Most NBA fans think superteams are a modern day phenomenon.
But before LeBron James’ Miami Heat ‘Big Three’ and Kevin Durant’s Golden State Warriors ‘Big Four’, Michael Jordan almost formed The Association’s first real Avengers-esque squad.
The year was 1990 and the Boston Celtics were reportedly looking towards the future.
Franchise icon Larry Bird had re-energised the league and the organization in the 1980s en route to three titles, two Finals MVPs and three MVPs.
But the C’s last championship came in 1986 and Boston’s management felt changes were needed to improve their postseason performances.
The 1987–88 season was the highest-scoring season of Bird’s career, but the following year his campaign ended after six games when he had bone spurs surgically removed from both of his heels.
‘The Hick from French Lick’ was still one of the best players in the league in 1989-90, but at 33-years-old he wasn’t getting any younger and the Celtics needed a succession plan.
The trade rumor mill went into overdrive at the time, and reports in the spring of 1990 had the Chicago Bulls trading younger stars Scottie Pippen, B.J. Armstrong, and Stacey King for ‘Larry Legend’.
However, even His Airness admitted that if there was an opportunity for the Bulls to land Bird via a trade, then he’d willing to take a salary cut to make it happen.
“If they want to trade him, we’ll take him,” Jordan said via the San Francisco Examiner.
“The Celtics would be crazy to trade Larry Bird. He is still one of the best players in the league, as far as I’m concerned, and I would love to see him on the Bulls. I would love to play beside him.
“I’d take a cut…I make enough money on outside stuff.”
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