It is the single most famous "oops" in the history of professional sports. Every time June rolls around and the NBA Draft lottery starts humming, fans and analysts bring up the same name. They talk about a 7'1" center from Kentucky and a skinny kid from North Carolina.
Honestly, it's hard to imagine a world where Michael Jordan isn't a Chicago Bull. But back in 1984, that was almost the reality.
Michael Jordan was drafted in 1984. Specifically, it happened on June 19, 1984, at the Felt Forum in New York City. He wasn't the first pick. He wasn't even the second. He went third overall, falling into the lap of a Chicago Bulls franchise that, at the time, was basically the laughingstock of the league.
The Night Everything Changed: June 19, 1984
The 1984 NBA Draft was the first one overseen by David Stern. Think about that for a second. The man who would turn the NBA into a global powerhouse started his tenure by calling the name of the guy who would become the league's greatest ambassador. Talk about cosmic timing.
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The Houston Rockets had the first pick. They took Hakeem (then spelled Akeem) Olajuwon. Nobody blames them for that. Olajuwon was a monster at the University of Houston, a "Phi Slamma Jamma" legend who went on to win two titles and become one of the greatest centers ever. He was a safe, smart, and ultimately successful choice.
Then came the Portland Trail Blazers.
They had the second pick. They needed a center. They already had a young, high-flying guard named Clyde Drexler, so they figured, "Why would we need another shooting guard?" They took Sam Bowie.
Bowie was talented, sure. But he had legs made of glass. He had missed two of the previous three seasons at Kentucky because of a broken left leg. Portland picked him anyway, passing on the greatest player to ever lace up a pair of sneakers.
The Bulls, sitting at number three, didn't hesitate. They took Jordan.
Why did he fall to third?
It sounds insane now, but in the early '80s, the NBA was a "big man's league." You won with centers. You won with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, or Robert Parish. Shooting guards were "nice to have," but they weren't seen as franchise cornerstones.
Rod Thorn, the Bulls' GM at the time, actually said after the draft, "We wish Jordan were 7-feet, but he isn't. There just wasn't a center available. What can you do?"
Imagine saying that about Michael Jordan. "What can you do?" You can win six championships, Rod. That's what you can do.
The College Years: Why MJ Wasn't a "Slam Dunk" #1
By the time 1984 rolled around, Michael Jordan was already a household name in college basketball. He had spent three years at the University of North Carolina under the legendary Dean Smith.
Most people remember his freshman year. March 29, 1982. The Superdome in New Orleans. UNC is down by one against Georgetown. Jordan, a 19-year-old kid everyone called "Mike," catches the ball on the left wing. He rises up, sinks a jumper with 15 seconds left, and gives Dean Smith his first national title.
That shot put him on the map. But Dean Smith’s system was notoriously disciplined. It didn't let any one player dominate. Jordan averaged 17.7 points per game over his three seasons at UNC. Good? Yes. Mind-blowing? Not necessarily, especially compared to the raw stats some other guys were putting up.
In his final year (1983-84), he was the consensus National Player of the Year. He won the John R. Wooden Award. He was clearly the best player in the country, but the "Big Man Bias" of the NBA was still too strong.
The 1984 Olympic Warning Shot
Before he ever played a game for the Bulls, Jordan gave the world a preview of what was coming. In the summer of 1984, he led the U.S. Olympic team—an amateur squad—against a team of NBA All-Stars in a series of exhibition games.
The "kids" won. They won a lot.
Jordan was the leading scorer, averaging 17.1 points during the Los Angeles Olympics and leading the U.S. to a gold medal. Bobby Knight, who coached that team, famously told Portland's Stu Inman to draft Jordan. Inman reportedly said, "But we need a center."
Knight's response? "Then play him at center."
Portland didn't listen.
The Rookie Season That Broke the League
When Jordan finally suited up for the Bulls in the fall of 1984, the impact was instant. He didn't just play well; he revolutionized the position.
