One of the biggest weapons Michael Jordan has against LeBron James when it comes to the GOAT debate is his 1988 Defensive Player of the Year award. While both legends have shown great prowess on the defensive end of the floor, Jordan was undoubtedly more dedicated to locking down the best offensive players from the opposing team. His nine All-Defensive First Team selections vouch for his dedication toward defending home territory. However, His Airness had his embarrassing moments as well on the hardwood. A recently resurfaced rare footage displayed one such moment as MJ was trying to lock down a 190-lb guard.
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Michael Jordan has always taken pride in his defensive capabilities against guards. However, he has had his fair share of troubles as well. Allen Iverson’s iconic crossover move against Jordan is a prominent example. Jordan experienced a similar situation while trying to stop this relatively unknown San Antonio Spurs guard, who swatted the Bulls superstar across the floor with this brutal move.
Michael Jordan got thrown across the hardwood by this Spurs guard
A resurfaced footage from an uncertain year in the 90s recently started gaining traction on the Internet. The video posted by NBAStatGuy on X showed Spurs’ shooting guard Chill Willie Anderson crossing over Jordan with a killer move during a road game against the Bulls.
Anderson, who played for San Antonio from 1988 to 1995, could be seen driving down the court toward the left flank of the floor in the clip. MJ had decided to keep himself attached to the 190-lb guard from the half-court line. The 6 ft 7″ player suddenly started to accelerate while approaching the three-point line before stopping on a dime.
The sudden halt threw MJ off completely, both metaphorically and literally. Jordan went flying across the floor from the three-point line to the baseline as Anderson hurled a cross-court pass to an open teammate on the left side of the court. Sean Elliott drained a mid-range jumper as MJ looked on with a bewildered gaze, trying to figure out what just happened.
The crossover must have been a humbling experience for the six-time NBA Champion. It served as a reminder to everybody that basketball can humble you at any point in time, no matter how great you are.
Jordan was crossed over by other guards as well
Willie Anderson was not the only guard to cross over MJ. We have already talked about AI’s iconic move. Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller also crossed over Jordan during games.
The Chicago Bulls legend used to sought out matchups with the most talented players of the opposition. While this showed MJ’s intense competitive drive to beat the best, it also left him open to the risk of being embarrassed on live TV.
