Thread by @readjack, 27 years after Michael Jordan's first retirement, conspiracies still abound.No, I don't [...]

27 years after Michael Jordan's first retirement, conspiracies still abound.

No, I don't believe this was anything other than a legit retirement, of MJ's own doing. Let me explain why.

A thread.

#TheLastDance

I've written and talked a lot about MJ's first retirement.

In trying to find a definitive answer as to whether his retirement was legit, for me, it comes down to this:

What has to be true for it to be true?

What has to be true for it to be not true? https://readjack.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/there-could-never-be-an-8-peat-no-jordan-suspension-why-michael-jordan-needed-baseball/

There Could Never Be an 8-Peat: Why Michael Jordan Needed Baseball

“If Jordan didn’t retire in 1993, the Bulls would have won 8 straight titles!” “Jordan didn’t retire — he was suspended for gambling!” ReadJack takes yo…

https://readjack.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/there-could-never-be-an-8-peat-no-jordan-suspension-why-michael-jordan-needed-baseball/

Let's weigh these two questions.

First: What has to be true for Michael Jordan's 1993 retirement to be legitimate and NOT a secret suspension?

Michael Jordan had to decide to retire, and then retire.

That's it.

Now: What has to be true for Michael Jordan's 1993 retirement to be a secret suspension?

How much time do you have?

:)

For MJ's 1993 retirement to actually be a secret suspension, there needs to be:

- An NBA investigation (a real one)
- Proof of wrongdoing

The NBA had investigated MJ in 1992. Per @ArmenKeteyian's invaluable "Money Players," here is how serious the league was about it:

For MJ's 1993 retirement to actually be a secret suspension, there needs to be... part 2:

- Communication between the NBA and MJ. Did this happen? I looked at Jordan's and Stern's schedules in the summer of '93 and found no day where they were together. https://readjack.substack.com/p/did-david-stern-suspend-michael-jordan

The 1993 MJ suspension conspiracy: a logistical debunking

If David Stern suspended MJ, wouldn't they need to be in the same city? Let's take a look at their 1993 calendars.

https://readjack.substack.com/p/did-david-stern-suspend-michael-jordan

For MJ's 1993 retirement to actually be a secret suspension, there needs to be... part 3:

- MJ’s sign-off, or some contractual trigger that would force his compliance.

Remember, this is a SECRET suspension. Jordan has to agree to participate. https://readjack.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/there-could-never-be-an-8-peat-no-jordan-suspension-why-michael-jordan-needed-baseball/

There Could Never Be an 8-Peat: Why Michael Jordan Needed Baseball

“If Jordan didn’t retire in 1993, the Bulls would have won 8 straight titles!” “Jordan didn’t retire — he was suspended for gambling!” ReadJack takes yo…

https://readjack.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/there-could-never-be-an-8-peat-no-jordan-suspension-why-michael-jordan-needed-baseball/

Let's look at this again:

The argument goes that the NBA couldn't control MJ. He was out of control. So their solution was to... control him? https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1259650931467194373

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1259650931467194373

For MJ's 1993 retirement to actually be a secret suspension, there needs to be... part 4:

A MASSIVE conspiracy b/t MJ and Stern, plus possibly:

* Falk
* Reinsdorf
* Others in the NBA (Granik/Balmer?)
* MJ sponsors (who paid him about 7x what the Bulls did)
* NBC & TNT

Again, as I've always said, the best evidence that MJ's 1993 retirement was not a secret suspension is that there is no evidence.

Here is how Sam Smith put it in 2010:

https://readjack.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/there-could-never-be-an-8-peat-no-jordan-suspension-why-michael-jordan-needed-baseball/

#TheLastDance

Now, let's look at the biggest argument that people give as the starting point for their "MJ was secretly suspended" case.

It's actually the easiest to debunk:

“MJ was too competitive to just walk away!”

If you make this argument, you haven't done your research.

Michael Jordan talked about retiring early A BUNCH.

Consistently.

As early as 1986.

Here he is doing just that with David Letterman, saying he wants to retire at age 32 and join the PGA tour.

#TheLastDance

MJ talked publicly about retiring early, or playing another sport, or both, a bunch.

Here's a partial count:

1986 on David Letterman

1991 in Sports Illustrated

1992 in The Jordan Rules

1993 in Hang Time

1993 in Rare Air

1993 in the famous Ahmad Rashad interview

Again, here is an excerpt from his 1993 book "Rare Air," published five days before his retirement, as Michael Jordan wrote about wanting to play baseball.

via @dyroljoyner:

Those are just the PUBLIC examples of MJ talking about retiring early, playing another sport, or both.

Here are some of the private instances:

1991, @SamSmithHoops

1992, @Crayestout (below)

1993, Dean Smith

1993, multiple teammates

https://readjack.substack.com/p/a-conversation-with-cheryl-raye-stout

Those are just the PUBLIC examples of MJ talking about retiring early, playing another sport, or both.Here are some of the private instances:1991, @SamSmithHoops 1992, @Crayestout (below)1993, Dean Smith1993, multiple teammates https://readjack.substack.com/p/a-conversation-with-cheryl-raye-stout

In 1993, Michael Jordan talked repeatedly to teammates about retiring after the season.

