It didn’t hit me until just now that it has been 10 years since Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls for the final time. I was going through my nightly rounds and went to Espn.com. Right on the main page was this wonderful article by J.A. Adande. After reading it, it got me to thinking about how things have changed for me since then.
First all, I went from being a kid to a man during the Michael Jordan era. I was 6 years old when he joined the Bulls, and I was 20 when he retired. Everything I knew about sportsmanship, being a true fan, and living and breathing a sports team I learned from watching MJ. The Bears won the Superbowl in 1985 but I was too young to grasp it. The six championship run is one of the highlights of my youth. In fact, it might be the highlight of my youth, even more important than getting my first Nintendo.
When MJ retired the first time, it was like my heart was ripped out. When he said ‘I’m Back’, I went out and bought the shirt. Well, my parents drove me to Kohls to buy the shirt. It was a neighborhood event when he came back against the evil Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers. I videotaped the game on VHS.
I still have the tape.
When he retired in 1999, it was no longer life or death in the eyes of a kid. I had fallen in love, I was working, I was going to school, and I had started my first band. But I still watched the whole press conference.
10 years later, life is much more difficult. There will never be another era like that in Chicago.
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