“Got him a little frustrated, he scored 63 points the next night” – Danny Ainge shares that he sparked MJ’s iconic 63-point night

Michael Jordan always found motivation when playing against certain opponents. He thrived on proving his doubters wrong, using it as fuel to elevate his game. However, MJ’s competitive nature often led him to find unusual and sometimes petty motivations behind his standout performances.

His 63-point game in the 1986 postseason was one of his most iconic performances. Danny Ainge was one of his primary matchups. The Boston Celtics still won, but MJ cemented his spot as one of the biggest stars in the NBA. It was a fantastic and bittersweet win for the Celtics because of how well Jordan played and how Ainge motivated him by beating him at a golf course.

“Got him a little frustrated, he scored 63 points the next night. I had to guard him for a share of that. My kids have abused me on this one, we’ve gone back and watched the film, and I think I gave up 12 of the 63,” Ainge said on the Pardon My Take show. “Walton fouled out, and he’s never forgiven me because I switched a lot… Walton said, ‘Guard your man!’”

The 63-point game is one of MJ’s best performances

Across Jordan’s storied career, he had plenty of iconic games, but that iconic night proved he could compete against the biggest stars. MJ won the duel with Larry, as the Celtics legend “only” scored 36 points.

It was a heartbreaking result for Michael because he did his best to carry his team. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bulls lost because, apart from Mike, only Orlando Woolridge had more than 11 points during that game. Boston had more of an all-around effort, which led to them winning the game and the eventual sweep of the series.

Jordan announced himself to the world as a rising superstar capable of surpassing Bird and Magic Johnson, though it would take time, as the Bulls weren’t yet a strong team.

Bird was extremely impressed with Jordan

The 63-point game was not just iconic because of the on-court performance but also because of the reaction after the game. Bird was interviewed and uttered an iconic line that has become a staple of the NBA community.

“I’ve never seen before. I never seen that from an athlete. That was God disguised as Michael Jordan,” Bird said after the game.

For MJ, winning the game was the ultimate goal, far more important than scoring 63 points. He wanted to secure a victory and gain an edge over the Celtics, but that didn’t happen as the Bulls were swept out of the ’86 Playoffs by a dominant Boston team.

Despite the loss, there was no shame in being defeated by the 1985/86 Celtics, considered one of the best NBA teams ever. Yet, the defeat fueled Jordan’s relentless competitiveness, driving him for the rest of his career—just as Ainge became a target for MJ due to their golf rivalry.

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