Jordan is clearly the god of basketball, why did he win the first championship at the age of 28?

On June 5, Michael Jordan was recognized as the greatest player in basketball history, and his career was full of glory and legend. However, this superstar, known as the "God of Basketball", did not win the NBA championship trophy for the first time until he was 28 years old. This fact makes many people wonder: Why is Jordan's road to winning the championship so long? What difficulties and challenges did he go through in his path to becoming a god?

### Early career challenges

Jordan was selected by the Chicago Bulls as a Tanhua Show in 1984. His talent and potential have long been widely recognized. However, the Bulls, who are new to the league, are not strong overall, the team's lineup is insufficient, and they lack sufficient support to help Jordan reach the championship. In Jordan's early career, although the Bulls gradually rose under his leadership, they were unable to break through the blockade of the Eastern Conference powerful. The NBA in the 1980s was the era when "Magic" Johnson and "Big Bird" Bird, and the Lakers and Celtics were the league's overlords. In addition, the "Bad Boys Legion" of the Detroit Pistons is known for its tough defense and physical confrontation, becoming an insurmountable obstacle for Jordan and the Bulls. The Pistons formulated the famous "Jordan Rule" against Jordan, limiting his performance through extreme defensive strategies, which made the young Jordan suffer repeated setbacks in the playoffs.

### Improvement of personal abilities and running-in with teams

Although Jordan has reached an amazing height in his personal data - he has been the league's scoring leader for seven consecutive years, and won both the regular season MVP and the best defensive player in 1988 - basketball is a team sport after all. Jordan knew very well that he could not defeat a powerful opponent by his own strength. He began to focus more on teamwork and worked hard to improve his leadership skills.

Bulls management also realized that Jordan must be equipped with stronger helpers. In 1987, the team received Scotty Pippen and Horace Grant through the draft, two players who later became important puzzles for the Bulls dynasty. However, it takes time for young players to grow, and Pippen and Grant failed to fully realize their potential in the early stages. It was not until the 1990-91 season that Pippen truly grew into an All-Star player, and Grant also provided stable support in the inside.

### Psychological and tactical breakthrough

Jordan's road to winning the championship not only requires the improvement of the team's strength, but also requires him to complete his transformation at the psychological and tactical level. After losing to the Pistons many times, Jordan began to reflect on his way of playing. He realized that he had to learn to trust his teammates instead of relying on his personal abilities to solve problems. At the same time, the arrival of head coach Phil Jackson injected a "triangle offensive" system into the Bulls. This tactic greatly released Jordan's offensive pressure and also made the team's overall offense smoother.

In the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls finally swept the Pistons 4-0, avenging their revenge for many years. Jordan showed unprecedented maturity and calmness in the series. He was no longer disturbed by his opponent's provocation, but focused on the game itself. This victory marked a psychological breakthrough between Jordan and the Bulls and also laid confidence in the next finals.

### The birth of the first championship

In the 1991 NBA Finals, the Bulls faced the Los Angeles Lakers led by "Magic" Johnson. Despite the Lakers' experience, Jordan and his teammates showed great competitiveness. Jordan averaged 31.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 11.4 assists in the series, and became a classic moment in the finals with a classic "change layup". In the end, the Bulls defeated the Lakers 4-1, and Jordan won the first championship trophy of his career and was elected as the MVP in the finals.

### The difficulty of becoming a god

Jordan's first championship was waiting until he was 28 years old for many reasons: first, the Bulls' lineup was not enough to support him in the championship; second, the NBA competition in the late 1980s was extremely fierce, and the Pistons, Celtics and Lakers were all difficult opponents; finally, Jordan himself also needed time to complete the transformation from a super scorer to a team leader.

However, it is these setbacks and tempers that make Jordan's path to becoming a god more legendary. He never gave up because of failure, but instead became stronger after every defeat. The 1991 championship was just the starting point, and then he led the Bulls to complete the feat of two three consecutive championships, completely establishing his position as the "God of Basketball".

Jordan's story tells us that great achievements will never be achieved overnight, and true legends often require a long wait and difficult struggle. His first championship at the age of 28 is not only an affirmation of his personal abilities, but also the best interpretation of his perseverance.