The Portland Trail Blazers tried anything and everything to slow down a rampant Michael Jordan in the 1992 NBA Finals. That Portland team was littered with talented stars like Clyde Drexler, Clifford Robinson, Terry Porter, and Danny Ainge. Still, none of them were capable of containing a determined Jordan, who at the time had firmly established himself as the NBA’s alpha.
Going into the finals, Jordan had just been named the MVP for a third time and was coming off an incredible regular season where he led the league with 30.1 points per game. His strong performances in the playoffs saw the Bulls battle past the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers, and Jordan was just hitting his stride when Portland arrived in Illinois for Game 1 of the series.
Portland had won 57 regular-season games that season and would have been confident coming into the series. However, a dazzling first-half performance from Jordan in Game 1 left coach Rick Adelman and his players stunned. The Bulls guard recorded an astonishing 35 points in the first half, including six straight 3-pointers.
That night, Jordan also presented fans with his famous shrug celebration, which would go on to become an iconic moment in the world of sport.
Magic Johnson Reveals Who Michael Jordan Shrugged at After Drilling Memorable 3–Pointer Against Portland
Jordan was unstoppable on the night. After hitting an NBA Finals record sixth 3-pointer in the half, the North Carolina native looked over the sidelines and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “I told you so.”
At the time, it seemed as if Jordan was aiming a jab at Trail Blazers’ forward Cliff Robinson, who had a hand on his face as he went up for the shot. Magic Johnson, though, during a 2021 interview with Jimmy Kimmel, shed some light on the historic moment. According to Johnson, Jordan wasn’t even directing the celebration at a Portland player.
“I am at his house the night before. We played cards,” said Johnson. (5:10)
Johnson was set to call the game for NBC, and when he suggested they get some sleep, Jordan fired back, saying that he was confident he could take down the Blazers. “I’m going to tear Clyde Drexler up tomorrow,” said Jordan, according to Johnson.
“We get to the game. He hits that first three, the second three, the third three. Now remember, he hitting them in a row. He hit six threes. The last one he hit, he turned and looked at me … It was to me saying ‘What did I tell you I was going to do.'” (5:25)
Kimmel was surprised to hear that the shrug was actually meant for the Los Angeles Lakers legend.
“So this shrug that Jordan gave was for you,” said Kimmel to Johnson.
Over the series, Jordan averaged 35.8 points, 6.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.7 steals to lead the Bulls to a 4-2 series win. He was named the NBA Finals MVP for the second time in his career after guiding Chicago to their second championship.
