In 1986-87 Jordan began a string of consecutive NBA scoring titles that would last for seven seasons until his surprise temporary retirement in 1993. He scored a career-high 37.1 points per game and became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to top 3,000 points in a season. In November and December he went on a rampage and rang up 40 points or more in nine straight games. He poured in 58 points against the New Jersey Nets on February 26, then toasted the Atlanta Hawks for 61 on April 16 in a game in which he sank an NBA-record 23 points in a row.

Jordan also became the first player in league history to record 200 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season. He played in the All-Star Game, won the Slam-Dunk Championship, and was named to the All-NBA First Team. Despite Jordan's all-world performance, the Bulls still couldn't break above the .500 mark. They slipped a notch in the Central Division, finishing fifth with a 40-42 record, and drew Boston in the first round of the playoffs. For the second straight year the Celtics sent the Bulls home with a three-game sweep. Jordan averaged 35.7 points but shot just .417 from the field in that series.

The Bulls added two talented rookies in 1987-88, drafting Horace Grant and trading for Scottie Pippen. The new blood helped lift Chicago to a 50-32 record, the team's best result since the 1974-75 season. Jordan led the club in scoring in 81 of 82 regular-season games and topped 40 points on 18 occasions. Equally remarkable, he failed to reach 20 points only three times during the year. He won every major honor, including Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, selection to the All-NBA First Team, selection to the All-Defensive First Team, an All-Star Game MVP Award (after scoring 40 points), and the NBA Slam-Dunk Championship. He led the league in scoring with 35.0 points per game and in steals with 3.16 per contest.

Chicago advanced past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, besting the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in the first round before falling to the Detroit Pistons in five games in the conference semifinals. Jordan set a playoff record for field goals made in a game with 24 against Cleveland on May 1, and he established another mark in the same game by attempting 25 shots against the Cavs in a single half. In 10 playoff games he averaged 36.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists.