Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan was not just an offensive maverick, but also one of the best defenders the league has ever seen. Jordan’s IQ and spatial awareness, coupled with his killer mentality, ensured that he impacted games equally on both ends of the court. Back during his playing days, MJ broke down exactly what he did defensively that helped him stand apart.
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Jordan can be seen explaining his defensive strategy in this video posted on Twitter by the account 90s NBA. He detailed how he wanted to break down his opponents mentally whenever he played defense. This, MJ went on to explain, was not only true for the player he was guarding but for everyone else as well, on the opposing team.
“When I am playing defense, I want to break down my opponent mentally. Not just the man I am guarding. I want everyone on the other team to be looking over his shoulder-watching for me, thinking about where I am,” Jordan said, describing the kind of fear factor he deliberately wanted his opponents to feel.
The video also saw several former NBA stars describe the kind of defensive resilience Jordan regularly displayed. Horace Grant compared MJ to DC superhero Superman, claiming that Jordan had simply found a way to be “everywhere on the court.” Others talked about how MJ was super quick defensively, which meant that they needed to be aware of where he was at all points in time when they played the Bulls, just like Jordan envisaged.
Perhaps the greatest praise in the video came from former Bulls head coach, Phil Jackson. Jackson talked about how Jordan had an “attacking style of defending.” The legendary coach went on to explain that his defensive work meant that the ball was in jeopardy each time he was near it, as MJ had always been capable of knocking it loose when his opponents least expected it.
Regardless, while Jordan’s offensive accolades are regularly talked about, he was not a slouch when it came to defensive awards as well. MJ was selected as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1988, and made the All-Defensive First Team a total of 9 times during his 15-year career. What’s more, Jordan was the NBA’s Steals leader in 1988, 1990, and 1993.
Michael Jordan once praised Joe Dumars for being able to defend him effectively
Jordan’s defensive skills were pretty impressive, as his records testify. Back when he was still active, he once went into detail into the kind of strategy that he employed as an offensive player while defending.
Talking about the importance of movement and pivoting with offensive players, Jordan claimed that much of the work revolved around reacting to offensive players. MJ’s attacking sense of defense was on full display, as he broke down exactly how he would attempt to steal the ball off his opponents during specific situations. The video was posted on YouTube by Lukasz 23.
While he was one of the best defenders in the league throughout his career, Jordan was also quick to compliment other players who defended well. According to a video posted on YouTube by Ryan Van Dusen, MJ once praised former Detroit Pistons star Joe Dumars.
One of the members of the famous Bad Boy Pistons, MJ claimed that Dumars had a habit of studying his opponents and would actively force them into doing things they are not comfortable with. That, in turn, made it easier for Dumars to pull off steals and interceptions, something Jordan did not hesitate to praise the 1989 Finals MVP for.
