🎤Jackson, 🥊Tyson, 🏀Jordan
What year was their greatest collective year?
I combed through to 80s and 90s and here’s where I landed...
Alright, well I don’t imagine I need to introduce any of these cats, so I won’t. But, I will introduce what the hell is going on here. What the hell is going on here is that I’m trying to figure out which singular year in history is the year that these three had their best collective year.
They’re each very relevant (even still today), but during the 80s and 90s? Forget about it. Seriously. These are some of the most seminal, cultural icons in American history, and they were all scorching hot at many of the same moments.
So, what I’ve done is considered each of their entire careers, cross referenced them, and pulled together this list. Does this make any sense? I sure hope it’s about to.
Remember it’s about all three of them in the same calendar year. So while Jordan won his first ring in ’91, the same year the MJ released his high-selling Dangerous album, Iron Mike was arrested. The mac-n-cheese definitely touched the yams here, but that’s not enough… we need the cornbread too. So that year didn’t make the list.
Neither did 2009 (perhaps for more obvious reasons — RIP MJ), despite it being the same year that Jordan was inducted in the Naismith Hall of Fame, and Tyson appeared in Hangover, further immortalizing himself as… himself.
You see what I mean?
So, which was the best collective year for Jackson, Tyson, and Jordan? Here’s my Top 5.
“I’m liable to go Michael; take your pick: Jackson, Tyson, Jordan…” — Jay-Z
5. 1986 (8.1 out of 10)
🎤 Jackson — wins Grammy for “We Are The World” collaboration. Signs record-breaking 3-year endorsement deal with Pepsi Associates. In August, “Captain EO” experience debuts at Disney’s EPCOT as the first of its kind 3D science fiction short film.
🥊 Tyson — becomes the youngest heavyweight champ ever at 20 years of age, defeating Trevor Berbick by a second-round knockout.
🏀 Jordan — begins a run of seven (!) consecutive NBA scoring titles. Averages a career high 37.1 PPG in the 86–87 season (more on this later).
4. 1982 (8.5 out of 10)
🎤 Jackson — Thriller album is released and charts a whopping seven singles over the next year-and-change. Today, it is 34-times platinum and the highest-selling album of all time.
🥊 Tyson — wins the Junior Olympics for the 2nd year in a row by defeating Kelton Brown ini June.
🏀 Jordan — wins NCAA championship as a UNC Tar Heel freshman after hitting the game-winning shot against John Thompson and Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas.
3. 1985 (8.8 out of 10)
🎤 Jackson — The iconic “We Are The World” collab is recorded and released. He also purchased the publishing rights to the vast majority of the Beatles’ catalog for $47 million, outbidding McCartney himself.
🥊 Tyson — Makes his professional debut with a TKO of Hector Mercedes in the first round (there’d be plenty more where that came from).
🏀 Jordan — Wins the NBA Rookie of the Year award and debuts the Nike Air Jordan 1 sneaker. As of the time you’re reading this, he’s made over $1 billion total from Nike.
2. 1988 (9.3 out of 10)
🎤 Jackson — purchases 2,700 acres in Santa Ynez, CA that will eventually become the epic Neverland Ranch. Releases autobiography book, Moonwalk. The Bad tour runs the entirety of 1988 and breaks worldwide attendance records, grossing a total of $150 million.
🥊 Tyson — wins all three of his fights defeating Larry Holmes, Tony Tubbs, and Michael Spinks all by KO. It only took him 7 rounds total to do it, by the way. He also married Robin Givens that winter.
🏀 Jordan — defeats (thee) Dominique Wilkins in the (the) dunk contest, and also wins his first of 6 NBA MVP awards (over Bird and Magic who’d dominated the decade).
1. 1987 (10 out of 10)
🎤 Jackson — Bad album is released, and becomes the first album to produce five #1 singles: “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Bad”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “Man in the Mirror” and “Dirty Diana” — became the 2nd highest-selling album of all-time behind Thriller (go figure).
🥊 Tyson — becomes the first heavyweight fighter to own all three major belts (WBA, WBC, IBF) and also beats Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist Tyrell Biggs by TKO (of course).
🏀 Jordan — first of ten NBA scoring championships. He averaged a career-high 37.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.9 steals, and 1.5 blocks; appearing in all 82 regular season games.
For Lack of a Wetter Bird, 1987 was Jackson, Tyson, and Jordan’s best collective year.
So there we have it. A list. Not the list, but certainly a list. We did it, gang. Now, I think it’s worth noting a few honorable mentions before we go, though.
1983 (first Moonwalk), 1995 (“I’m back” fax), 1997 (Holyfield’s ear) are all high on that list for various reasons that I’m sure the internet will tell you all about, but not enough happened for the other two in those respective years for it to chart.
I’d be remiss, though, if we didn’t end here with one of the most iconic photos in history, and the ending to the now-iconic Jay-Z lyric mentioned above. This is what he meant by “Game 6”.
I always say Jackson, Jordan, and Johnson! But I was obsessed with Olympics track as a kid. Haha