Flashback Friday: Michael Jordan Retired 23 Years Ago

Michael Jordan shocked the world in 1993, walking away from the NBA in the middle of his prime at only 30 years old.

Jordan held a press conference at the Berto Center practice facility on October 6, 1993, which was televised live by various stations around the world. Barely three months removed from the death of his father, Jordan stated that his famous love of the game of basketball simply wasn’t there at the moment, that he didn’t have anything left to prove. He’d accomplished a three-peat championship run with the Chicago Bulls, something his elders Larry Bird and Magic Johnson never achieved, and decided to leave on top.

Thankfully for NBA fans everywhere, Jordan’s love of the game would only be on hiatus for a little while – he announced his return to the NBA one year, five months and 13 days later. Watch Jordan’s opening statement at the 1993 retirement presser below.