MJ‘s Age During His Last Dance with the Bulls
Michael Jordan was 35 years old during his final season playing for the Chicago Bulls in 1997-1998. This capped a 15-year NBA career that cemented his status as the greatest basketball player of all time. Even at 35, Jordan was still dominating the game with his trademark athleticism, competitive fire, and basketball IQ. Let‘s take a closer look at MJ‘s historic last dance in Chicago.
Background on Jordan‘s Rise to Stardom
Before becoming a basketball legend, Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. After a standout college career at UNC, he entered the NBA in 1984 at the age of 21 after being drafted 3rd overall by the Chicago Bulls.
As a rookie, Jordan averaged 28.2 points per game and won Rookie of the Year honors. By age 25 in 1988, he had won his first league MVP award and Defensive Player of the Year award. At age 28 in 1991, Jordan finally won his first NBA championship with the Bulls.
Jordan Dominates with First Three-Peat
Jordan led the Bulls to three straight NBA titles from 1991 to 1993. He reached an apex in 1992-1993 at age 29, winning MVP, Finals MVP and averaging a staggering 41 points per game in the Finals against the Suns.
However, at just age 30, Jordan stunned the world by announcing his first retirement from basketball prior to the 1993-94 season. After spending some time away from the game, Jordan returned triumphantly to the Bulls in March 1995 at age 31.
MJ‘s Dominance in His Mid-30s
In his mid-30s, Jordan proved he was still the best player in the world:
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1996 (Age 33): Jordan led the NBA in scoring (30.4 ppg) and the Bulls set an NBA record with 72 wins. He won league MVP and Finals MVP.
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1997 (Age 34): Jordan averaged 29.6 ppg and won his 9th straight scoring title. He claimed another Finals MVP as the Bulls defeated the Jazz for their 5th championship of the decade.
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1998 (Age 35): Jordan won his final MVP award and his 6th Finals MVP while leading the Bulls to his 6th NBA championship.
Jordan‘s Epic Final Season in Chicago at Age 35
The 1997-98 season marked Jordan‘s final campaign in a Bulls uniform. He continued to put up otherworldly stats at age 35:
- Regular Season: 28.7 ppg (10th scoring title), 5.8 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.7 spg
- Named All-Star Game MVP
- All-NBA First Team selection
- All-Defensive First Team selection
In storybook fashion, Jordan won his 6th championship in his last season with the Bulls. He hit the iconic series-clinching shot in Game 6 against the Jazz to deliver the perfect ending to his legendary Chicago career.
By the Numbers: MJ‘s Age 35 Season
| Regular Season Stats | 82 games, 38.8 mpg, 46.5% FG, 28.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.5 apg |
| Playoff Stats | 21 games, 41.5 mpg, 45.7% FG, 32.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.5 apg |
| Finals Stats | 6 games, 42.8 mpg, 42.7% FG, 33.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.3 apg |
| Awards | Finals MVP, All-Star Game MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team |
Jordan‘s Career After Chicago
After his last dance in Chicago at age 35, Jordan retired from the Bulls again in January 1999. In 2001, he made an NBA comeback at age 38 with the Washington Wizards for two seasons before finally retiring for good in 2003 at age 40.
Jordan left the game with an unmatched resume – 6 championships, 6 Finals MVPs, 5 league MVPs, 10 scoring titles – that cemented his status as the GOAT. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 at the age of 46.
At 35, Jordan was able to go out on top while still performing at a superstar level. His final season with the Bulls served as the perfect ending to a legendary career and the ultimate last dance.