Michael Jordan was a free agent after the 1996 season, and, according to his longtime agent David Falk, never came close to leaving the Bulls.

“Michael is an extremely loyal guy. He wanted to play for one team…He was loved in the city of Chicago,” Falk said during an appearance with Zach Harper and Amin Elhassan on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

Despite the icy relationship between Michael Jordan and the front office, Falk said it “it would have taken a disaster in the discussion” for Jordan to sign elsewhere.

“I wouldn't say it was impossible. We obviously had to do our due diligence in the event that a disaster did happen … But I think the chance of him leaving…was unlikely.”

By staying in Chicago, the Bulls could exceed the salary cap (before max contracts) to re-sign Michael Jordan. Eventually, he and owner Jerry Reinsdorf struck a deal. He signed a one-year contract for $30.1 million in 1996-97 before re-upping for another year for $33.1 million in 1997-98.

Falk admitted that “for me, obviously in 1996 representing both Michael and Patrick [Ewing], if they both could play for the same team on the moon it would've been amazing. It would've given Patrick the championship he craved. You would've had the most dominating big man in the league and the most dominating wing player in the league on the same team. It had nothing to do with being in New York, it could have been on the moon.”

Unfortunately for Knicks fans, Michael Jordan never played in New York. Fortunately for the Looney Tunes, he didn't end up playing in outer space either.

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