In his first season (1984-85), he averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. He shot 51.5% from the field. Those aren't just "good rookie numbers." Those are "best player in the league" numbers. He led the Bulls in points, rebounds, assists, and steals—the only rookie to ever do that.
He was an All-Star starter. He was the Rookie of the Year.
He took a team that had won 27 games the year before and dragged them into the playoffs. But it wasn't just the stats. It was the way he played. The tongue wagging. The dunks from the free-throw line. The "Air Jordan 1" sneakers that the NBA actually banned because they were too "colorful" (which Nike turned into the greatest marketing campaign ever).
What if the Draft Happened Today?
If you put the 1984 draft class into a modern NBA context, Jordan goes number one. Every single time.
The league has shifted. It’s a perimeter-oriented game now. Centers are still valuable, but the "three-and-D" wing or the elite shot-creator is king. Back then, though, the logic was different.
The 1984 draft is often called the greatest of all time, and for good reason. Just look at the names:
- Hakeem Olajuwon (Hall of Fame)
- Michael Jordan (The GOAT)
- Charles Barkley (5th pick, Hall of Fame)
- John Stockton (16th pick, Hall of Fame)
That’s four of the 50 greatest players in history in a single year. And yet, the guy picked second is the one we remember most, specifically because he wasn't any of those four. Poor Sam Bowie. He had a decent 10-year career, but he'll always be the answer to a trivia question he'd rather not be part of.
The Money: 1984 vs. Now
It's kinda funny to look at the contracts from 1984. Jordan signed his first deal with the Bulls on September 12, 1984. It was a seven-year deal worth about $6 million.
To put that in perspective, the salary cap for the entire team in 1984 was $3.8 million.
Today, a top-three pick signs a deal worth nearly $10 million in their first year. Jordan was making roughly $800,000 a year as a rookie. Even with inflation, he was massively underpaid for the value he brought to Chicago. Attendance at Chicago Stadium skyrocketed. Television ratings went through the roof. The Bulls went from a footnote to a global brand because of that one pick in 1984.
Moving Forward: How to Value Greatness
Understanding what year Michael Jordan was drafted gives you a window into how the NBA evolved. It shows you the transition from the "Post-Era" to the "Wing-Era."
If you're looking to apply the lessons of the 1984 draft to how you evaluate talent or business today, keep these things in mind:
- Don't ignore the "skill over size" rule. Portland chose height over talent. In almost any field, the most skilled individual will eventually outperform the "prototypical" candidate.
- Context matters. Jordan's stats at UNC were suppressed by a system. Always look at the environment someone is coming from before judging their ceiling.
- The "Gold Medal" test. Jordan proved himself against pros before he ever signed a pro contract. Look for people who have already excelled at the next level, even in a "limited" or "amateur" capacity.
You can actually go back and watch the 1984 draft broadcast on various archive sites. It’s a trip. The suits are huge, the ties are wider than the players' heads, and the announcers have no idea they are watching the birth of a legend.
If you want to dive deeper into the history of that era, I'd suggest looking into the "1984-85 NBA All-Star Freeze-out." It was a moment where the veterans—led by Isiah Thomas—tried to humble the rookie Jordan by not passing him the ball. It didn't work. It just made him angry. And an angry Michael Jordan was the most dangerous thing the NBA has ever seen.
The 1984 draft didn't just give the Bulls a player. It gave the world a cultural icon. It all started with the third pick on a Tuesday night in June.
Check out the original 1984 draft board if you ever get the chance—it's a piece of history that still defines the league today.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Research the 1984 Draft Class: Beyond the top five, look at guys like Alvin Robertson (7th) and Kevin Willis (11th) to see how deep this talent pool really was.
- Compare Rookie Seasons: Look at Jordan's 1984-85 stats versus LeBron James (2003-04) or Victor Wembanyama (2023-24) to see how the game's pace has changed the "Rookie of the Year" standard.
- Explore the Nike Deal: Read about how Jordan's 1984 signing with Nike (and the subsequent "Banned" Air Jordan 1) changed sports marketing forever.