The story about Michael Jordan switching his number from No. 45 to No. 23 when he returned to the Chicago Bulls after trying baseball has been told several times. Most believe Orlando Magic guard Nick Anderson was the reason for the change when he had a game-saving steal from Jordan in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals.
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“No. 45 doesn’t explode like No. 23 used to,” Anderson said to reporters after the game. “No. 45 is not No. 23. I couldn’t have done that to No. 23.”
In Game 2, Jordan took a $25,000 fine for changing his jersey back to 23, but many people don’t know the story behind the switch back to the famous number. Longtime Bulls equipment manager John Ligmanowski is the man behind the story.
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“We had a conversation in the locker room at the Berto Center,” Ligmanowski said on NBC Sports’ “Sports Uncovered” podcast, referencing the Bulls’ old practice facility. “And I asked him. I said, ‘You wore No. 45 in baseball. What number do you want to wear?’ He sat there and thought for a while. And then he decided he was going to go with the 45.
“And I said, ‘I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll make the 23 up too so we’ll have both. We’ll have the 45, the 23. If you want to change your mind, I got it.’ ... I always carried the 23 around with me in case he decided. Which it happened.”
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Yes, Anderson might have been the reason Jordan wanted to switch back to No. 23, but Ligmanowski knew all along there was a chance he might return to the legendary number, and he was prepared ahead of time. Jordan finished with 38 points in that Game 2 victory over the Magic, but the Bulls lost the series in six games.
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