Livid At Michael Jordan ‘Screwing Up’ His Iconic 1998 Finals Call, Bob Costas Lambasted Him For Playing For The Wizards

Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls career ended in the perfect way. He scored the final basket to win them their 6th and final championship in Game 6 of the Finals in 1998. His retirement soon after was seen by many as the perfect end to a storybook career, leaving while on top, with nothing else to prove. Even Bob Costas, who commented over the game, provided some of the best play calling of his career for that shot, and was rightfully exasperated when MJ made the controversial decision to return to basketball again after the turn of the century. 

“17 seconds from Game 7 or championship number six,” said Costas, with bated breath, ending “Chicago with the lead!” as the Spalding ball ripped through the net. It really was a fitting ending to MJ’s career, ensuring that he never went to a Game 7 in his Finals career, and capping off a worthy FMVP series from him.

So when Jordan chose to return to the NBA in 2001 with the Washington Wizards, it disrupted that perfect narrative. Costas openly criticized the comeback, saying it spoiled the flawless ending Jordan had earned in 1998. In a live conversation with respected sports journalist Howard Bryant, Costas recalled the thought process going into that pivotal game.

“We also knew it was possible that Jordan would retire. But that was Game 6, and Utah could have won Game 6, and then there would have been a game seven a few nights later, and Utah would have been a slight favorite on their home floor,” he said. “So, I didn’t walk into that with anything written in my head; I just knew the dynamics.”

Costas then brought up that he once had a lighthearted moment with Jordan when he came out of retirement. “I told him when he came back with the Wizards why do you have to screw up my little space in the time capsule? was perfectly fine until you decided, because you have such a competition, Jones that that you had to you had to come back.”

During two seasons with the Wizards, Jordan posted 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 142 games. Despite Jordan’s strong play, the Wizards missed the playoffs both seasons, finishing 37–45 each year.

Later, Jordan admitted regret about his Wizards tenure in interviews and expressed frustration with the team. “One of the bad decisions I made was to go back and play,” he said plainly. He struggled to connect with the team’s players, one of whom was All The Smoke co-host Stephen Jackson.

But his Wizards tenure remains a footnote beside his Bulls’ success and legendary NBA dominance. That period is yet another prime example of how tough comebacks can be, even for legends like Jordan.

Game 6 of the 1998 Finals remains one of the NBA’s most unforgettable moments ever witnessed in professional sports. Jordan’s final shot and Costas’ call symbolized the end of a spectacular Bulls era. Jordan’s Wizards comeback introduced an unwanted “paragraph” in his storied career that many, including Costas, found unnecessary.

The Wizards’ 67-75 record during his tenure was a testament to the team’s ongoing struggles on the court and a small window into the internal issues the team was dealing with. Jordan’s comeback altered the storybook ending that so many cherished from the 1998 Finals. Still, both Costas and Jordan remain legendary figures in NBA basketball lore.

Shortly after Jordan’s third and final retirement, the Wizards removed him from the role of president of basketball operations. This painful and, at times, confusing period in Jordan’s NBA career adds complexity to Jordan’s legacy beyond his extraordinary playing career.

His Wizards comeback serves as a reminder that even legends face difficult career choices. Despite these struggles, Michael Jordan remains one of the greatest athletes in basketball history.

Jordan’s lasting legacy, however, still stands firmly rooted in his Bulls championship achievements. His accomplishments wearing the red, white, and black of the Chicago Bulls will forever define his legacy above all else in the history of sports, especially among his legion of diehard fans around the world. His Wizards years remain an intriguing but complicated footnote in an otherwise flawless career.