NOSEBLEED SPORTS MEDIA
MJ Mondays
NO DEBATE. JUST RECEIPTS.
VOL. 1, NO. 18 · JUNE 29, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
HE AVERAGED 32.5 PPG AGAINST THE BEST DEFENSIVE TEAM OF THE ERA.
Jordan's Career PPG vs New York Knicks
32.5 30.1 33+
MICHAEL JORDAN CAREER AVERAGE (ALL TEAMS) NYK PLAYOFF PPG
Jordan averaged 32.5 points per game against the New York Knicks in the regular season — more than
two points above his already absurd career average. Against the Ewing-era Knicks, who were consistently
one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, Jordan scored more, not less. The Knicks rivalry was
personal. Pat Riley's physical defense, Ewing's rim protection, Oakley and Mason's enforcing —
everything was designed to make Jordan uncomfortable. It made him score 32.5 a night.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks 1997-01-21
4 4 18/30 W
POINTS REBOUNDS ASSISTS FG RESULT
51 On The Knicks.
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN WAS HIS SECOND HOME
January 21, 1997. The Knicks came to Chicago during Jordan's 5th championship season. He scored 51
points on 18-of-30 shooting. Made 15 of 16 free throws. The Knicks were playing Riley-era physical defense,
with the intent to make every basket a painful one. Jordan scored 51 in the most efficient way possible. The
Bulls won. The Knicks spent another season looking up at Jordan from second place.
MJ VS TODAY 03
Who Was Jordan's Greatest Rival?
KNICKS (EWING, RILEY, OAKLEY) PISTONS (THOMAS, LAIMBEER, DUMARS)
PLAYOFF MEETINGS PLAYOFF MEETINGS
5+ series 4 series
PHYSICAL DEFENSE VS JORDAN RULES
Among the most brutal Designed to stop him
DID THEY BEAT JORDAN? BEAT JORDAN?
1994 only (Jordan was retired) 3 times (1988-90)
The Pistons beat Jordan more. The Knicks tortured him longer. Detroit's rivalry was about a wall Jordan had to
break through — once he did, the rivalry ended. New York's rivalry was a sustained war across a decade that
Jordan won almost every time. Different rivalries, different textures. The Pistons made Jordan. The Knicks
proved he was already made.
Who was Jordan's greatest rival?
DETROIT PISTONS NEW YORK KNICKS UTAH JAZZ NOBODY CAME CLOSE
THE COLDEST MJ MOMENT 04
THE RIVALRY WAS HIS FUEL
He Scored More Against The Knicks Than
Against Anyone.
Jordan didn't just beat the Knicks — he performed better against them than against almost
any opponent. The physical defense that was supposed to slow him down increased his
focus. The trash talk that was supposed to rattle him increased his production. By the time
the 1990s were over, Jordan had built a highlight reel against the Knicks that could fill an
entire documentary. He treated Madison Square Garden like a stage, not an arena.
THE MJ STAT VAULT 05
CAREER PPG VS NEW YORK KNICKS
POINTS — JAN 21, 1997 VS KNICKS
32.5 Higher than his career average. The 51
18-of-30 FG, 15-of-16 FT. The efficiency
tougher the defense, the higher the
was the insult.
output.
POINTS — THE DOUBLE NICKEL AT MSG PLAYOFF SERIES VS THE KNICKS
55 5th game back from retirement. Wrong 5+ Jordan played the Knicks in the playoffs
jersey. Double overtime. MSG. The more than almost any other opponent. He
definitive Jordan moment in New York. won nearly every time.
ONLY YEAR THE KNICKS BEAT THE BULLS IN JORDAN'S ERA
The Knicks reached the Finals in 1994 — the only year Jordan was retired. When he came back, they never got
past him again.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Charles Oakley
CHICAGO BULLS / NEW YORK KNICKS · 1985–2004
10.6 RPG CAREER AVERAGE — 18 SEASONS OF PHYSICAL DOMINANCE
Jordan's Bodyguard — The Man The Bulls Traded Away
Charles Oakley was Jordan's best friend and protector on the early Bulls — the enforcer who made
opposing players think twice about going after Jordan physically. The Bulls traded him to New York for Bill
Cartwright in 1988 — a deal that haunts Chicago's early history. Oakley went to the Knicks and became the
physical backbone of every Pat Riley team that tried to stop Jordan in the '90s. He spent 11 years trying to
beat the team that traded him away.
The Jordan Connection: Jordan was devastated when the Bulls traded Oakley. He said losing Oak was like
losing a brother. Oakley became the Knicks enforcer who made Jordan's playoff runs through New York
physically painful. The trade shaped both franchises.
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.