“Holding My Leg with One Hand”: Michael Jordan Had Cheeky Tactics on Offense, Says Derek Anderson

Scoring in the NBA is more than just simply putting the ball in the basket, Michael Jordan understood that. The six-time NBA champion utilized any advantage possible to get an edge over his opponents, even if it entailed shady tactics. The Bulls legend mastered the ability to get under his opponent’s skin.

Former NBA player, Derek Anderson, attested that MJ employed cheeky tactics to throw defenders off their rhythm. These antics of the legendary guard made him the toughest player to defend in the league.

Anderson was an excellent role player throughout his 11-year NBA career, averaging 12.0 points, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game. However, his toughest assignment was going up against MJ.

Anderson said on the ‘Knuckleheads Podcast’,

“MJ was always my hardest [opponent]. I got him in my last year. MJ was posting me up, holding my leg in one hand. He was doing all kinds of stuff.”

At the time, Jordan was the face of the NBA and for good reason. He took the torch from Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and further propelled the league to greater heights. Although he was the poster child for the NBA, that didn’t prevent him from leaning into questionable tactics on both offense and defense.

The 90s and 2000s were different times in the NBA. Players were allowed to be more physical than in the modern NBA. However, the antics which Anderson mentioned weren’t legal on the basketball court. MJ also mastered the art of hiding his actions from the officials during games.

Jordan’s antics reached the “dirty” threshold

Jordan’s use of his body against defenders was borderline dirty at times. Former Knicks guard, Chris Childs, claims the league’s favoritism toward Jordan enabled his dirty play.

“He got away with a lot,” said Childs in an interview with VLAD TV. “A lot of favoritism. You know in the NBA, when a referee tells you he earned that call that’s basically cheating. It’s not a call, it’s he earned it.”

A viral clip of an interaction between Jordan and a referee during his tenure with the Wizards can support Childs’ claim.

Ref makes a call because Jordan told him too. Respect #GOAT pic.twitter.com/hYCuB3307I

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 16, 2015

A ‘superstar whistle’ is a real thing in the NBA. In the modern day as well, there are plenty of stars who are afforded easy trips to the free-throw line. To the dismay of his opponents, Jordan mastered the manipulation of the rules to benefit his team.