Title: When Doctor Dunkenstein Met Michael His Name Wasn’t MJ.
Date: June 21, 2026
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
I met Michael when we were young basketball players attending the Dean Smith Basketball School at the University of North Carolina in the 1979 … … . Dean Smith appropriately always called it the Bill Guthridge Basketball School, an inside acknowledgement about who really ran the show. It was also never called a basketball camp by coach, it was called a basketball ‘SCHOOL’! As part of the ‘school‘ show for ten years, I became good friends with Coach Bill Guthridge. Beloved and missed he remains to me.
I think, it was the 79-80 basketball year. In any case, Michael was a rising high school star, and I was just an aspiring college player … … , we both attended the basketball camp – I mean school .
I briefly met Michael’s Father and his sister in that summer of that year as well, I think. Michael’s Dad had watched me play on a Friday morning of camp. While watching Michael in the same gym. There was always multiple games going on simultaneously. SIMULTANEOUSLY the Dean Smith Way … … . Mr. James Jordan, later spoke to me back at the dorms. After watching me for only a few minutes, he liked my game, and he told me so. The point is, perhaps, the sons eyes often come from the father’s eyes. This was the only time Coach Smith put Michael and I in the gym together during the entire week of camp. Dean always had his reasons … … …
For two summers, Michael and I stayed in the same large dorm on the University of North Carolina campus at the Bill Guthridge Basketball School, with 500 other basketball crazy camper kids. We moved in the same paths to and from the cafeteria, down to the pool, and into the basement for ping-pong and piano playing. I had been attending the Dean Smith – Bill Guthridge Basketball School since the age of 14. I worked the camp my first three years of college and returned once or twice in later years, then the 90’s for a final hooray. You just could beat the Dean Smith pay structure of weekly and yearly bonus increases. It was like getting paid to go on vacation. In any case, now, all of those Carolina Basketball School days blend together as a marvelous episode of my basketball life.
I remember that I first encountered Michel Jeffery Jordan on a Sunday in Carmichael Auditorium, playing pick up basketball games. The same day Roy Williams claims to have watched a 17 year old basketball player and immediately proclaimed, he knew at that moment,”he was watching the greatest basketball player of all time. Roy doesn’t lie, never! But Roy tells a lot of fish catching stories on the golf course, and he always tells the same story, but after some time, Coach Roy enlarges the size of the catch, and the size of the fish. But the stories are always factual in basic actuality.
I was there too that day with Coach Roy. I remember proclaiming spending time in the open play gym with the most entertaining, humorous, mischievous coaches of all time, Roy Williams. Yes he was quite the entertainer. It was always enjoyable being around Roy, especially on camp Sundays when the duties were light and time was free. This was, of course, long before Roy became grand and famous. He then became very very serious as a successful college basketball coach.
I have different details in my fish story of that day. I played with Michael on the court that day, and in the year later. However, I also played with and knew a few guys who were hanging around campus who were much better at playing hoops than Michael, at that time.
I had spent those muggy North Carolina afternoons playing pick-up games with Walter Davis, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Al Wood, and Phil Ford, just to name a few guys who spent those days on the court in Chapel Hill. All of these guys were older, and better than Michael Jordan at that time. Walter was a NBA MVP!
Coach Smith always had a game plan in putting his teams together. The coach was a savant of basketball and a genius with a photographic memory. He would memorize five hundred camper names in a week, and call them by name when handing out ‘Basketball School’ completion certificates on Fridays. And, Coach Smith, required you to learn the name of every kid in your assigned coaching gym before Friday at camps end. He had a plan for everything long before most anyone ever knew a plan was needed. He was not forgetful.
Coach Smith called ‘MJ” Michael, not Mike, as Coach most often used your formal birth name when addressing you. Everybody followed coaches lead, we called him Michael. I always called him Michael.
We did indeed marvel at the ‘potential’ ability of young Michael those summer days. We also knew, Michael was going to test Coach’s unwritten rule about not starting freshman basketball players. Sam and James had pushed, around campus, betting odds were taken on whether MJ was going to break the coach’s freshman rules. Michael was going to take over Al’s small forward spot for the upcoming season, this team would have four returning starters from an NCAA finals team that lost to Indiana. Most of us did agree that Michael was going to be the first to break those rules. But UNC was at the top of the ladder in those days, it wasn’t a small ball time. Patients were always required in the Tarheel program.
