The first two installments of ESPN’s 10-part documentary, which chronicles Jordan’s final campaign with the Chicago Bulls, delivered a fascinating insight on the frosty relationship between then-Bulls general manager Jerry Krause and key figures within the team such as Jordan, his trusted lieutenant Scottie Pippen and then-head coach Phil Jackson.
The first two episodes, which premiered on ESPN and ABC on Sunday, also delved into the relationship between Jordan and Pippen, their mutual admiration and the latter’s frustration at being underpaid.
The opening episodes also focused heavily on Jordan’s run at the University of North Carolina and his development from talented prospect into bonafide star of the collegiate world. Tellingly, the documentary also revealed Jordan may never have ended in Chicago had then-Bulls general manager Rod Thorn had it his way.
On the night of June 19, 1984, Thorn and the Bulls held the third pick in a draft that, in some quarters, is still considered the most talent-packed in NBA history. The night introduced to the world of professional basketball five future Hall of Famers—Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, John Stockton and Oscar Schmidt.
“[Hakeem] Olajuwon would have been first by anybody who picked, including me,” Thorn said in The Last Dance.
In the days before the draft lottery system was introduced—it would make its debut in 1985—the top pick was determined via a coin flip between the two teams with the worst record in each conference. Luck smiled on the Houston Rockets, who were awarded the No. 1 pick and promptly drafted Olajuwon, who had been a consensus first-team All-American in his junior year at college with the University of Houston.
The Portland Trail Blazers, who had acquired the Indiana Pacers’ first-round selection, picked second and selected another center, Kentucky senior Sam Bowie.
Already boasting one of the best shooting guards in the game in Clyde Drexler, the Blazers were reluctant to select another ball-hungry guard and opted for Bowie instead, allowing Jordan to fall into Thorn’s lap at No. 3.
In what proved to be the greatest sliding doors moments in NBA history, Portland drafted for need rather than talent and lived to regret it for the next 14 years.
During his 12 years with the Bulls, Jordan dragged the franchise to six NBA Finals, winning every single one of them and earning the NBA Finals MVP award in each occasion. The 1985 Rookie of the Year, Jordan was a 14-time All-Star during his NBA career, was named MVP five times and led the league in scoring in 10 different seasons.
Off the court, Jordan’s impact transcended basketball and reached far beyond the U.S. borders. MJ developed into one of the most recognizable figures in the world, who was just as successful as a businessman as he was on the court. Forbes estimates his value to be at around $2.1 billion.
Bowie, meanwhile, spent 10 seasons in the NBA, encompassing two four-year spells in Portland and New Jersey, before ending his career with two seasons in Los Angeles with the Lakers. After a solid rookie season—he made the NBA All-Rookie team in 1985—he suffered a serious leg injury in his second campaign and played just 63 games in his final three years in Oregon.
By the time Bowie called time on his NBA career in 1995, Jordan had just returned to the league following an 18-month hiatus. Ahead of the 1996-97 season, he signed a one-year deal worth $30.1 million, before agreeing to a $33.1 million, one-year deal ahead of the 1997-98 season, which was worth more than the average payroll at the time and remained the highest single-season salary in the NBA until LeBron James and Stephen Curry surpassed it ahead of the 2017-18 season.
To put the figure into context, according to Basketball Reference figures, Bowie made a total of just over $16 million during his 10 seasons in the NBA combined and is total net worth is estimated to be at approximately $3 million.
If the Blazers lived to regret missing out on Jordan, even with the benefits of hindsight, the Rockets can legitimately claim to have made the second-best choice 36 years ago.
Widely considered one of the greatest big men to play in the NBA, Olajuwon was a 12-time All-Star during his 18 seasons in the NBA and was voted the MVP of the 1994 season and Defensive Player of the Year in 1993 and 1994. The first overall pick of the 1984 draft led the league in rebounds in 1989 and 1990 and blocks in the three following seasons.
From a financial standpoint, Olajuwon signed a five-year, $55 million extension in 1995, less than two years after demanding to be traded away from Houston. While not as commercially successful as Jordan, Olajuwon earned over $110 million in salary during his 18 seasons in the league and is worth an estimated $200 million.
More importantly, he made the most of Jordan’s hiatus and led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995, capturing the ring that proved so elusive for fellow 1984 draftees and Hall of Famers Stockton and Barkley.
To highlight the duo’s dominance, Jordan and Olajuwon combined to win eight consecutive titles—and each accompanying NBA Finals MVP award—from 1991 through 1998.
The 1984 draft shaped modern NBA in more ways than one.
