According to Kenny Smith, Michael Jordan didn’t get the adequate credits he deserved for being “the most fundamentally sound basketball player ever”.
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People who saw Michael Jordan play ball during the early 1980s and the 1990s consider him a basketball god. Easily one of the greatest players to ever set foot on the NBA hardwood, the Bulls guard was a sporting icon who had a massive influence on the millions of fans he had worldwide.
Over the span of his 15-year career, MJ racked up a ridiculously long list of achievements. A few accolades in his resume include 14 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA selections, 10 scoring titles, 5 MVPs, 6 championships, and 6 Finals MVPs, among many others.
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Without a doubt, MJ has one of the most impressive highlight reels among all players. Throughout his career, Jordan hit some big shots, dunked on numerous opponents, and had some solid defensive plays. However, what one doesn’t see is that MJ had his fundamentals strong. And this is exactly what Kenny Smith believes that His Airness doesn’t get enough credit for.
Kenny Smith lauds Michael Jordan for being a fundamentally sound player by highlighting his defensive position.
Kenny, who played a total of 16 games against the Bulls leader, explained MJ’s position on the defensive end and stated how that was one of the traits that made him the most fundamentally sound player ever. “The Jet” said:
“The thing that Michael Jordan doesn’t get the most credit for probably would be that he is the most fundamentally sound basketball player that ever lived. If you look at all the highlights, you see the dunks, you see the jumps from the free-throw line. But when he’s on defense, the correct hand on the passing lane.
When he’s boxing out, he turns the correct way. When he’s in defensive position, his weak side, he’s on the right side of the ball. He’s the most fundamentally sound basketball player, who was the greatest athletes. Most guys who are super athletic don’t do that. To me, that’s the one thing he does not get credit for.”
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Without a doubt, Michael Jeffrey Jordan was one of the most influential players who had an extremely notable career, thanks to the work he put in the gym to strengthen his basics.
