Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is still considered by many to be the NBA GOAT. Fans will undoubtedly be able to recall that Jordan wore number 23 during his time with the Chicago Bulls and that is a number that we instantly associate with him, even today.
With that being said, fans might be confused, having seen Jordan wear number 12 on the court for a while. It isn’t that uncommon for players to change jersey numbers. After all, we have seen LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and multiple other NBA stars do the same. However, they all had a reason for doing so. Let us take a look at Michael Jordan’s reason for wearing number 12 with the Chicago Bulls.
Michael Jordan wore number 12 on Valentine’s day back in 1990
Only veteran fans will be able to remember when this happened. Considering that it was more than 30 years ago, not many will be able to remember why this actually happen. 1990 was the beginning of the Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty. He was a huge name and public figure in the world of basketball and sports, even before winning a title.
Jordan and the Bulls were set to play against the Orlando Magic on February 14, 1990. In a bizarre turn of events, MJ came into the game wearing number 12 as opposed to his iconic number 21. He was later asked about it and revealed that someone had stolen his jersey prior to the game, forcing him to substitute it with this one.
Well, the jersey certainly didn’t hamper Jordan’s elite play. He ended up scoring 49 points and carrying his team past the Orlando Magic.
We all know what happened in the years to follow that event. Jordan and the Bulls won 6 titles within a span of 7 years and seemed completely unstoppable. He retired for the second time from Chicago. However, he returned again to play for a brief stint with the Washington Wizards.
Even when MJ was playing with the Wizards, he still wore his usual number and stuck with it all the way until the very end of his career. Therefore, his wearing number 12 was nothing more than a bizarre turn of circumstances, where he did not have a backup jersey at hand.