Although Larry Bird and Michael Jordan explained after the game that they were just joking,
Jordan wouldn't forget the look in Larry Bird's eyes for a long, long time. He had seen genuine contempt in them.
It even made Jordan reflect for a few seconds. 'Is my eye for drafting talent really that bad?'
He quickly dismissed the thought. 'I am the omniscient and omnipotent God of Basketball.'
'What's Larry Bird to me? Sooner or later, I'll draft a new Larry Bird.'
'Besides, he lost to me during his career anyway.'
'Wait a minute...'
If he had said that to Bird's face, Bird would have surely retorted, "Go look at our head-to-head playoff record. This is the last time you'll disrespect me."
…
The game was essentially over the moment the quadruple-double stats flashed on the jumbotron.
The final two and a half minutes were just an extension of the stunning performance, a victory lap for the historic quadruple-double.
When the final buzzer sounded,
The final score was 88-76.
