The NBA shared video of Jordan’s reaction to Larry Bird’s legendary performance in the 1988 3-Point Shootout via Instagram.
A 24-year-old Jordan watched Bird hit eight of his final 10 attempts in the semifinal round, scoring 23 out of a possible 30 — all while wearing his Celtics warm-up jacket.
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Jordan did not hesitate to offer his analysis on Bird’s choice of shooting apparel: “He didn’t take off his top yet. I’d hate to see it when he takes off his top.”
Bird decided against it and still managed to win the 3-Point Shootout.
Later that afternoon, Jordan would outduel Dominique Wilkins in one of the most heralded dunk contests in the history of the event.
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Jordan’s final dunk, the famous free-throw line double-clutch, earned a perfect score of 50 and secured his second Slam Dunk Contest title.
It is only fair to assume that Jordan drew inspiration from Bird’s championship performance to put forth one of his own.
