NBA All-Star Rewind: Michael Jordan watches Larry Bird's 3-point shooting in awe

Gilbert McGregor

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NBA All-Star Rewind: Michael Jordan watches Larry Bird's 3-point shooting in awe image

Before Michael Jordan captivated fans in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest, he stood in awe.

The NBA shared video of Jordan's reaction to Larry Bird's legendary performance in the 1988 3-Point Shootout via Instagram.

 

Michael Jordan watches Larry Bird backstage at the 1988 Three Point Shootout!

A post shared by NBA History (@nbahistory) on

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.

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.

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.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.