The summer of 1996 did not feature a champion's return or a touching Father's Day championship story.
There were no more conspiracy theories about the Bulls deliberately losing two games to the SuperSonics just to win the championship on Father's Day.
Moreover, no ill-meaning individuals questioned whether Jordan, lying on the locker room carpet and sobbing in his brand new AJ, had staged that iconic photograph.
The team that won 72 games failed to secure the championship, and the Orlando Magic went from being shaved to doing the shaving. Although it wasn't as explosive as the mutual shaving of the 24-year playoff, it was still a display of dominance.
History had completely changed that summer.
At the same time, an awkward truth was born: ever since Roger entered the league, Michael Jordan hadn't even made it to the finals, let alone won a championship.