That first encounter was all occurring the year before Michael was driving around Chapel Hill in his black Monte Carlo preparing for his freshman season at UNC . In that summer, the 1981-82 pre-season, we both were hanging around for three weeks that summer. We were both now playing college basketball on opposite sides of the country. Mike hadn’t hit the famous Georgetown Jumper’, yet. On any given night, you could watch Mike and Buzz cruising the streets of Chapel Hill without anyone in town knowing who he was or why he was listening to such music. It was the last time Micheal Jordan every did anything without being recognized.
During that summer, Michael and I spoke a few times, and we had friendly encounters, but we were not friends, just friendly … … … .. well, we were not made of the same cloth. … … … … after much thought, we were made from the same cloth, just different tables.
Chapter 3 UNC Ideas : … … umm … attack or defend … … losing in SLC to UNC , my NCAA dream crashed by Dean and Bill, … … … the deep end, and Coach Guthridge’s European phone call to me while swimming in the deep end of the swamp…. … … .somebody’s gotta play with the alligators … … Bill knew all about my alligator adventures .. … the UNC Irish eyes were crying on the Notre Dame basketball court , that day … a tear in Coach Dean’s eye? … … where ya going now with $3k from camp salary, … … … forbidden Basketball Card Trading during UNC basketball School … . How about nothing?
Michael Jeffery Jordan During Our Youth.
Title: The Myth of The Wiing Shot
Date June 20, 2026
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
THE MYTH OF THE MJ WINNING SHOT
Michael Jordan was NOT the best player on that 1982 UNC team, Sam Perkins and James Worthy were the team stars. Michael was the third option on the famous play which resulted in ‘THE SHOT’.
He made the shot! It was a great accomplishment.
But it wasn’t a last second shot buzzer beater, and it wasn’t a set offensive play ran for him to be the primary shooter. These statements are myths.
The play was designed to get the ball into the hands of James Worthy in the post, or to Sam Perkins for one of his great left-handed baby hook shots across the middle in the lane.
Matt caught the pass twice on the elbow from the on the point guard Jimmy. He did not execute the play, not pivoting and turning to face the basket, or even looking into the post, he quickly tossed the ball immediately back to Jimmy. He had just bricked a free-throw and was extremely nervous. Matt was a very good free throw shooter. However the passes between Jimmy and Matt were moving the defense over to the right side of the court, away from Michael’s weak side.
Careful not to turn it over at the wrong time, they did not toss it into the post. The team kept composure but seemed afraid to make a play. Time was running out.
Patrick Ewing was the determining factor in Michael’s famous shot. He had blocked everything near the rim the entire game. (Watch the first minutes of the game). Coach Smith and everyone watching the game knew Ewing was ready to take away any inside shot. Coach Smith knew Michael would most likely be open on the opposite side wing, if the ball was passed into the post. This was a well known universally taught zone offensive rule. ‘Opposite Wing Zone ‘O’ Outlet’, is always option one, from the post. Standard procedure. Dean knew the ‘Golden Zone Offensive Rules’ since childhood. He wasn’t designing a play on the bench to break the rule and get the ball into the hands of a Freshman to take a final shot for an NCAA Championship, as myth would later portray. The myth was later created to elaborate heights in the Bulls Championship years.
Nevertheless, Coach Smith knew Michael had a good chance of ending up with the ball in his hands, and Coach Smith had absolute faith that his ‘cocky’ and often over confident Michael Jordan would make a 15 footer from the wing 70% of the time. As usual, Coach Smith had covered his bases long before the moment required.
With Ewing in the middle of the Georgetown zone defense the plan was set to go directly at him with Sam or James and challenge him. Take it at him and into his body. Perhaps draw a foul, if the shot misses. This was the huddle plan and instructions.
After the huddle timeout broke, while players returned to the floor, Dean tapped Michael on the butt and said,”‘if your open, make the shot’. Eddy Fogler was the only person to hear Coach Smith’s last instructions.
