NOSEBLEED SPORTS MEDIA
MJ Mondays
NO DEBATE. JUST RECEIPTS.
VOL. 1, NO. 16 · JUNE 15, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
17 MONTHS RETIRED. 10 GAMES TO DOMINANCE.
17 Months Away. First Game Back: 19 Points in 43
Minutes.
17 mo 19 pts 55 pts
GAMES MISSED FIRST GAME BACK 10TH GAME BACK
Jordan retired in October 1993 — at the absolute peak of his powers, three straight championships,
nothing left to prove. He came back on March 19, 1995 with a two-word fax to the media: 'I'm back.' He
scored 19 points in 43 minutes wearing #45. Within 10 games he was scoring 55 at Madison Square
Garden. The speed of re-entry — from retired to dominant in 10 games — has never been replicated in
professional sports.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
Chicago Bulls vs Indiana Pacers 1995-03-19
6 6 7/28 L
POINTS REBOUNDS ASSISTS FG RESULT
I'm Back.
TWO WORDS. ONE FAX. THE ENTIRE LEAGUE ON NOTICE.
March 19, 1995. Jordan hadn't played an NBA game in 17 months. He'd spent those months playing minor
league baseball, getting cut, getting mocked, and absorbing the most sustained criticism of his career. The
United Center was sold out. Every press credential in the country was used. He wore #45 — not 23 — and
scored 19 points on 7-of-28 shooting. It wasn't pretty. It didn't need to be. He was back. The league
recalibrated overnight.
MJ VS TODAY 03
Greatest Comeback In Sports History?
JORDAN'S RETURN (1995) OTHER COMEBACKS
TIME AWAY TIGER WOODS 2019
17 months Masters win after back surgery
RESULT VS TOM BRADY 2024
Championship in 14 months Un-retired at 45
PEAK PERFORMANCE MUHAMMAD ALI 1974
10 games to 55pts Rumble in the Jungle
Jordan's comeback is unique because he wasn't returning from injury, suspension, or decline. He was
returning from voluntary retirement at the absolute peak of his career. He had nothing to prove — and then
proved everything again. Within 14 months of the 'I'm back' fax, he won his 4th championship.
Greatest comeback in sports history?
JORDAN '95 TIGER 2019 ALI '74 BRADY UN-RETIREMENT
THE COLDEST MJ MOMENT 04
THE FAX
Two Words Changed The Entire League.
'I'm back.' That was the entire statement. Not a press conference. Not a media tour. A
two-word fax to the Associated Press. The simplicity was the power. Every team in the
NBA had been planning their season without Jordan for 17 months. In two words, every
plan became irrelevant.
I'm back.
— MICHAEL JORDAN, FAX TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, MARCH 18, 1995
THE MJ STAT VAULT 05
MONTHS AWAY FROM THE NBA JERSEY NUMBER WORN ON RETURN
17 October 1993 to March 1995. The longest #45 His father's number, inverted. He wore 45
voluntary absence by a reigning champion for the first 5 comeback games before
in NBA history. demanding 23 back.
POINTS IN HIS 10TH GAME BACK (AT MSG)
SHOOTING IN THE FIRST GAME BACK
7-28 55 The Double Nickel. 10 games from
19 points on 28 shots. Rust is real. Within
retirement to 55 points at Madison Square
10 games he was scoring 55 at MSG.
Garden.
THE SEASON AFTER THE COMEBACK
1995-96. Jordan came back, spent one summer getting in shape, and the Bulls went 72-10. The greatest
revenge tour in sports history.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Muggsy Bogues
CHARLOTTE HORNETS / VARIOUS · 1987–2001
7.7 APG CAREER AVERAGE — ELITE BY ANY MEASUREMENT
The 5'3" Guard Who Had A 14-Year NBA Career
Muggsy Bogues stood 5 feet 3 inches and played 14 years in the NBA. He averaged 7.7 assists per game for
his career — that's a legitimate playmaker average, not a novelty stat. He was quick enough to bother
Jordan on defense. His career was real, not symbolic. The narrative around him has always been about his
size rather than his game. He was a legitimate NBA point guard for 14 seasons. The size was the story. The
career was the point.
The Jordan Connection: Muggsy's encounters with Jordan are now famous for Jordan's alleged trash talk.
What gets lost: Bogues competed. Jordan didn't have easy nights against Charlotte's backcourt. The
psychological toll of facing Jordan is its own story.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
MJ MONDAYS The Jordan Era · 1984–2003
Every Monday. No exceptions.