dedicated additional hours to training.
"He would sit down with us before the game, but he missed that session on that day because he said he had to go out early for practice. That struck me as strange, and he rarely did that, but all he was doing was shooting 3s," Albert said. "He looked over at the table and gave his famous shrug."
In Game 1, the New York native took over the game from beyond the arc, knocking six 3-pointers in the first half while logging 35 points to provide his team with a 14-point lead at halftime. Following his final successful long-range attempt, Jordan executed his now-famous shrug towards Albert.
After adding four more points in the second half, Jordan sat the rest of the game out as it proved inconsequential as his team dominated the Blazers, securing a 33-point victory.
Albert claimed MJ would dominate in the 3-point era
Most importantly, Marv had seen how hard Mike worked to extend his range when the situation came calling, so when discussing where Jordan would rank had he been playing in the 3-point-dominated modern-day NBA, Albert emphasized that the five-time MVP would have no problem in being the best player.
"If Michael played today he would be off the charts," Marv concluded.
That being said, "His Airness" clearly demonstrated that to establish oneself as the best, dedicating additional time to practice was far more crucial than these pregame media interactions and rituals.