The myth of exaggerated greatness began to grow as the ball swished through the net.
The famous mythical MJ ‘shot’ did not determine the outcome of the game. Time remained on the clock after Jordan made ‘the shot’.
Georgetown still had a chance to win the game. Timeout was called to set up the Hoyas winning play, UNC went into a man-to-man defense. And then, in a complete unexplainable, unpredictable, and chaotic play of basketball, there was a game determining panic turn of events.
Hoyas guard, Fred Brown, turned without looking and passed the ball to James Worthy, who had made a big, terrible, stupid mistake in a gamble to over defend the passing lane in order to steal the ball. James was standing in the dead zone, 45 feet from the basket with time running out on the clock. Not the location you want your 6’10 All-American standing with Patrick Ewing under the basket during the final determining play of the game. The game was over as James Worthy dribbled out the clock in open court, getting fouled and ending the game with free throws. James, who was always very bright and clever as a basketball player, must have thought to himself, I never made a bigger basketball mistake that turned out to be such a great play.
Although Michael played his part and made ‘the shot’, he was trained to take that shot in the Dean Smith system. It wasn’t the mythical greatness of MJ that determined the 1982 championship.
Contrary to the later created myth, it wasn’t a last second shot, and it wasn’t a play designed to have the ‘G.O.A.T’ score a buzzer ending shot.
Michael mentioned the shot in his Hall of Fame speech. (See video below). It did provide a spark to Michael’s career and confidence … … it motivated him to get better. He always worked hard to improve, he worked even harder after ‘the shot’, and Michael’s faith in Dean’s system became unshakable.
However, Michael Jordan never returned two an NCAA Final Four. He became an All-American college player in the next two seasons before turning pro. But, at that time, he had not the ability to propel a team to a college championship. That took a special mixture to accomplish.
It was a standing joke around the organization at basketball camp the summer of 1982, that it was God’s predetermined destination that resulted in the outcome of that bizarre chaotic final minutes of the 1982 Championship game. A manifestation sent from the ‘Carilina Blue Sky’ straight from the Almighty himself right onto that basketball court.
But, as they say, “A Win Is A Win, Is A Win”! Take ’em All! Dean Smith and the University of North Caroline won their first Championship. 1982 wasn’t Coach Smith’s last NCAA Championship. Michael Jordan did not win another Championship until 1992!
Title: Michael Jordan’s Greatest College Career Accomplishment
Date June 20, 2026
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
Despite some early low points, Smith was supported by the University administration and EVENTUALLY, after decades of success, Smith became beloved by most of the fan base, even some of the same fan base who hung him in effigy eventually embraced Coach Smith.
Despite prestigious team achievements over a period of many years, the University of North Carolina fan base was never completely satisfied with Coach Smith until the NCAA Championship in 1982.
The insatiable self righteous Tarheel fan base tagged Coach Smith with the label: ‘He Can’t Win The Big One’!
Despite always being in the mix for an NCAA Championship, it just wasn’t enough for the Tarheel illumni and fans. The Charlie Scott ordeal also left a bad taste in a community which was slow to encrust segregation justice.
Coach Smith ran a ‘clean program’ and he was always able to maintain the University’s administration support, and there were plenty of supporting wealthy booster who understood how lucky the school was in having Smith run the program in the manner in which he did and compete with the best teams in college. Most top college programs were breaking lots of NCAA rules to maintain success, Dean wasn’t a cheater.
Smith’s first major successes came in the late 1960s, when his teams won consecutive regular-season and ACC tournament championships, and went to three straight Final Fours, going all the way to the national championship game in 1968. But ACC championships and Final Four appearances were not enough for the Carolina Blue fan base. They wanted a sky blue heaven and a championship banner in the arena. This relentless demand created a cloud over his head, which Coach Smith mostly ignored. He knew he was running a basketball program built for the benefit of everyone.
Out of all the great accomplishments of Michael Jordan, the greatest unspoken accomplishment was indeed his ‘SHOT’ and the 1982 U.N.C. basketball TEAM winning an NCAA Championship. This was Coach Smith’s first championship, which put an end to the reluctant constant criticism of Coach Dean Smith.
