by Brandon Richard
During the '90s, the Chicago Bulls’ popularity was only rivaled by that of the Orlando Magic. Led by Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, the upstarts from Florida were poised to fill the role of Eastern Conference frontrunners, only to have their plans spoiled by a returning Michael Jordan. The Magic and Bulls met in consecutive postseasons between 1995 and 1996, each team winning a series against the other.
One of the forgotten players in that short-lived rivalry was Nick Anderson, a scoring swingman who often found himself matched up with Jordan. While Jordan got the last laugh in ’96, it was Anderson who got the best of His Airness in the Conference Semifinals a year earlier.
Late in Game 1, Anderson picked Jordan’s pocket on an inbounds play to seal the deal on a Magic victory. Fueled by the momentum, Orlando went on to win the series 4-2 and eventually played in the first NBA Finals in franchise history. Anderson, who owns the record for most games played with the Magic, said the game was something he’ll never forget.
Though many discredit the Magic's victory due to Jordan shaking off retirement rust, the 94-95 team handed Jordan and the Bulls the only playoff series defeat during their 90s dynasty era. That's a noteworthy achievement no matter how it's qualified.
Adding another interesting layer to the rivalry was the fact that Anderson was handpicked to represent the Air Jordan sneaker on-court during Jordan’s retirement. In 1993, Anderson was one of just a few players with his own Air Jordan 9 colorway. A season later, when he recorded that famous steal, Anderson was laced up in a personalized Air Jordan 10. Both shoes were treated to Orlando-inspired colorways and number ’25’ embroidery.
In 1996, Anderson went head-to-head with Jordan in non-PE colorways of the Air Jordan 11. The result was a bit different this time around. On the heels of a record setting 72-10 regular season, the Bulls swept the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals en route to an NBA championship.
Throughout their careers, Anderson and Jordan played against each other 22 times in the regular season and 9 times in the playoffs. The Bulls won 22 of the 31 total games and Jordan nearly outscored Anderson by an average of 20 points per game, but there will always be ’95 and the steal that shocked the world.
Before Jordan Brand became its own entity in 1997, there were the original Air Jordan PE athletes that helped carry the torch while Michael was away. In celebration of Nick Anderson’s 46th Birthday, enjoy a look back at his ultra-rare Player Exclusives and matchups with Jordan.
Air Jordan 9 -- Nick Anderson PE
Air Jordan 10 -- Nick Anderson PE
Nick Anderson -- Air Jordan 10 PE
Nick Anderson -- Air Jordan 11 Retro Low 'Infrared 23' (2014)
