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LA Clippers: Donald Sterling once sought after Michael Jordan

By Cannon Wonderlich

CHICAGO - 1995: Michael Jordan #45 of the Chicago Bulls exits the locker room circa 1995 at the United Stadium in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1995 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO - 1995: Michael Jordan #45 of the Chicago Bulls exits the locker room circa 1995 at the United Stadium in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1995 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Michael Jordan is one of the greatest players in NBA history and played his prime in Chicago. In 1988, Donald Sterling and the Clippers made a move to get him.

Michael Jordan. One of the most iconic names in sports history. A name synonymous with success and dominance. A man that is unanimously thought of as a top two player in NBA history.

MJ was the best player in the league during the 1990’s, earning the Chicago Bulls all of their six titles. He took over the NBA when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird decided to hang it up. It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which MJ isn’t a winner. However, the legendary career of Jordan could have been sullied if Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf had accepted a very uncommon offer from former Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

If the Clippers franchise was a player, it would be about the exact opposite of Jordan. Our beloved team has never made it past the second round of the playoffs, let alone won a championship. The team has only made the playoffs 13 times in their 49 year existence and has been the laughing-stock of the NBA for the majority of their existence. Adding Jordan just before his prime to a consistently pathetic team in a huge city would be a monumental change in NBA history.

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As we all know, MJ was never traded to any team in his career, likely because he was so good that no team could give a package of greater value to the Bulls. Instead of tirelessly putting a sound deal together for His Airness, noted racist and overall human garbage bin, Sterling offered the Bulls the ability to exchange MJ for any combination of five Clippers players and picks that they wanted.

It was the 1988 playoffs and the Bulls were getting railed by the Pistons in the playoffs and LAC was coming off of a casual 17-65 season. The Clippers roster was almost devoid of all talent, meaning the pool of players for the Bulls to choose from wasn’t the greatest.

Why would Chicago even consider this? Well, it’s safe to say that Jordan isn’t renown for his friendly demeanor or uplifting locker room presence and the Bulls weren’t big fans of his One-Man-Show style of play that was leading to little success. MJ was averaging 35 points per game and was doing great individually and wasn’t exactly peachy about the situation in Chicago either. Again, why would the Bulls move the best and brightest young player in the league for little returns?

Well, the Clippers just happened to have two top-six picks in the upcoming 1988 draft. The trade could’ve looked a little something like this: LA receives Michael Jordan, and Chicago receives Mike Woodson, Michael Cage, Benoit Benjamin, and the first and sixth overall picks in 1988. Now that is a package that even Reinsdorf, who considered MJ untouchable, may have considered.

With those picks, they could’ve paired young Scottie Pippen up with Hersey Hawkins, Rik Smits, Danny Manning, or future Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond. While none of those players ended up being as good or as successful as MJ, the idea of them at the time was really exciting.

As we all know, nothing ever came from this. The Bulls can look back at their six banners in the United Center and the Clippers can look back on how a career journeyman like Woodson was their best player. If he had been traded to the Clippers, MJ very well may have left the team in seek of another team in a win-now situation at his first opportunity. Even if he didn’t leave after trade and he stayed his career with the Clippers, he likely wouldn’t be very successful.

He wouldn’t have won any championships without Pippen in Chicago, and unless there was a roster revamp, he wouldn’t win any for LAC either. Jordan would’ve continued to put up terrific individual numbers. Playing for the Clippers rather than the Bulls would’ve made it so he wouldn’t likely be anywhere near the Greatest of All-Time discussion. Rejecting this trade is a decision that the Bulls are thankful for, as Mike won five MVP Awards and six NBA Championships for the team, all because Reinsdorf said “no”.