On October 26, 1984, a certain Michael Jordan made his NBA debut for the Chicago Bulls. The later six-time champion defeated the Washington Bullets 109:93. We look back at the box score.
The Bulls team was a diverse bunch back then. MJ himself described the team as a “cocaine traveling circus” in the ten-part documentary series “The Last Dance”. We show who MJ shared the field with in his first game and what the box score looked like back then.
Ennis Whatley (Point Guard)
11 points (5/8 FG), 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and 4 turnovers in 37 minutes of playing time
Drafted with the 13th pick in 1983, Whatley was an old-school playmaker. After his two seasons with the Bulls at the beginning of his career, he was then primarily used as a backup guard.
Whatley played in the NBA for a total of ten years, but also played in other leagues and countries in between. These include the CBA, the Philippines, Israel and Lithuania.
Michael Jordan (Shooting Guard)
16 points (5/16 FG), 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks and 5 turnovers in 40 minutes of playing time
MJ didn’t score particularly well in his debut, but he filled the box score and already showed his high potential. Jordan established himself as a star in the league in the coming weeks. He would only surpass the 16 points from his debut against the Bullets twice this season. In just his ninth game he gave the Spurs 45 points on 18/27 FG.
In the best game of his rookie season he almost cracked the 50 mark. He gave the Detroit Pistons 49 points on 19/31 FG, and he also grabbed 7 of his 15 rebounds at the opponent’s ring! Some foreshadowing…
Michael Jordan: Statistics in the 1984/85 season
Orlando Woolridge (Small Forward)
Woolridge was the top dog in Chicago before MJ quickly overtook him. However, the forward remained as a good second option for a few more years and played at almost All-Star level at times. as an excellent scorer and dunker.
Woolridge later struggled with drug problems and was even temporarily suspended by the NBA. The 6th pick from 1981 played a total of 13 seasons in the NBA with the Bulls, Nets, Lakers, Nuggets, Pistons, Bucks and Sixers before ending his active career over two years in Italy.
Steve Johnson (Power Forward)
18 points (9/14 FG), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers in 35 minutes of playing time
Not the classic bruiser on the four of the time, the Bulls played more with two nominal centers. Johnson started out as the 7th pick of the Kansas City Kings, but he only spent one year alongside Jordan with the Bulls.
In 1988 he even became an All-Star for the Blazers, but he wasn’t very scary as a shot blocker. Johnson played nine years in the league with the Kings, Blazers, Bulls, Spurs, Warriors, Supersonics and Wolves.
Caldwell Jones (Center)
Jones’ best years were already behind him; at 34, the defensive specialist could hardly help in attack anymore. After a single season in Chicago, he played five more years in the NBA for Portland and San Antonio.
Although Jones was selected in the second round of the 1973 NBA draft, he began his career with three seasons in the ABA. He led the league in blocks in his first two years (4.0 and 3.2 per game) before playing for three different teams in his third season there. He also did well in the NBA and made it to five different teams.
Quintin Dailey (Guard)
25 points (12/18 FG), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 7 turnovers in 28 minutes of playing time
Another enfant terrible. Bulls fans protested when Chicago drafted him in 1982. At that time, sexual abuse was being investigated. Suspended twice for drugs, once eating pizza and nachos on the bench during a game. After his career, he earned his living as a referee, of all things.
You could never deny him his talent as a scorer, even if the three-pointer was not yet a weapon. That was a phenomenon of the times; Jordan also hardly scored from downtown in his first four seasons.
Jawann Oldham (Center)
A hometown hero who, however, never got beyond the status of a reservist, partly because of a long injury history. In eleven years in the league, Oldham only played 329 games and had to miss one season entirely due to knee problems. The man with the simple nickname “The Man” averaged 4 points and 4 rebounds in his career and was the last Bulls player to wear number 33 before Scottie Pippen.
After his playing career, Oldham was heavily involved in the development of basketball in Korea and Japan, where he also worked as a coach. The Jawann Oldham Professional Development Basketball Academy still operates in Dubai and Abu Dhabi today.
Sidney Green (Forward)
Green was more of a classic power forward from the 80s, and his duties on the floor were often similar to those of a bouncer. However, Green could also score points; it was not without reason that he was selected with the fifth pick a year earlier.
Green was also more of a wandering bird; his three years in Chicago were the ultimate in emotions. He then played for the Bulls’ rivals in New York and Detroit as well as the Magic, Spurs and Hornets for a total of ten seasons. Today he is an ambassador for the Bulls.
Dave Corzine (Center)
The big man was born and raised in Arlington Heights, making him a true hometown hero when he joined the Bulls for four years with the Washington Bullets and San Antonio Spurs. Corzine was also mostly the starting center in the early years of MJ, but he was probably injured in his debut. He was definitely talented offensively, but a bit stiff at the hips.
Corzine was traded to Orlando for picks in 1989 when he was nearing the end of his prime. The Bulls used one of them for a certain Toni Kukoc, Corzine only played 31 games in total for the Magic and Supersonics before he celebrated the end of his career with a season in Italy as a 35-year-old.
Rod Higgins (Forward)
Higgins also went to high school in Illinois, but he also started his career as a second-round pick with the Bulls. The winger was a Gunner who still holds an NBA record. Higgins played for four different teams in 1985/86 (Sonics, Spurs, Nets and Bulls).
In the second half of his long 13-season career, he developed a useful long-distance shot, taking his game to a higher level with the Golden State Warriors. The triples were probably already good in the Bay Area back then! After his playing career, Higgins was employed in Charlotte as GM and president from 2007 to 2011.
Wes Matthews (Guard)
2 points (2/2 FT) and 2 assists in 2 minutes of playing time
Wes Matthews? Exactly, this is the father of the current Hawks guard! Like his son later, the senior also got around a lot; he ended up with the Hawks, among others, even twice. Matthews’ best years were his rookie season, although he was traded as the Bullets’ 14th pick after just 45 games.
With the Lakers around Magic Johnson, a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in his 40s and James Worthy, he became champion in 1987 and 1988, after which he played one more season in the CBA.
2023-12-16 08:16:00
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