They Hung Dean Smith in effigy ….
January 7, 1965, UNC basketball coach Dean Smith was hung in effig by students outside Woollen Gym after a 107-85 loss to Wake Forest.
The protest occurred during his fourth season following a four-game losing streak. Player Billy Cunningham pulled down the dummy, while Smith, unfazed, later recalled the incident with humor.
Details regarding the 1965 incident:
Context: The team had lost four consecutive games, culminating in a 22-point defeat to Wake Forest.
The Scene: Around 100 students gathered at the gym when the team bus returned, with a dummy hanging from a tree, which Smith recognized by its “big nose”.
While Assistant Coach Ken Rosemond noted the incident, Smith instructed players to stay on the bus to avoid confrontation.
Billy Cunningham, a player on the team, went out and tore the effigy down.
It remains a notable moment in UNC history, representing the high-pressure, early-tenure struggles of the future Hall of Fame coach.
Smith, who was not actually fired, went on to lead the team to a win over Duke shortly after and never had another losing season in his career.
Despite this early low point, Smith was supported by the university administration and eventually became beloved by the same fan base, with the current arena bearing his name. Coach Smith opposed the naming of the arena.
The good news was that the uppity snobby, raised nose, self indulgent UNC fan base stopped trying to hang real live (black) people at about the same time as this event. The Carolina fan base hasn’t changed much over the years. They have just gotten richer and more protective of their own clicks.
Of course, the entire bushel of apples is seldom rotten, you can always find good apples. The Carolina fan base has many great people.
In 1983, I witnessed six college age guys call a black guy out of a campus house and rough him up because he was dating a white woman. Jimmy, a U.N.C. starting point guard, had to explain the situation to me, I was in disbelief as to the reason for the attack. We did stand up and move forward, giving a little presence warning. Things subsided shortly thereafter.
The true racism of the geographical area was demonstrated when Coach Smith had the first lack player on the team.
Charlie Scott was a two-time All-American and became the first great African-American player in ACC history.
Charlie was the first Black scholarship athlete to play for Dean Smith and the University of North Carolina (UNC) men’s basketball team, joining in 1967 and debuting on the varsity team in December of that year. He was a trailblazer in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), leading the Tar Heels to two Final Four appearance.
Beyond recruiting Scott, Smith was a vocal proponent of civil rights in Chapel Hill, including efforts to desegregate local businesses. Local, as meaning, Chapel Hill!
They Hung Dean Smith in effigy ….
January 7, 1965, UNC basketball coach Dean Smith was hung in effig by students outside Woollen Gym after a 107-85 loss to Wake Forest.
The protest occurred during his fourth season following a four-game losing streak. Player Billy Cunningham pulled down the dummy, while Smith, unfazed, later recalled the incident with humor.
Details regarding the 1965 incident:
Context: The team had lost four consecutive games, culminating in a 22-point defeat to Wake Forest.
The Scene: Around 100 students gathered at the gym when the team bus returned, with a dummy hanging from a tree, which Smith recognized by its “big nose”.
While Assistant Coach Ken Rosemond noted the incident, Smith instructed players to stay on the bus to avoid confrontation.
Billy Cunningham, a player on the team, went out and tore the effigy down.
It remains a notable moment in UNC history, representing the high-pressure, early-tenure struggles of the future Hall of Fame coach.
Smith, who was not actually fired, went on to lead the team to a win over Duke shortly after and never had another losing season in his career.
Despite this early low point, Smith was supported by the university administration and eventually became beloved by the same fan base, with the current arena bearing his name. Coach Smith opposed the naming of the arena.
The good news was that the uppity snobby, raised nose, self indulgent UNC fan base stopped trying to hang real live (black) people at about the same time as this event. The Carolina fan base hasn’t changed much over the years. They have just gotten richer and more protective of their own clicks.
Of course, the entire bushel of apples is seldom rotten, you can always find good apples. The Carolina fan base has many great people.