Here he is telling Darrell Walker: https://twitter.com/readjack/status/916512799332892672

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/916512799332892672

Here is Jordan describing those conversations to @mkisaacson for her excellent 1994 book "Transition Game."

#TheLastDance

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/916511701838848000

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/916511701838848000

Now, in what other ways does Jordan’s 1993 retirement make sense, including the timing?

One key is that by 1993, Jordan had accomplished one of his major goals: the league's first three-peat since Bill Russell, something none of his biggest rival/peers did.

Another key to understanding MJ's 1993 retirement is his exhaustion, even before his father's murder:

* Physically (3 straight playoff runs into mid-June + the '92 Olympics)

* Mentally (The team squabbles, the gambling controversies) https://readjack.substack.com/p/did-david-stern-suspend-michael-jordan

The 1993 MJ suspension conspiracy: a logistical debunking

If David Stern suspended MJ, wouldn't they need to be in the same city? Let's take a look at their 1993 calendars.

https://readjack.substack.com/p/did-david-stern-suspend-michael-jordan

Now let's add in the Richard Esquinas controversy, which hit June 3, 1993, the day before G6 of the ECF. That news dramatically increased the media questions about Jordan's gambling and increased his anger and fatigue. https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1257037209561161729

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1257037209561161729

Now let's add Esquinas telling the NBA's private investigator on July 12 about hearing Jordan talking on the phone about a point spread.

If David Stern was conducting an investigation into MJ against Stern's own wishes, this point spread news meant he had to continue.

And this is where we see how MJ's insane summer of 1993 had wave after wave of problem compounding on each other.

On August 8, the Esquinas point spread story broke.

On August 12, James Jordan was announced missing.

On August 13, he was announced dead.

James Jordan's death alone could have pushed MJ to retirement. But look at how everything spun together in 1993:

May: Atlantic City
June: Esquinas
July: Esquinas point spread
August: James Jordan found murdered

Immediately, reporters speculated about James's death.

Gross.

The NBA was still investigating Jordan, but now they couldn't push because MJ was in mourning. Yet the newspaper reporting still looked at Jordan's gambling.

Here is a damning piece from @Ian_OConnor, Sept. 1, 1993, concluding that Stern should "place (MJ) on probation."

The New York media really hammered Jordan throughout 1993, but local reporters had to take the story seriously. Here is the great Sam Smith reporting in @ChicagoSports on a possible "gambling probation" from the NBA.

This is from Sept. 10, 1993:

From Aug. 20-22, it seems that MJ was still considering a return, based on a conversation with Bill Russell.

By September 18, it seems that Michael's mind was made up about retiring. That is when David Falk told Jerry Reinsdorf that MJ wanted to retire.

https://readjack.substack.com/p/did-david-stern-suspend-michael-jordan

So what really happened with Michael Jordan's 1993 retirement? I think he was teetering in 1993 between retiring and returning. I think he got fed up with the negativity around his career. I think he was bothered by the league's investigation and suggestions of probation.

And then his father was murdered and he was in deep mourning.

And THEN when people fused the two — the murder and his gambling — he hit a point of no return.

He was done.

And at that point, he could activate his long-simmering interest in baseball. https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1259669472723566592

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1259669472723566592

Again, an early retirement was always in the cards. The idea of "A competitive guy doesn't quit on his own!" doesn't hold up: MJ retired at the height of his game in 1993 and 1998, and as a 20-PPG All-Star in 2003.

Here is his explanation to Oprah in 1993:

#TheLastDance

I think the total confluence of factors...

* Exhaustion/boredom
* Gambling controversies
* Desire to control his career
* What he saw as a media and NBA betrayal
* His father's murder
* Gross speculation

...led to his retirement.

This was no surprise. From Oct. 6, 1993:

So no, I do not believe in a Michael Jordan secret suspension conspiracy theory.

A person who has agreed to a secret suspension does not say at his retirement press conference, "If David Stern lets me back."

Conspiracy theorists use that as proof. I see it as the opposite.

A person who has agreed to a secret suspension for gambling does not film commercials about faking his retirement.

#TheLastDance

https://readjack.substack.com/p/did-david-stern-suspend-michael-jordan

I will say it again:

A PERSON WHO HAS AGREED TO A SECRET SUSPENSION DOES NOT FILM COMMERCIALS ABOUT FAKING HIS RETIREMENT.

#TheLastDance

https://readjack.substack.com/archive

There are other arguments that push against the conspiracy theory of MJ's 1993 retirement, including him trying to convince George Karl to trade for Scottie in '94, and the NBA giving the Bulls a preseason game in Vegas in 1996.

But I think this is enough.

A secret suspension?

Okay folks, my work here is done. Everyone can believe what they want.

If you enjoyed this thread, you should definitely subscribe to my newsletter. Let's keep the conversation going!

And s/o to @B_Craw4D. He knows why :) https://readjack.substack.com/p/did-david-stern-suspend-michael-jordan

The 1993 MJ suspension conspiracy: a logistical debunking

If David Stern suspended MJ, wouldn't they need to be in the same city? Let's take a look at their 1993 calendars.

https://readjack.substack.com/p/did-david-stern-suspend-michael-jordan

You can follow @readjack.

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