Michael Jordan 's legendary NBA career was marked by regular appearances in the playoffs, with only two exceptions occurring during his tenure with the Washington Wizards .
When he returned to the NBA at the age of 38, MJ was undoubtedly past his prime, and most fans were glad to see him on the court for the last time rather than harboring expectations of him challenging for the title.
Though some even frowned upon Mike's inability to lead his Wizards into the postseason, Chicago sports historian - Jack M Silverstein took a stern stance in defending Jordan's time in the nation's capital.
He shed light on how the six-time Finals MVP still had some remarkable moments in the league, yet they are overlooked solely because they weren't as team-oriented as his feats with the Chicago Bulls.
MJ broke some records
On February 21, 2003, at the age of 40, Jordan achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the oldest player to record a 40-point performance. He dropped 43 points against the Nets to lead the Wizards to an 89-86 victory.
Furthermore, he demonstrated complete dedication to playing on the court in every game, willingly accepting a bench role in 15 of the 82 games he appeared in during the 2002-03 season. In the same month, he had his best game, scoring 45 points in 44 minutes on 18-of-33 from the field against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Also, by the end of the 2002-03 season, MJ was the oldest player in league history to average 20 points per game—a record that still stands today.
Silverstein, who covered Mike since his glorious days in Chicago, understood why he didn't enjoy it as much as watching Mike in Washington. However, he emphasized the importance of recognizing MJ's heroics on December 29, 2001, against the Charlotte Hornets.
"Jordan's stint on the Wizards is often derided for being aesthetically unpleasant and Jordanically unimpressive, " Silverstein said . "But hold on!"
On that particular night, His Airness defied his age by scoring 51 points in 38 minutes, becoming the oldest player to surpass the 50-point mark in a single game. That record stood for 18 years until 39-year-old Jamal Crawford dropped 51 points against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018-19 season.
MJ showed glimpses of his brilliance
Understandably, fans might consider Mike's stint with the Wizards subpar since he couldn't lead them to the postseason - a stark contrast to how Jordan's success usually translated to team success.
However, the fact that he averaged 21.2 points and 1.5 steals per fame during his time in the national capital, despite the Wizards being among the league's bottom 10 teams either offensively or defensively, spoke volumes about how Jordan was able to single-handedly give them a presence.
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