In 1988, Michael Jordan officially ARRIVED.

4 years into his career, NBA fans had one criticism of MJ:

“He can score, but he’s a terrible defender.”

But the truth was – his defensive skills were masked by his immense scoring skills, especially after putting up 37.1 PPG clip the previous year. His 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals a game In his first three years proved just that.

Entering the 1988 season at age 24, Jordan was ready to show the world that he could stand out in a league that had Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas as the faces of the league.

And then – he did this:

Played all 82 games, at 40.4 min/game
35.0 PPG
5.5 RPG
5.9 APG
3.2 SPG
1.6 BPG
1st player in history to win MVP and DPOY in the same year

MJ made Chicago Stadium his playground, and in his home arena, even topped Dominique Wilkins for his second straight Slam Dunk Championship. He also bagged All-Star MVP honors for good measure.

This was his “I have arrived” moment.

He was the league’s best player, best dunker, best defender and best scorer. Rarely do you see that combination. 3 seasons later, the rings started coming, and you know the rest.

But that 88 season turned skeptics to believers. And left his doubters speechless