Michael Jordan has enjoyed many great rivalries in his career. Whether it was the legendary Boston Celtics, or the Bad Boy Pistons, competition for MJ wasn’t scarce. However, an opponent that Jordan routinely got the better of was the New York Knicks. Led by Patrick Ewing, the team was a rough defensive team that enjoyed a physical matchup. But, for Mike, after years of facing Detroit, physicality was par for the course.

One of his more iconic rivals during the time, New York was also home to one of the few defenders that Jordan gave props to. 30 years to his first three-peat, fans look back at His Airness‘ 54-point explosion against the Knicks.

Michael Jordan broke New York’s heart

The New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls faced off 6 times in the playoffs throughout Michael Jordan’s tenure. But the rivalry had a clear winner – the Bulls. Chicago won 5 of 6 rounds, whereas New York’s only victory came in 1994, the year Michael retired.

While New York was a strong defensive team, with a cast to boot, it wasn’t enough. Boasting the likes of Charles Oakley, Patrick Ewing and Anthony Mason, New York was ready for physical matchups. The team also boasted defensive ace John Starks, who specifically guarded Mike.

However, the collection of talents was never enough. The closes the Knicks got was in 1993, Jordan’s third championship. When the Knicks won the first two matches of the Eastern Conference Finals, an upset seemed inevitable. In Game 3, Starks was excellent as the primary defender, holding Mike to just 3-for-18 shooting. However, the Knicks couldn’t find any offense themselves and lost the game by 20.

As they say, the rest is history. The man with the highest scoring average in playoff history (33.4) was not going to have two back-to-back stinkers. In Game 4, Michael came to play. Regardless of the coverage the Knicks threw, Jordan was money. Shooting 60% from the field, and 6 of 9 from three, Mike annihilated Starks and the Knicks’ defense.

Read More: ?The Fu** You Got??: ?Despising? Michael Jordan?s Stardom, Kobe Bryant Once Exacted Revenge on 6x All-Star

He finished with 54 points, and the Bulls never looked back. Winning the series in 6, they advanced to the Finals where Jordan set the record for the highest points per game in a Finals series with 41. In retrospect, perhaps the Knicks were the best choice against Mike.

Starks highlighted the Knicks’ gameplan for Michael

Over the years, both Michael and Starks have expressed profound respect for each other. In his controversial Hall-of-Fame speech where he dissed almost everyone, Jordan only had love for Starks. On his end, the 1994 All-Star has also been highly appreciative of Mike.

It was Jordan’s extreme determination that inspired Starks to go from undrafted to key starter on a Finals team. In Game 2 of the iconic ’93 series, Starks even dunked on Michael, a fact Jordan denies to this day. While the two butted heads several times throughout their careers, a profound respect was born between the two.

Watch This Story: Michael Jordan, Who Gained a Whopping $2,725,000,000 From Hornets Sale, Was Compelled to Take a Career Detour to “Easily Attract a Mate”

As Michael removes his last active connection from the NBA, we celebrate Michael Jordan, and his incredible rivalry with the New York Knicks.