In 1983, I witnessed six college age guys call a black guy out of a campus house and rough him up because he was dating a white woman. Jimmy, a U.N.C. starting point guard, had to explain the situation to me, I was in disbelief as to the reason for the attack. We did stand up and move forward, giving a little presence warning. Things subsided shortly thereafter.
The true racism of the geographical area was demonstrated when Coach Smith had the first lack player on the team.
Charlie Scott was a two-time All-American and became the first great African-American player in ACC history.
Charlie was the first Black scholarship athlete to play for Dean Smith and the University of North Carolina (UNC) men’s basketball team, joining in 1967 and debuting on the varsity team in December of that year. He was a trailblazer in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), leading the Tar Heels to two Final Four appearance.
Beyond recruiting Scott, Smith was a vocal proponent of civil rights in Chapel Hill, including efforts to desegregate local businesses. Local, as meaning, Chapel Hill!
Coach Larry Brown and the San Antonio Spurs
Larry Brown played for Coach Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina for three years in 1961-63. He played one year for Frank McGuire, Dean’s predecessor.
Larry was a lifetime coach who started his coaching career in the ABA, after a short ABA playing career. He had his best friend Doug Mo by his side for years as a college player at U.N.C. and then a professional player in the ABA. Doug Mo was Larry Brown’s assistant coach as he started his coaching career.
Doug Mo played for Dean Smith and coached the San Antonio Spurs for four years from 1976-80.
Larry Brown served as the San Antonio Spurs head coach from 1988 to 1992, compiling a 153-131 record over four seasons. He revitalized the franchise, leading them to back-to-back 50-win seasons and two division titles. Despite early success and nurturing David Robinson’s rookie season, Brown was fired in January 1992 following a 21-17 start to his fourth season.
Brown hired Greeg Popovich as his assistant coach in his first year. Popovich was a Spurs assistant for four years
Brown was a basketball program turnaround expert. If you wanted to get thing corrected on the basketball win – loss record, you hired Larry Brown. This was his reputation.
After a 21-61 debut season (1988-89), Brown turned the San Antonio Spurs team around to 56-26 (1989-90) and 55-27 (1990-91) records.
Playoff Performance: Led the Spurs to two consecutive division titles and playoff appearances in 1990 and 1991, although they never advanced past the second round.
Development of The Admiral:
Brown was fired in January 1992 amidst front-office friction, something Brown was also well known for as a coach. Brown often did not agree that office workers and owners knew more about coaching than he knew and would often would not relent his coaching methods to fit their demands. The San Antonio team ‘organization’ cited the need for a different direction despite his previous successes.
Legacy: Brown’s tenure was noted for stabilizing a struggling franchise and setting the stage for future success, as well as being part of the history that led to the eventual hiring of Gregg Popovich
THE MYTH OF THE GOAT (G.O.A.T.):
… BEST BORN CHAMPION TO HAVE LIVED / OR / MOST NBA CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES
Michael Jordan and Bill Russel are the two BEST “WINNERS” to ever play the game of basketball. This is a personal opinion, not a fact.
G.O.A.T. WINNERS.
Even Michael Jordan has said, ‘calling him the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.), is not possible. One can not accurately compare players of different eras.
Here Is a List of NBA players with 6 or more Titles:
- Bill Russell (11): 1957, 1959–1966, 1968–1969
- Sam Jones (10): 1959–1966, 1968–1969
- K.C. Jones (8): 1959–1966
- Satch Sanders (8): 1961–1966, 1968–1969
- John Havlicek (8): 1963–1966, 1968–1969, 1974, 1976
- Jim Loscutoff (7): 1957, 1959–1964
- Frank Ramsey (7): 1957, 1959–1964
- Robert Horry (7): 1994, 1995 (Rockets), 2000–2002 (Lakers), 2005, 2007 (Spurs)
- Michael Jordan (6): 1991–1993, 1996–1998 (Bulls)
- Scottie Pippen (6): 1991–1993, 1996–1998 (Bulls)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6): 1971 (Bucks), 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988 (Lakers)
- Bob Cousy (6): 1957, 1959–1963
Are the above players the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T.) ?
It took Michael Jordan many years to learn how to combine his great individual skills with a team championship formula. Michael Jordan was 28 years old when he won his first NBA title. He did not win an NBA Championship title until his seventh NBA season.
