Michael Jordan was always known for his scoring, as he would attract audiences with his ability to go off for 50-60 points on any given night. But one part of his game that always went underappreciated was his intense defensive skills. One former NBA veteran says that he had to completely alter how he dribbled when playing against Jordan. Giving credence to the GOAT’s nine defensive first-team selections.
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Dana Barros was a former NBA point guard and an all-star in 1994 with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was one of the best three-point shooters of his time and was also a solid guard overall. But when it came time to play against Jordan, he recently said that he could never get comfortable.
It wasn’t surprising to hear, given that MJ was one of the best. But it was the way that Barros described how he had to completely alter his dribbling style that caught our attention.
“I had to turn sideways and keep the ball way away from my body because of his reach. He was literally challenging you. He wasn’t five feet off you… So, I would side dribble, and I would try to think if I would spin or not spin. But I would constantly use the pick and roll, I would never try to go one-on-one because I always felt like the ball would be exposed with him,” Dana said on Combo’s Court.
Jordan could always get a hand on the ball if it was exposed. His 6’6” height made his arm length deceiving, as his wings spanned 6’11”. They’re the exact same dimensions as another modern-day player who is a deceiving defensive pest, and that’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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However, it wasn’t just the physical part of defense that Jordan was a master at. He was also mentally strong in the heat of battle and always looked for a weakness in his enemy.
“When I’m playing defense, I want to break down my opponent mentally… Not just the man I’m guarding, I want everyone on the other team to be looking over his shoulder, watching for me, thinking about where I am,” Jordan once said.
MJ mastered the art of breaking down his opponents. Whether it was a bad left hand or a weak jumper, he would always find the fragility in his opponent and force them to beat him that way. Needless to say, they rarely beat him.
Jordan’s opinions on zone defense
As most NBA fans know, zone defense was illegal in the 1990s when Jordan rose to fame. It was treated as a technical foul and forced teams to match up man-to-man, severely hindering any defensive scheming. But the rule was outlawed in 2001 and was rightfully left in the dust. Today, zone is a massive incorporation in defensive game plans for every team.
Yet, upon removing the illegal defense rule, Jordan campaigned for it to stay. His reasoning? He didn’t believe he would’ve had the career he did if he had to face the zone defense nightly. A surprising reaction, given how outwardly cocky MJ usually is.
Regardless, the rules didn’t affect Jordan offensively or defensively once he had to play with them. He still averaged 21 points per game in two seasons with the Washington Wizards, and also continued to average a steal and a half per night. So, zone defense never seemed to harm him as much as he thought it would.
