Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, NBA
Josh Lawless
Michael Jordan once cost the Chicago Bulls a six-figure fee after a surprise number change.
Jordan is synonymous with the iconic No.23 but back in 1995, his decision to wear it on the court resulted in a hefty fine for the Bulls.
At the time, His Airness had recently retired from basketball and tried his hand at baseball but made a return midway through the 1994/1995 campaign - his comeback being announced in a two-word press release which simply said, "I'm back".
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In his comeback, Jordan elected to use his baseball number of No.45 after a 18-month break. He showed no signs of rustiness and helped the Bulls reach the Eastern Conference play-offs, where they faced Orlando Magic in the semi-finals.
After Nick Anderson scored the game-winning basket, he memorably said that "No. 45 doesn't explode like No. 23 used to".
Jordan seemed to take that personally and decided to revert back to the No.23, which had previously been retired, for the second game. However, the number change was not reported to the NBA by the Bulls and say a substantial fine was issued.
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"The NBA levied a $100,000 fine against the Bulls for permitting Jordan to change his jersey number during the playoffs," a report from the Chicago Tribune said.
"It is believed to be the largest collective non-fighting fine in modern times, according to NBA historians.
“The Bulls, who are solely responsible for paying the fine, were originally fined $25,000 after Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Bulls and Orlando Magic for failing to notify the league that Jordan would be switching from No. 45 to 23.
"Ironically, losing in the second round saved the Bulls from a larger fine as this latest $100,000 penalty was broken down to $25,000 per game for the four additional games in which Jordan continued to wear his original 23.”
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Jordan himself was fined for wearing white sneakers when the rest of his teammates had black.
Back wearing the No.23, Jordan scored 38 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, four steals and three assists - though Orlando still went on won the series in six games.
Continuing to wear No.23, he led the Bulls to another three-peat to take his NBA championship tally to six.
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He later turned out for the Washington Wizards with the same number to close out his career before finally retiring in 2003.
Miami Heat, who Jordan never played for, retired the No.23 in his honour as a nod to his incredible career and legacy.