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For 22 games during the 1995 NBA season, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan wore a different number. Hoops fans around the globe knew him as 23, but for a short while, he was 45.
In a move that shook the sporting world, Jordan announced that he would be retiring before the 1993-94 NBA season to pursue a career in professional baseball. The former UNC Tarheels standout went on to play a year and a half in the Chicago White Sox minor league system while wearing No. 45.
Unfortunately, Jordan's outstanding skill on the court did not translate to the field. He struck out in one out of every four at-bats. And by 1995, he was ready to make his return to the NBA.
When he came out of retirement, Jordan said he wouldn’t wear 23 because that was his last basketball number he wore before his father, James, was murdered in 1993.
Why 45, though?
In an older interview with 2K, Jordan revealed that he actually wanted to wear 45 as he was coming up through the high school ranks. However, his older brother Larry, who was a member of the same team, already had the number.
“He had seniority,” Jordan told the NBA 2K14 team, via priceonomics.com. “He had the option to wear 45, so I just figured 23 was half of 45 — 22-and-a-half. And 23 has just kinda stuck with me the whole time.”
Let's take a look at how Jordan fared wearing 45 versus 23…
In the 17 regular season games that he wore No. 45, Jordan racked up averages of 26.9 points on 41.1 percent shooting from the field (50.0 percent from beyond the arc), 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.8 steals in 39.3 minutes per outing.
Jordan started out strong in number 45, scoring 48 points in Chicago's Game 1 matchup against Charlotte. The Bulls would go on to defeat the Hornets in four games.
Things were going okay for Michael Jordan in No. 45 until Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Orlando’s Nick Anderson stole the ball from MJ with roughly 10 seconds remaining on the clock. This defensive effort led to a game-winning basket for the Magic.
Some critics argued that Michael Jordan had lost a step — that he wasn't the same while wearing the number 45. Anderson actually agreed, telling the press after Game 1 that he “couldn't have done that to number 23.”
A competitor through and through, Michael Jordan later admitted that No. 45 “didn't explode like 23,” so it was time for a change.
Following that fateful matchup, Michael Jordan did not speak to the media. He came out for Game 2 wearing his traditional No. 23 jersey and dropped 38 points as part of a 104-94 victory. In Game 3, His Airness racked up 40 points, though the Bulls were defeated.
In the five games he played in that series after switching back to No. 23, Michael Jordan turned in averages of 33.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.2 blocks. Whether the jersey swap made difference or not, he clearly played better.
Notably, the Bulls were actually fined $25,000 for failing to report Jordan's Game 2 number swap. Furthermore, Michael Jordan was fined $5,000 for his choice of footwear.
Orlando would go on to beat Chicago in the series, 4-2. However, Jordan would not lose another series over the next three seasons.
