While his gravity-defying dunks made for some of the best posters, Michael Jordan‘s overall offensive skillset was equally impressive. This is why guarding a complete scoring threat like Michael Jordan was an unforgiving task. He could kill a defense in numerous ways, you had to pick your poison. In a video posted by a Jordan fan page on X, various eminent NBA personalities touch upon the unparalleled offensive skillset of Michael Jordan. The video begins with 1987 Defensive Player of the Year and 5x Champion Michael Cooper lauding Jordan’s fearsome skills.
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According to Copper, the only way to stop MJ was to stop him from even entering the arena.
Cooper stated, “You take away his car, and he doesn’t get a way to make it to the Arena. But a player of Michael Jordan caliber, he is almost unstoppable.”
Cooper’s Head Coach Pat Riley calls Jordan the “most outstanding player in the game.” Meanwhile, 1994 All-Star John Starks who had a ton of intense battles against MJ expressed, “You think you going to stop Michael Jordan? You’re in for a long night.”
Meanwhile, other NBA stars including Joe Dumars who was a prominent part of the Detroit Piston Bad Boys that implemented ‘The Jordan Rules’ also touched upon how Jordan is unstoppable one-on-one. Dumars also commented how the Triangle Offense made him more deadly since defenses couldn’t double-team him. And when you go one-on-one against Jordan, it’s over.
As for the mid-range maestro Jordan himself, he revealed how he didn’t have to solely bank on just his jump shot. However, with the defenses collapsing on MJ, he brought out his pull-up jumpers before they could cover him.
“I was a jump shot shooter, but I never had to rely on that skill because I can get to the basket. Now that the defenses are collapsing, like Detroit did for years, so I gotta stop and pull up. I gotta utilize what the defense gives me. I am not gonna against the grain.“
“You think you going to stop Michael Jordan? You’re in for a long night,”
~ John Starks #NBA pic.twitter.com/9fWPVYJqEo
— The Jordan Rules (@Rules23Jordan) February 24, 2024
The switch-up in his offensive style was based on the type of defense against him. However, considering his immense hang-time and ball-handling skills, no one stood a chance. If he wasn’t pulling up, he’d fade away.
Michael Jordan’s endless list of unstoppable offensive moves
While his pull-up jumpers were a thing of beauty, Jordan’s fadeaway jumper moves remain iconic. His Washington Wizards tenure from 2001-2003 was marked with inefficiency compared to his previous seasons when he was in his prime, but his fadeaway jumper remained deadly.
In the last two seasons, during his 142 games with the Wizards, he nailed 142 out of 174 fadeaway jumpers on a remarkable 82%. While Jordan’s game had significantly receded by then, he was still a smooth operator with the ball.
Michael Jordan shot 82% (142-for-174) on his signature fadeaway jumper in the final two seasons of his career#NBA #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/F4kRKCvcws
— The Jordan Rules (@Rules23Jordan) January 31, 2022
His large hands allowed him to palm the ball like no one else. Apart from that, he worked hard on his dribble to pull off various maneuvers. Whether it was finishing inside, working a mid-range game, or having a plethora of in-between moves, Jordan’s scoring prowess is unmatched in many ways. It wasn’t just how he scored, it was how his body also looked while scoring. His artistry as a scorer is something that continues to be unmatched to this day.
