It was 17 years ago today that Michael Jordan returned from his premature retirement to rejoin the Chicago Bulls.
After leading the Bulls to three consecutive championships by the end of the 1993 season, Jordan hung up his basketball shoes and spent the next year and a half riding around in buses, playing minor league baseball for the Birmingham Barons, the double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. On March 18, 1995, Jordan issued a press releasing stating, simply, "I'm back."
The next night, he suited up for Chicago on the road against the Indiana Pacers. We have video of Jordan's first game back, after the jump.
Jordan would shoot only 7-of-28 from the floor in his return to pro basketball, but still finished with 19 points, six assists, six rebounds, and three steals. In his fifth game back, MJ would score 55 points (on a much more efficient 21-of-37 shooting) against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to fully announce his return.
H/T: Pro Basketball Talk
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