June 16, 1996. Michael Jordan leads the Chicago Bulls to their fourth NBA Championship. Many basketball fans consider 1995-96 to be Jordan’s best individual season, and that Bulls squad as perhaps the greatest in the history of team sports.But behind the scenes, Jordan is still grieving over the death of his father, a traumatic event that led to him stepping away from basketball for over a year to pursue professional baseball. Without him, the Bulls fall into chaos. Today, a look back at one of darkest and most difficult chapters in Jordan’s incredible career: Why he stepped away from the game he loved so much, and how he was able to return, triumphant.Special thanks to our guests: Terry Francona, two-time World Series champion manager; Sam Smith, writer for Bulls.com and author of “The Jordan Rules”; and Roland Lazenby, author of "Michael Jordan: The Life," and whose biography of Magic Johnson will be out in October 2023.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.