Almost every iconic player had a signature move in the bag of tricks. Allen Iverson had the crossover, whereas Tim Duncan was known for his bank shot. But if there was something Michael Jordan was known for was his fadeaway jumper. However, the move wasn’t originally his, and it was a certain 12x All-Star who taught MJ his most iconic shot.
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Coming into the league in the 1984 NBA draft, Jordan’s athleticism and hang time were two things that jumped out right from the bat. But it wasn’t until 1988 that he added the turnaround fadeaway into his arsenal.
Washington Bullets’ (Now Wizards) legend Elvin Hayes was the one who imparted this move onto MJ in the summer of ‘88. Hayes was a 6’9 forward and center who was most clearly undersized for the position. Due to his opponent having the size advantage over him, Hayes told Michael how he came up with this move back when he was in high school.
“Well Michael, in order to develop that shot, when I was in high school, it was those guys jumped so high, I had to get my shot off ’cause I wasn’t as tall as them. So, I developed that shot in my backyard.”
Hayes then goes on to break down his invented move and how he’d always turn right when shooting a fadeaway, something MJ perfected on both sides.
Prior to the 1988 season, Jordan may have been leading his team and the league in points but it was mostly due to dunks and layups. He was a decent shooter from the field but he made the most impact around the rim.
But after working out with Hayes that summer, MJ’s game saw a significant improvement. By the end of the season, Jordan not only took home the MVP honors but also won the Defensive Player of the Year.
As Hayes mentioned how he would always turn right in the video, Jordan took that move a step further. He mastered turning and shooting on both sides while also being able to add a flurry of moves beforehand to shake his defender loose.
One of the most iconic fadeaway jumpers by Mike was in the 2003 All-Star game. A few years past his prime, but still having enough in the tank to turn it up, Jordan sank a fadeaway jumper over Shawn Marion, one of the better defenders in the league at the time.
It was a tie-game between the East and the West at 136 with under 24 seconds left in overtime. Jordan got the ball on the wing, backed down Marion, and went to work by sinking a high-arcing fadeaway with 3 seconds left.
The Bulls icon most certainly made way more difficult fadeaways during his tenure in the league, but the All-Star game shot sure is in the top 10.
