<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SGLaKfEyRL4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SGLaKfEyRL4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> Ran across this - actually makes me wonder if Mike has actually become underrated over the years.
How can someone considered by most to be the best that played the game be underrated. Jordan was one of the rare athletes that had both the talent and killer drive to dominate.
Simple, I think I've even forgotten what he was capable of, sometimes buying the argument that today's athletes have improved etc etc. - then I watched this video and remembered how dumb those arguments are.
To be honest, he's the reason I fell in love with the game. There was nothing more exciting for me as a four year old to just watch this guy do his thing.
Such a phenomenal athlete. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o1W3AdXHEA4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o1W3AdXHEA4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> Although the Rockets got destroyed, this was a fun highlight to watch.
What DWade is thinkin' about going to Chicago .... via Espn In particular, Wade questions why Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, who led the Bulls to six NBA championships, are no longer with the organization. "I see Michael Jordan is not there, Scottie Pippen is not there . . . You know, these guys are not a part," Wade told the Tribune. "Things like that. So that is probably one of the biggest things for me, because I am a very loyal person."
I agree ... in most sports, athletes of previous decades just cannot compare physically with the scientifically-trained athletes of today. And you look at the NBA players today and you can't imagine anyone retiring with a highlight library comparable to Jordan. Kobe - crazy, LeBron - unstoppable brute strength, but only Jordan mesmerizes.
People want to focus solely on vertical leap when comparing Mike to these young guys. That's why they see Lebron get as high or maybe higher than Mike and they go "oh, he's a better athlete!" What they don't realize is Jordan was the prototypical wing player. His quickness off the dribble was as faster than any wing player, his vertical leap was sick but most importantly, his hands were ungodly big which allows him to do things Kobe and Lebron can't dream of and his strength at the rim was unsurpassed (you can't find a guy, including Lebron or Kobe who finish after contact like Mike did). All of those things combined made him, IMO, the best basketball athlete to ever play the game. Certainly, the best athlete among wing players.
Good assessment. Today's superstars are created through marketing.. History's superstars were created through results.
My mind boggles when people claim LeBron is a better athlete than MJ. LeBron is stronger and bigger, but MJ has the quickest first step I've ever seen among NBA wing players.
More than anything, I think its Jordan's huge hands (in combination with his skills and athleticism) that sets him a part. It gave him so many more options for finishing in traffic.
I was just about to post "I don't think Jordan would even be considered a top 10 player of all time if he had small hands". Personally, my hands are borderline big enough to palm a basketball, so it all depends on the ball. When I play with one that's new and has that extra grip to it, my game expands immensely around the basket, or anytime I'm in the air against a defender. There is no denying that it makes a HUGE difference...just look at how many of those highlights involve MJ powering to the rim with one hand, swinging the ball around in traffic, or flipping it up with his (very long) fingers.
