June 19, 1984. That is the date that changed everything. Most people know that Michael Jordan eventually became the greatest to ever lace them up, but the story of when was MJ drafted is actually kind of messy. It wasn’t some pre-destined coronation where everyone knew he’d be a god.
Honestly, the Chicago Bulls weren't even sure they wanted him.
They wanted a center. Back then, if you didn't have a seven-footer who could eat glass and block shots, you were basically nothing in the NBA. The league was obsessed with big men. Think Kareem. Think Moses Malone. A high-flying guard from North Carolina? Cool, but can he win you a ring?
People doubt it now, but the draft room vibes in '84 were tense.
The Night the Bulls Got Lucky
The 1984 NBA Draft took place at the Felt Forum in Madison Square Garden. It wasn't the glitzy, televised spectacle we have now. It was a room full of guys in itchy suits making decisions that would haunt some of them for decades.
Michael Jordan was selected third overall.
Wait, third? Yeah. Two teams looked at the guy who would go on to win six rings and said, "Nah, we're good."
The Houston Rockets had the first pick. They took Hakeem Olajuwon (then Akeem). Nobody blames them for that. Hakeem was a monster. He won two titles himself and is arguably the best defender to ever play the game. If you redrafted today, you might still take Hakeem first just because of how rare elite centers are.
But then there’s the second pick. The Portland Trail Blazers.
They took Sam Bowie.
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Why Did Portland Pass on MJ?
This is the part that still makes Blazers fans want to drink. Why would you pass on Mike?
The logic at the time was simple: Portland already had Clyde Drexler. Clyde was a budding star at the same position as Jordan. They figured, "Why draft another guard when we need a big man?" They had a hole in the middle, and Bowie looked like the answer.
Plus, Bowie had been a stud at Kentucky.
What they didn't account for was the fact that Bowie’s legs were essentially made of glass. He had missed two full seasons in college with leg injuries. Portland's medical staff cleared him, but it was a catastrophic mistake.
Bulls GM Rod Thorn actually said at the time, "We wish he (Jordan) were seven feet tall, but he isn't."
Think about that. The man who drafted Michael Jordan was basically apologizing for the fact that he wasn't a center. He told the press that Jordan was a "good offensive player" but not someone who could single-handedly turn a franchise around.
Thorn was wrong. Very wrong.
The Coin Flip That Changed History
There's this crazy detail about when was MJ drafted that involves a literal coin.
Back in the 80s, the top pick wasn't decided by a lottery. It was a coin flip between the two teams with the worst records in each conference. In 1984, that was Houston and Portland (who owned the Indiana Pacers' pick).
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Houston won the flip. They took Hakeem.
If Portland had won that coin flip, they almost certainly would have taken Hakeem. That would have left Houston at number two. Houston already had a young Ralph Sampson, so they might have actually taken Jordan to pair with him.
Imagine MJ in a Rockets jersey. It almost happened.
Instead, the Bulls sat at number three, watching the two big men go off the board, and "settled" for the kid from Wilmington.
MJ Wasn't the Only Legend in '84
We talk about Jordan constantly, but that 1984 class was absolutely loaded. It’s widely considered the best draft in history.
- Hakeem Olajuwon (1st overall) – Hall of Famer, 2x Champion.
- Michael Jordan (3rd overall) – The GOAT.
- Charles Barkley (5th overall) – Sir Charles. No rings, but a total legend.
- John Stockton (16th overall) – The all-time leader in assists and steals.
Four Hall of Famers in the first 16 picks. That’s insane.
The Immediate Aftermath
When Jordan showed up in Chicago, the Bulls were a joke. They were winning 27 games a year and playing in a half-empty arena.
Jordan changed the energy instantly.
In his rookie season (1984-85), he averaged 28.2 points per game. He was an All-Star starter as a rookie. He won Rookie of the Year. By December of his first year, Sports Illustrated put him on the cover with the headline: "A Star Is Born."
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The veterans hated it. During the 1985 All-Star Game, players like Isiah Thomas allegedly led a "freeze-out," refusing to pass Jordan the ball because they thought he was too arrogant.
Jordan didn't care. He just used it as fuel.
Common Misconceptions About the '84 Draft
You’ll hear people say everyone knew Jordan would be the best. That’s revisionist history.
Bobby Knight, the legendary Indiana coach who coached MJ in the '84 Olympics, famously told the Blazers GM to draft Jordan and play him at center if they were so worried about positions. But Knight was an outlier. Most scouts thought Jordan was an athletic freak who might struggle with his outside shot in the pros.
Also, people think the Bulls were geniuses for picking him.
In reality, they tried to trade the pick. They were reportedly talking to the Sixers and the Mavs about moving down to get—you guessed it—a center. Luckily for Chicago fans, those deals fell through.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you're looking to dive deeper into this era or explain it to someone else, keep these points in mind:
- Context matters: Don't judge Portland too harshly without acknowledging that centers ruled the world in 1984. Positionless basketball didn't exist yet.
- Check the tape: Go watch Jordan's 1984 Olympic highlights. That’s where the world truly realized he was different from everyone else on the planet.
- The "What If": Research the 1984 trade rumor involving the Rockets, Blazers, and Ralph Sampson. It would have put Hakeem, Drexler, and Jordan on the same team.
The story of when was MJ drafted is a reminder that even the experts don't know anything. A coin flip, a team's need for a center, and a few "settled" expectations gave us the greatest dynasty in sports history.
To really understand the impact, look at the Bulls' attendance records from 1983 versus 1985. The numbers don't lie—the second Jordan stepped onto that floor, the NBA became a different league.