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“Michael Jordan has bigger hands than Kawhi Leonard”: How the Bulls legend’s hand size allowed him to pull off incredible fakes

Amulya Shekhar
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"Michael Jordan has bigger hands than Kawhi Leonard": How the Bulls legend's hand size allowed him to pull off incredible fakes

One of the freaky things about Michael Jordan and his physique is his incredible hand size. The Bulls legend has a whopping 11.4″ handspan.

While MJ may have only been 6’5″ barefoot, he had some incredible genetics and physical attributes. His athleticism and grace was certainly a blessing of genetics as well as incredible training.

Furthermore, his hands are incredibly big for a man of his height and weight. For reference, Jordan’s hands are bigger than those of almost every center in the NBA today. Boban Marjanovic, the 7’3″ Mavs center, is the only center who has bigger hands.

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It’s pretty safe to say that Jordan has the biggest hands of any guard in NBA history. A guard with a lightning-quick first step and hands appropriate for a 7’9″ human? Jordan was indeed built to play basketball by the gods.

Michael Jordan acknowledges how his hand size gives him a huge advantage

Given how highlight-laden Jordan’s career was, it took barely any time to register how well he used his big hands. MJ was a nightmare to defend on the triple threat, because he palmed the ball with ease and could throw any pass accurately.

Jordan gave an interview to Greg Spiel in 1996, in which he broke down just how he capitalized fully on his physical gift:

“I have a wide thumb away from my first finger, which gives me the grip of grabbing the ball and being able to move the ball. It’s like having a paintbrush. Being able to create.”

“If you can move the ball and move your instrument, it’s very rare in this game,” Jordan said. “Dr. J did this…I have very long fingers. I can sense a good shot and a bad shot.”

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The GOAT pulled off several jaw-dropping moves by palming the ball. It was particularly effective for him while finishing or dishing on the break. Jordan also found a way to bust out baseball passes in the half-court set, though this happened with regularity.

About the author

Amulya Shekhar

Amulya Shekhar

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Amulya Shekhar is a sports junkie who thrives on the thrills and frills of live sports action across basketball, football (the American variant works too), parkour, adventure sports. He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically.

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