Sometimes greatness is born from a single piece of advice. For Michael Jordan, that moment came before Game 7 of the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the bruising New York Knicks. The Bulls were pushed to the brink. The dynasty was being questioned. The Garden-tested Knicks smelled blood. But Jordan had one last voice in his head — his father’s.
On the eve of battle, MJ asked him the question that every leader eventually faces: “Should I lean on my teammates… or should I take over?” James Jordan didn’t hesitate. His reply was as sharp as it was simple:
👉 “Take the lead. If they don’t follow, they don’t follow. But you have to lead.”
And so Michael Jordan walked into Game 7 not just as a player, but as a man on a mission.
The first half was pure carnage. Jordan came out of the tunnel with fire in his eyes and scored 29 of Chicago’s 56 points by himself. He attacked the rim. He pulled up over double-teams. He stared down the Knicks’ vaunted defense — Patrick Ewing in the paint, Xavier McDaniel hounding him on the perimeter — and shredded them possession after possession. Madison Square Garden fell silent.
Even Knicks coach Pat Riley, a master motivator and competitor, could only shake his head. After the game he admitted:
“His first six minutes of basketball showed me we should have played the game yesterday. He had one day too much rest.”
If the first half was Jordan’s show, the second half was the Bulls’ hammer. Chicago’s defense clamped down, suffocating New York and forcing them to miss 24 of their final 32 shots. Every Knicks possession turned into a struggle, every rebound felt like a war. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the outcome was inevitable.
Jordan’s final stat line was the stuff of legend: 42 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks. He was everywhere, a one-man army that the Knicks simply could not withstand. And yet, it wasn’t just a solo masterpiece. Scottie Pippen etched his own chapter in Bulls history that night with a clutch triple-double: 17 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and 3 steals. While Jordan led the charge, Pippen made sure the victory stuck.
That night was more than a playoff win. It was a defining statement — Michael Jordan didn’t just listen to his father, he embodied his words. He took the lead. He carried the load. And when he turned around, the Bulls were right there with him.
For the Knicks, it was heartbreak. For Jordan, it was destiny. And for the NBA, it was another reminder: when Michael Jordan chose to lead, there was nothing — and no one — that could stop him.
