Michael Jordan put the world on notice as soon as he entered the NBA in 1984. Since then, there has been no looking back. The former Chicago Bulls shooting guard might be the greatest player to play the game, but his ability to elevate and hang in the air is legendary in its own right.
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A six-time NBA champion, Michael accomplished everything he set out to get and more. On the court, Jordan shocked the fans with his athletic abilities while leaving everyone “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” with his moves.
Also referred to as ‘His Airness’, Jordan left an impression of floating in the air while performing ridiculous drives to the basket. Rival and Detroit Pistons’ legendary point guard Isiah Thomas was also impressed by the man and described one such play.
Michael Jordan left Isiah Thomas speechless
While talking about Michael Jordan with Stephen Jackson in the podcast – ‘All the Smoke’, Isiah Thomas described an incident that left everyone in splits. Thomas was on the phone with teammate Joe Dumars, and they both were watching Michael Jordan play against the New Jersey Nets. Isiah goes on to say:
“We were talking and Jordan came down on the left wing, went through a couple of dribbles and then he took off on the left box. The dude floated all the way to the right box and then laid it up on the other side. I swear to god Joe and I were on the phone, and for about 5 minutes man it was dead silence! All of a sudden we were like – Hey man! I will see you at practice tomorrow.”
Isiah Thomas was a superstar in his own regard. When you leave such a high caliber of players speechless, there must be something special about you. This is just one of the many plays that Jordan has managed to pull off in his career. He was a walking-talking highlight reel.
Breaking down Michael Jordan’s move
The move referred to by Isiah Thomas happened on February 16, 1991, when he was 27 years old. It was a regular season game against the New Jersey Nets, and the Bulls were comfortably ahead. Michael received the ball at the left wing and executed the move.
To further break down, Jordan fakes his defender and goes past him toward the paint. Immediately, three Nets defenders come to help while he takes off 8 feet from the basket.
Now, this is where the magic happens. He makes three in-air adjustments and floats to the opposite side to spin the ball in the basket. The commentators go berserk, the fans are shocked, and everywhere in the world people are left speechless.
Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars were among those that were awestruck.
