“I’m back.”

After a about a year-and-a-half away from the NBA, Michael Jordan issued that famous, brief press release to announce his return to the game during the 1994-95 season. A day later, on March 19, 1995, M.J. suited up for the Bulls against the Indiana Pacers, wearing the No. 45 because his iconic No. 23 had been retired by Chicago after his retirement. 

Despite having spent his break from the game focused on baseball, Jordan finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, just confirming how much better than everyone else he still was. 

Even though he shot poorly (7-28) from the field, it’s pretty remarkable how Jordan was able to drop a near triple-double in his first game after 17 months away from the game. We’ve seen how long it takes players to get comfortable after an injury keeps them out for a month; Jordan missed a whole season, then more than half of another season, and came back like nothing ever happened.