It was the coaching of Phil Jacson that altered how Michael approached playing the game to win championships.
The first thing Michael Jordan states in his Hall of Fame speech is: ” I didn’t do this alone. Scotty Pippen was there with me for all six titles”.
In my opinion, for a period of about two years, in the after retirement championship run, Scotty Pippen was better than Michael Jordan, as an overall player. Scotty Pipen was a great NBA basketball player.
THE MYTH OF BEING CUT FROM HIS HIGH SCHOOL TEAM.
Below is a video of the coach, Fred Lynch, who is associated with this myth that “CUT”” Michael Jordan in High School..
Hear it from the man himself … He calls it: “Hollywood Fiction”
The Day Michael Jeffery Jordan Changed Basketball In France
THE CROWNING MOMENT IN FRANCE’S BASKETBALL HISTORY
The 1997 McDonald’s Championship took place at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris, France. The Chicago Bulls won the tournament and Michael Jordan was named the tournament MVP.
Title: When MJ Conquer Paris.
Date: June 11, 2026
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
The teams that took part in the 8th edition of the tournament were the Chicago Bulls (USA), Paris Basket Racing (France), Olympiacos Piraeus (Greece), Atenas de Cordoba (Argentina), Benetton Treviso (Italy) and FC Barcelona (Spain).[2]
Surprisingly, both the Italian and Spanish champions, traditional European powerhouses Benetton and FC Barcelona, lost their preliminary stage games and were forced to battle for 5th place. The Chicago Bulls instead led by Michael Jordan, and without Scottie Pippen managed to win their semifinal game against the hosts PSG Racing coached by Božidar Maljković, by 89–82. In the final game Chicago Bulls faced European champions Olympiacos Piraeus. The Greek side coached by legendary Serbian coach Dušan Ivković proved stronger than PSG Racing, but the Bulls pulled the best of their abilities and cruised to an easy 104–78 win.[3]
The tournament was noted for having more than 1,000 journalists from 54 countries covering it, more than the previous NBA finals.[4] It was mentioned in an early episode of the documentary miniseries, The Last Dance.
DECEMBER 11 ,2025 Thursday
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
a.k.a. Christopher Lee (Pin Name)
a.k.a.: Mr. Fat Hat / Picasso / Kristoph Lee
Qualification History: It was Chip that initiated it all and he connected me to the Bulls.
Few if any know about Chip. Almost nobody knows anything about me and my participation. In Coach Phil Jackson’s long NBA coaching career of championship basketball at Chicago and Los Angeles, there is a man who can be observed sitting next to coach Phil Jackson in every game. That’s Chip Shaefer.
Chip was a friend, he had supervised me daily through rehabilitation and back from a double Achilles tear injury. We spent many days together during my Sophomore year in college. When most everyone had written me off to the wind, and said my playing career was finished, it was Chip, who was at that time, a college student trainer at Utah, leading me step-by-step daily, through many months of pain and disappointment and back to the court. After a long year, I was starting on a basketball team that won a few NCAA tournament games my Junior year. That wasn’t likely without Chip. I continued playing internationally until the age of thirty.
Years later, Chip Shaefer could be found sitting next to Phil on the bench in the Bulls organization, he was much more than a trainer to the Chicago Bulls dynasty.
Again, Chip and I crossed paths many years after those college days. After I had been forced to stop playing basketball in Europe due to injury and I was unsuccessfully trying my hand at coaching, bouncing around back and forth from the States, Brazil, and to Europe. I found myself grounded back home in Indiana. I was stationary in that location out of unexpected serious health concern for my daughter – which is in itself a long story. Chip had heard some of the real story from Gary Vitti. and I let him know I was doing some writing for FIBA magazine and arranged to met Chip in Indianapolis to find out about extending it to the hottest team on earth, the Chicago bullls..
I was digging into the Flying Dutchman of the Indiana Pacers, Rick Smits, preparing an article for FIBA — which, by the way, is how, when and where I started selling basketball cards, through FIBA basketball magazine, taking out paid advertisements and selling cards to kids in Europe. So Chip and I arranged to meet on Christmas at the hotel in Indy. Satisfying the forever curious Chip – always the polymath – I tossed him a file on my notes during our encounter. Not thinking much about it.
