MJ wanted to win at all costs, even if it meant risking his career
Even before he was fully cleared from his broken foot injury during his sophomore season in the NBA, Michael Jordan was focused on winning at all costs. He was willing to put his career on the line even with a 10 percent chance that re-injuring his foot could mean the end of his NBA playing days.
Before that, he was even playing one-on-one, two-on-two and then five-on-five games at North Carolina without management knowing in Chicago. In a way, Jordan was putting his rehab in fast-motion. He returned to Chicago after spending time in college ready to ready to the floor. He was put on a strict minutes-restriction and helped carry the Bulls into the playoffs as the 8th seed, only to face off against the monster that was the Boston Celtics.
Interestingly, that was one of the moments that solidified Michael Jordan as one of the biggest stars in the NBA and the series foreshadowed just how great of a player – and unstoppable force – that he would develop into.
The Bulls lost the series, but the Bulls were clearly on the rise. More than anything, Michael was coming.