Jordan turning a steal into a rock the cradle dunk ๐ฅ
The dunk gets all the attention, but the steal fits him better. In 1988 he led the league in steals and won Defensive Player of the Year and MVP in the same season. Since then only Hakeem and Giannis have pulled off that double.
Think about this:
What was Michael Jordanโs deadliest weapon?
Not the dunk. Not the three.
It was the shot modern basketball is trying to eliminate.
The midrange.
In 1996โ97, Jordan made 588 of 1,202 midrange attempts.
48.9%.
More midrange makes than anyone in the NBA, on staggering volume.
Everyone knew what was coming.
The footwork. The elevation. The fadeaway.
Knowing didnโt matter.
And when Jordan took his final shot as a Chicago Bull in 1998, with a championship hanging in the balance, where did he go?
Right back to the shot that defined him.
One dribble. Rise. Midrange jumper.
Game.
The space between the paint and the three point line was Jordanโs territory.
Everyone knew it.
Nobody could take it away.
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