NBA legend Michael Jordan and the number 23 go hand in hand in the annals of basketball history. He sported the iconic number since his days at the University of North Carolina and pretty much the entire time he was playing for the Chicago Bulls. In fact, the number is still associated with Jordan even after two decades of his retirement. Interestingly, circumstances once forced MJ to play without his signature number on his back. Valentine’s Day 1990 turned sour for the six-time NBA champion as he had to part ways with the iconic #23.

When the Bulls took on the Orlando Magic in 1990, Jordan’s jersey was discovered to be missing from the locker room. After a lot of searching and brainstorming, MJ had to settle for a different number for the first time in his basketball career.

A stolen jersey once forced Michael Jordan to wear another number

The #23 holds a special significance in His Airness’ life. He chose 23 because of his brother in high school and fell in love with the  number ever since. On Valentine’s Day in 1990, the Chicago Bulls were in the city of Orlando and were gearing up for their matchup against the Magic. When the players and the staff entered the locker room, they noticed something odd. Jordan’s jersey was missing!

Although security searched the entire arena and the fans, their efforts were in vain. The iconic #23 was nowhere to be found. Ultimately, it was decided that Jordan would play with a nameless #12 jersey.

Despite the change in number, Jordan performed in his typical fashion. He scored 49 points and 7 rebounds, almost as an act of revenge against the city of Orlando. However, his efforts couldn’t take his team past the Magic. Interestingly, some members of the Bulls felt that Jordan’s jersey was stolen to distract the team before this crucial matchup.

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Later on, the jersey was found to be hanging in the rafters. As it turns out, a member of the Magic’s staff had snuck into the locker room to remove the jersey to potentially retrieve it later. However, it is uncertain whether the perpetrator intended to bag the clothing or simply misplace it to impact MJ’s game.

Did Jordan wear any other number other than 23?

The NBA Hall of Famer sported the #23 for almost his entire basketball career. However, when he came out of retirement in 1995, he wore the number 45. Interestingly, this was his first number in high school.

Talking about why he switched to a different number on The Last Dance documentary, MJ said, “I didn’t want to wear 23 because I knew my father wasn’t there to watch me, and I felt it was a new beginning.” The number didn’t stick too long with Jordan as he switched back to 23 during the playoffs against the Orlando Magic.

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