During a secluded depressive filled Christmas lunch in a room with a non-conversational Michael and most of the tired weary Bulls team, I quickly realized the entire Bulls team was simply unapproachable. The Beatles phenomenon had taken over the team. I wasn’t gonna get much in that closed circle. There was no source to procure any articles with this group.
A few hours later, Chip came walking down the empty streets of Indianapolis, asking me if I had any more info on The Dunkin’ Dutchman.
Chip said he shoved my writing onto Coach Phil’s desk at the hotel and he wanted to read more. I guessed, to my surprise, Phil liked what he was reading and he asked for more reports. Chip escorted me to the only open copy location in downtown and I zipped off a few more pages of my prep notes.. We chatted a little after the Pacers game and suggested we stay in touch.
A few days later, after a telephone-fax call, we didn’t have text, yet, back in those years, Chip arranged for me to attend practices and watch a Bulls basketball game. I wrote about my observations. Then, I forwarded my writing to Chip. After that, he continued asking me to come up to Chicago every few weeks. I would drive up to Chicago and watch morning practice and then attend the games at night. He arranged open access to practice and Chicago games. Phil and I had a few short verbal discussions after practice or the games. But I barely spoke to the player of the team. I remember these talks with Phil to be quite esoteric, Zen like verbal exchanges, ten minute deep thought mind warping exchanges … … usually not about basketball. Sometimes in the back halls of the Chicago arena post game, often sharing a cigarette break. I wasn’t paid much, I had enough money for gas money and a hotel. But I knew it was an experience of a lifetime watching this team. It was priceless.
It was fascinating to watch Michael – or MJ, as he had by then known to be called by most all, some friends addressed him as Mike, I had always called him Michael – work out with the Chicago Bulls in the morning of game days, then watch the games at night. I was around the team enough to hear what was being spoken by the players, but I tried to stay out of the fray and not interfere, nor participate, as I was interested in the observation of the basketball process. Chip was always happy to speak and answer any questions I might have had during my visits.
During that period, I was, however, able to get two autographed Michael Jordan Fleer 1986 Rookie cards signature authenticated by Michael Jordan, himself. I did not have Michael Jordan sign the cards. But I wanted to know if they were authentic after paying good money to a mutual friend who claimed he got them signed during a card game, Prior to this request, I had heard through the grape vine … … . Well, … … I heard the rumors from those games and Michael confirmed he had signed the two cards, stating it was most likely during one of the many card games.
This is how and when my 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie cards became signed and authenticated. However, there is more intrigue within the story.
On one of my trips, I brought the cards with me, knowing if the team won, Chip would get me into the locker-room post game. I came prepared. As a spoof, I ask Michael to autograph a tiny pair of Nike baby shoes. He laughed, and scribbled something on the small side of the shoe. Then, made his usual facetious response. Then, I showed him the cards and he confirmed those were his signatures. If I recall correctly, that was the 1991-92 season. The start of the third championship year. I gave the baby shoes to a high school friend with a four year old daughter dealing with serious health concerns. She had an entire family of absolute crazy Chicago Bulls and Chicago Bears fanatical nuts. They didn’t believe the shoes were an authentic autograph, but the young girl didn’t care. She was so happy to have a pair of Nike baby shoes signed by Michael Jordan … … … although the shoes were too tiny for her feet, she walked around carrying them for days. She was the queen of the family.
I never ask Michael for a single thing in my endeavors hanging in the old Chicago stadium during games and practice facilities up north. I even brought the team a few gifts. One such renderings were hand made Amish crafted wood memorabilia displays of unique photos and cards. Michael wasn’t interested, but other teammates liked the gifts. I wasn’t interested in eating any of the lucrative ‘pie’ from the global financial bonanza surrounding the entire Chicago Bulls situation. Basketball was my thing, and my sole needed that during this period of my life.
