Jordan Booed? Perhaps Today : Bulls’ Star Had Pivotal Role in Shaping Tale of 2 Cities: Championships in Chicago, Heartbreaks in Cleveland

Cleveland holds a grudge. It remembers “The Shot.”

And that’s why Michael Jordan, Superman in basketball shorts, might actually be booed before the NBA All-Star game Sunday.

“I don’t know what to expect,” said Jordan, who starred as the Bulls knocked good Cleveland teams out of the playoffs in 1988, ‘89, ’92 and ’93. “Do they boo me for what I’ve done to them? Or do they cheer me because I’ve had a pretty decent career? I don’t know.”

What Cleveland fans do know is that, on May 7, 1989, Jordan put a stake right through their collective basketball hearts.

Hovering above the free-throw line, Jordan briefly shared his rare air with Craig Ehlo, mere mortal, before the Cavaliers’ defender descended to the court below.

Suddenly unencumbered and still floating, Jordan flicked his wrists and released what would come to be known as “The Shot.” The ball settled softly into the net as the final second ticked off the clock, and the Bulls had eliminated the Cavs 101-100 in the final game of the first round of the playoffs.

On that day, Jordan reached legendary status. And the course of history for two basketball towns was established.

Chicago would become Championship City. Jordan’s Bulls would win four NBA titles in six years and be favored again in 1997.

Cleveland would become Heartbreak City. The Cavaliers, once dubbed “the team of the ‘90s” by Magic Johnson, would never realize their potential.

Jordan was the one who broke Cleveland’s collective heart and spirit--over and over and over again.

“I’m not mad at him now,” said Ron Harper, once a guard for the Cavs and now Jordan’s teammate. “But I should hold a grudge against him for all the things he did.”

This is the only city in which Jordan, one of the most popular athletes ever to walk the earth, consistently gets booed.

The NBA’s all-time leader in scoring average is still decent enough to justify his salary--$30.14 million, highest single-season compensation ever for an athlete in a team sport. Jordan, who turns 34 on Feb. 17, is so pleased with his play that he already is planning to return for 1997-98.

At the All-Star break, his 30.8-point average makes him a near lock for an unprecedented ninth league scoring title and the frontrunner for a fifth MVP award. His Bulls are 42-6, on pace for another 70-win season.

Thanks primarily to Jordan, the Bulls went 9-2, while NBA rebounding leader Dennis Rodman was suspended for kicking a cameraman. Rodman has been reinstated for Chicago’s next game, Tuesday against Charlotte.

“The energy level will improve when he returns,” Jordan said, “but we’re very confident without him.”

Without Rodman, Jordan carried the Bulls past Portland by outscoring that entire team 22-20 in the fourth quarter. Without Rodman, Jordan answered criticism from New York coach Jeff Van Gundy and Seattle coach George Karl by tearing their teams to shreds.

On Jan. 21, after Van Gundy questioned Jordan’s sincerity--accusing him of befriending other players only too soften them up for the kill--Jordan scored 51 points. On Feb. 2, after Karl said Jordan no longer had the courage to drive to the basket, Jordan scored 45. The Bulls won both games.

“Upsetting Michael probably isn’t the best strategy,” said teammate and fellow All-Star Scottie Pippen. “You’re not going to get Michael off his game by trying to get into his head.”

Ah, but Jordan is good at getting into other people’s heads.

Just ask everyone who ever has played for, coached for or cheered for the Cavaliers.

“The Shot” over Ehlo is one of the low points in Cleveland sports history. Jordan also hit the series-winning jumper against the Cavs in 1993, victimizing Gerald Wilkins that time.

Jordan got his all-time high, 69 points, in a 1990 regular-season game at Cleveland. Six of Jordan’s 36 career 50-point games have come against the Cavaliers, including consecutive contests in the 1988 playoffs.

And nobody has scored more regular-season points against the Cavaliers than Jordan’s 1,756.

“Why he does what he does to Cleveland, I’ll never know,” Harper said. “When I was there, I wasn’t happy about it. But I figured that if we had to get beat, we might as well get beat by the best player ever.”

At last season’s All-Star Game in San Antonio, Jordan scored 20 points in 22 minutes and was named MVP. Most fans booed when Jordan received the trophy because they thought former San Antonio high school star Shaquille O’Neal deserved the honor.

Jordan doesn’t want a similar scenario at Gund Arena, because he knows that negative reaction would be even more intense.

“By no means do I want to put myself in an isolated situation for them to boo me. If I do win MVP, you can believe I’ll give it to the Cleveland guy (Terrell Brandon)--whether he deserves it or not,” Jordan said.

“I’m not going to do anything to get the Cleveland fans mad at me.”

Too late for that.