Everyone talks about Phil Jackson. The Zen Master. The rings. The triangle offense. But if you want to understand the raw, unpolished, and frankly terrifying version of MJ, you have to talk about Doug Collins and Michael Jordan.
It’s a weirdly overlooked era. Collins was the guy who coached Jordan before he became a "Global Icon™." Back then, Michael was just a guy who would score 50 points because he was mad at a teammate, or the weather, or probably just because it was a Tuesday. Collins didn’t just coach him; he unleashed him.
Honestly, the relationship between Doug Collins and Michael Jordan is one of the most intense "what if" stories in NBA history. It started with a 50-point explosion in 1986 and ended—twice—with Collins getting fired despite having the greatest player on earth in his corner.
The Night the Legend Started
The date was November 1, 1986. Opening night. The Bulls were in New York to play the Knicks. Doug Collins was a 35-year-old rookie coach who had never called an NBA play in his life.
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Before the game, Jordan looked at him and said, "Coach, I'm not gonna let you lose your first game."
He wasn't lying. Jordan went out and dropped 50 points. At one point, he scored the last ten points of the game by himself. The Bulls won 108-106. That was the baseline. That was the standard Doug Collins had to manage every single night.
People forget how much Collins let Jordan be Jordan. In the 1986-87 season, Michael averaged 37.1 points per game. Think about that. He took over 2,200 shots that year. Collins basically realized early on that his best tactical move was to "get the ball to Michael and get the hell out of the way."
Why the Bulls Fired Collins in 1989
On paper, the firing made zero sense.
- The Bulls went from 30 wins to 50 wins in three years.
- They finally made the Eastern Conference Finals.
- Jordan was winning MVPs and Defensive Player of the Year awards.
So why pull the plug? It came down to the locker room atmosphere. Collins was—and still is—an incredibly emotional, high-strung guy. There’s a famous story from the 1989 All-Star game where players were complaining about their coaches. Dominique Wilkins was talking about Mike Fratello's rages. Isiah Thomas was venting about Chuck Daly.
Then Michael spoke up. According to Sam Smith in The Jordan Rules, Jordan told the group, "You may think you’ve got problems, but mine cries every day."
The room went silent.
Collins wore his heart on his sleeve. He would cry after losses. He would scream until he was hoarse. By 1989, the veteran players like Bill Cartwright were tired of the "high-wire act." Owner Jerry Reinsdorf saw the friction between Collins and assistant Tex Winter (the architect of the triangle offense) and decided a change was needed. Even though Jordan liked Collins, the Bulls needed a "Zen" presence. Enter Phil Jackson.
The Point Guard Experiment: Jordan’s Most Ridiculous Stat Line
If you want to see the peak of the Doug Collins and Michael Jordan partnership, look at March 1989.
The Bulls were struggling with their playmaking. Jordan was frustrated. Collins decided to do something insane: he moved the best scoring threat in history to the point guard position.
What followed was a statistical massacre.
Over a 24-game stretch, Jordan averaged roughly 30.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 10.7 assists. He had ten triple-doubles in eleven games. Ten in eleven. He was essentially doing what Russell Westbrook or Luka Doncic do now, but 35 years ago in a much more physical, slower-paced era.
Collins gave him the keys. He told Michael to run the show. And while the experiment eventually ended because it exhausted Jordan before the playoffs, it proved that the bond between coach and player was built on absolute trust. Collins didn't try to box him in.
The Washington Wizards Reunion (2001-2003)
Fast forward to 2001. Jordan is 38. He’s the President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards, and he decides he’s bored. He wants to play again.
Who does he hire to coach him? Doug Collins.
This is the ultimate proof of their bond. Jordan could have hired anyone. He chose the guy who "cried every day" back in Chicago. Why? Because Jordan knew Collins would push him.
In a training camp meeting, Jordan told Collins, "I expect you to motivate me to run that extra line... I'm 38 now, things don't come easy. I need you to push me."
The 51-Point Game at Age 38
There was a moment in December 2001 that perfectly encapsulated their relationship. The Wizards had just been blown out by the Indiana Pacers. Jordan played terribly—only 6 points on 2-of-10 shooting. It ended his record-breaking streak of 866 consecutive games with double-digit points.
Collins had benched him in the third quarter of that blowout to save his legs. On the bus afterward, Jordan told Collins, "You have to believe in me."
Two nights later, against the Charlotte Hornets, Jordan went out and scored 51 points. At age 38. He looked at the bench and gave Collins a look that basically said, Don't ever bench me again. ## The Legacy of the Pair
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Was Doug Collins a perfect coach? No. He was volatile. He was demanding. But he was exactly what a young Michael Jordan needed to transition from a "scoring machine" to a "leader."
Collins taught Jordan how to carry the weight of a franchise. Jordan, in turn, gave Collins the greatest highlights of his coaching career.
Even today, you’ll see clips of them together—Jordan joking around, calling him "Dawg," and laughing about old stories. There’s no bitterness there. Just the mutual respect of two guys who survived the "Bad Boys" Pistons and the pressure of the Chicago spotlight together.
Takeaways for the Fans
If you're looking back at the history of the Bulls or the Wizards, don't dismiss the Collins era. Here is why it mattered:
- It forged MJ’s work ethic: Collins didn't coddle Jordan; he challenged him to be the best defender and playmaker, not just a scorer.
- The Triple-Double Blueprint: The 1989 point guard experiment showed that Jordan's ceiling was even higher than people thought.
- Loyalty Matters: The fact that Jordan brought Collins back for his final act in Washington says everything you need to know about the man's coaching ability.
To truly understand Michael Jordan's journey, you have to look past the six rings and look at the three years of struggle and growth under Doug Collins. That’s where the "G.O.A.T." was actually built.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Watch the 1989 "The Shot" highlights: Pay attention to the huddle before the play. Collins famously told the team to just get out of the way, showing the ultimate trust in Jordan’s late-game heroics.
- Compare the stats: Look up Jordan’s 1988-89 game logs during the triple-double streak. It remains one of the most dominant individual stretches in the history of the sport.
- Revisit "The Last Dance": Look for the segments where Collins discusses the early Bulls years. His perspective provides a necessary contrast to the later Phil Jackson era.