Michael Jordan had a memory like a vault and a grudge that never expired. If you crossed him, you’d feel it. Trash talkers, defenders, or even teammates, no one was safe from his payback. Just ask Bryon Russell. One moment, he taunted MJ during retirement; the next, he was falling in Game 6 as Jordan drained the shot. Although it remains a debatable moment, one thing is for certain—MJ didn’t let things go. He stored them. And when the time was right, he would use them to comeback with fire in his eyes.

One of those rare moments came in 1995. Jordan was just back from baseball, still finding his rhythm in number 45. Then it happened. Nick Anderson came from behind and cleanly knocked the ball away. It wasn’t just a steal. It was like someone reached behind the curtain of greatness and exposed the man. The myth faltered, if only for a second. But legends don’t die easy. Interestingly, that play didn’t end something. It triggered something. A storm had been summoned, and those closest to it felt the shift.

Years later, on The Pivot Podcast, Penny Hardaway opened the vault. “Yeah, well, for me, when he punched the ball, I snatched it and then went down,” he said, the memory still fresh. “We had a two-on-one break.” He remembered every detail: the pass to Horris, the dunk, and the final buzzer. “I hit hard… Horris dunked… and we win.” That play led to a win over a dynasty. But Penny also knew what they’d awakened. What came next?

It was pure Jordan alchemy. “He took the 45 off, like, “Alright, I’m done bullshitting with y’all. I’m about to put this 23 back on.” A transformation! This left a lasting impact on Hardaway, who stated, “They beat us that game, that next game, and I’m like, ‘Oh hell, we got to go to Chicago. We got a dog fight on our hands.'” Orlando ended up winning games 3, 5, and 6, eliminating the Bulls from the playoffs. Moreover, this was the only time in the 1990s that Michael Jordan lost a playoff series after his first retirement! Nonetheless, the moment was historic for the Magic. 

“45 is not 23”: The story behind Michael Jordan’s most human moment

It’s Game 1 of the ’95 Eastern Semis, and the crowd in Orlando is electric. Michael Jordan, back from retirement, wears 45. With under 20 seconds left, he’s got the ball, and every fan knows what’s coming. But just as he crosses half court, Nick Anderson swoops in, steals it, and sets up a Magic dunk. The arena erupts. Phil Jackson calls a timeout. The next play ends with a surprising pass that bounces out of bounds. Game over.

Anderson’s words after the game stuck: “45 is not 23. At 23 I could never have done such a thing.” Was he right? Statistically, Jordan didn’t look like the GOAT just yet. Even though he dropped 55 points on the Knicks, his return run averaged just 26.9 points on 41% shooting. That wasn’t Jordan-level. Still, the number 45 had meaning. It was his high school jersey and the one he wore for baseball. More than anything, it was a tribute: his father had never seen him play in 45.

In his book For the Love of the Game, Jordan shared, “I wanted to experience my return as a new beginning.” But after Game 1’s stumble, change was in the air. In Game 2, Jordan switched back to 23, triggering a league fine. The result? 38 points and a Bulls win. He later explained, “23 is who I am… so why try to be someone else?” The shift seemed to awaken something in him. His scoring jumped again, and his confidence followed.

Still, even Jordan couldn’t stop the Bulls from getting bounced that year. The magic wasn’t fully back. But the next season? A summer of hard training and a fresh mindset set the stage. He returned with 72 wins, a title, and the unforgettable Air Jordan XI.