Everybody wanted everything from Michael, and I saw the toil up close and personal. Micheal really did not ever seem to have a minute to spare, I wasn’t there to take on him. I visited the Jordan restaurant downtown between practices and games, and sometimes I would run over to Michael’s newly purchased sky scraper building and drop off recorded cassette tapes of my thoughts and observations. I think Juanita listen to some of the info with strange suspicions. I would visit the basketball courts in the ghetto next to the stadium. I just did my thing and watched, then, I wrote reports on my thoughts from observation. Like a Professor, Coach Phil Jackson read the reports, that was enough for me. Well worth the five minutes of verbal time he often provided me after games.
During my last visit to the Bulls, the game had changed venues to the new stadium. An era had ended with the destruction of the old stadium. That is the occasion I bought four old bricks of the torn down stadium from a desperate street vendor. Much later, I tried to get UNC basketball office to forward one of the bricks to the Jordan family. I suggested that someone in the Jordan family would place the brick in the fresh cement of a newly built walkway at one of the many mansions. Everybody seemed oblivious to ‘Real Sports Memorabilia’ and responded as if I was crazy. I don’t know what happen to the brick I left at the UNC basketball office years after the Jordan Bulls team disseminated. I put one of the bricks in my walkway cement at Lake Wolcott. Foresight isn’t always seen by all with eyes.
Michael did, on one occasion, ask me what I wanted from him. I had absolutely no response.
This happened after I snuck a few of the neighborhood young park rats into the stadium hours before the game. As I knew, he would be alone on the court hours before game time, unprepared to fight them off. I never found a basketball stadium or a court I couldn’t find entrance into. The kids went crazy watching MJ take jumpers in an empty gym hours before the game. Those were some happy kids, some with missing teeth and one without shoes. After a time, he did enjoy speaking with the kids before security stepped in to clear the ecstatic kids out the door. Michael then asked me to follow him down to the locker room tunnel. We were alone in the empty stadium, as it was hours before game time. I got him good with the kids, so I followed with a smile. We stood relaxed face-to-face with one foot propped up behind us on the wall for support. We mentioned the latest UNC rumors and then Michael ask me, “What do you want”? I had no response. I just shook my shoulders.
He had nothing to give me that I wanted at that given time. My needs were in my house with my family. Fame and fortune would not change those requirements, or suffice my fill my needs. He did not have anything that I could use at that time. I had no request, nothing except what I was already experiencing, watching him practice and play basketball games up close and personal. My soul needed that experience.
So, my trips took a hiatus when MJ went to hit baseballs. I did take one trip to watch Scotty take over the basketball world as the best player on the globe, and I made a last HAJJ after the MJ return from “retirement’ celebration.
Title: The Pressure.
Date: June 01, 2026
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
Title: You Need A Team
Date: June 01, 2026
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
Michael Jordan was eventually one of the greatest to have ever played the game of basketball. He was 27 before he won his first NBA Championship.
It was at about this time when Michael’s extremely talented offensive scoring skills blended into a team concept of play.
The arrival of Scotty Pippen to the Chicago Bulls basketball organization was also a key element to Michael Jordan’s 6 NBA Championships. Scotty was on MJ’s team for every one of those Championships.
The Michael Jordan Legacy demonstrates that you cannot achieve an NBA Championship by yourself, no matter how good you are as an individual player. He was good, even great. He became on of the all-time greatest when he made his teams great too.
And, we believe this applies to the same fact of how tall you are, and how skilled of a tall player you might be.
…. he can’t win an NBA Championship by himself. It’s never been accomplished by a single player.
It takes a team to win an NBA Championship. Through the decades, we have witnessed dozens of great individuals who were of tremendous basketball skill that did not have a single championship trophy.
Winning NBA Championships is like a rope made up of many individual inter-twinded strands of ropes, all twisted together and making a single stronger, thicker, and more durable rope that doesn’t break under the pressure.
This is the secret magic of the game of basketball that only the masters of the game have created.
One must not be blinded by myths and endure much to win. It took Michael Jordan many years, until the age of 28, after spending a decade of being taught by masters of the game, to win an NBA title. Victor Wembanyama is 22 years of age, at this time.
Our advice to Victor Wembanyama is: “DO NOT BELIEVE THE MYTH(S)”!
Improve everyday …
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