?I Want This to Be a Grudge Match?: Seeing a Knot on Scottie Pippen?s Forehead Triggered a Michael Jordan Explosion on Alonzo Mourning?s Heat

Michael Jordan turned the tide for the Chicago Bulls when he came to the NBA in 1984. However, it took him six years to make the Bulls a championship-winning team for the first time in NBA history. Jordan went on to win six championships for the franchise in the 1990s. MJ was aware that he couldn’t do it all without the support of his legendary teammates. He understood the importance to help his teammates evolve and be there for them on the court.

The six-time Finals MVP didn’t take it well when during the 1996-1997 championship, ?Miami Heat‘s Alonzo Mourning roughed up one of his teammates Scottie Pippen in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls were in a commanding position after winning the first three games in the series. Following Game 3, Mourning predicted that the Heat would win Game 4. Eventually, the Het went on to win the game 87-80. However, Mourning was involved in an incident with Jordan’s teammate Scottie Pippen which really ticked the Bulls legend off.

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During the game, Mourning elbowed Scottie Pippen in the head, resulting in a massive knot on his forehead. The injury on Pippen’s forehead really riled up Michael Jordan. In fact, that turned out to be a very costly mistake by Mourning and the Heat. Former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson and All-Star Steve Kerr revealed that Jordan was up for revenge for his teammate during Game 5 in the 1996-97 championship VHS.

Michael Jordan gives apt response to Alonzo Mourning

Jordan was in no mood of forgiving Mourning for hurting Pippen. Kerr revealed that Mourning chattered a lot during the entire series. Moreover, Phil Jackson suggested that Michael Jordan took Scotties’ injury personally after seeing a bump on his teammate’s head. Jackson revealed the conversation that MJ had with his teammates after a few days. Jordan said, “Guys, this one is a personal test. We come out there in Game 5, I want this game to be a grudge match.”

Michael Jordan had his eyes set on crushing the Heat. He went out there with his team and beat the Heat by 100-87. While Scottie Pippen was sidelined after six minutes due to a foot injury, Dennis Rodman came in to support MJ by shutting Mourning down. Rodman’s brilliant defense restricted Alonzo Mourning to just 13 points and seven turnovers in 37 minutes.

Mourning had an intimidating personality which often allowed him into the head of his opponents. However, MJ gave him the taste of his own medicine by scoring 28 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks in 42 minutes.

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While Michael Jordan bullied the bully during the conference finals, he went on to crush Karl Malone’s Utah Jazz in the Finals to win his fifth championship with the Bulls.