Majesty of Michael Jordan in NBA

He had the best combination at both ends of the court. No one was better offensively. Maybe a couple or a few were better defensively, but no one was better than Michael both offensively and defensively. He was too complete as a player.

The Greatness of Michael Jordan in the NBA

In a competitive and very physical league that employed all sorts of ways to stop him (including using a prototype of today’s zones), he exploded offensively. He could score from anywhere. The league didn’t utilize the 3-point shot like it does today, but Jordan demonstrated his ability to hit it from deep, especially if the game was on the line. He always played better when it looked like the Bulls were going to lose. He thrived in a league that was much more competitive than that of Russell or Chamberlain, yet more physical than that of Curry and LeBron’s league. Jordan came along during the NBA’s sweet spot, that golden age when talent and popularity merged with skill to produce the best players ever (Smith, 2020).

Evolution of the NBA

Before Jordan, the ABA and the NBA kept basketball divided, and so weakened or diluted. After the ABA/NBA merger, all of the best players were stacked onto fewer teams. Dr. J's theatrics and amazing ability in the air, combined with Magic and Larry’s popularity on the ground, and David Stern’s commitment to attract the greatest basketball talent from around the world, caused basketball to achieve unrivaled success (Johnson & Silver, 2021). Michael went up against the best in the world. The biggest, tallest players played against him. Most of the top ten players of all time played against him. Three of the 10 best teams ever assembled played against him. Michael was playing some of his best basketball, and still, Larry and Magic took four MVPs during his prime. In fact, Jordan faced three of the top five basketball players that ever lived. Magic battled him every year for half a decade, for regular season MVP honors. The Pistons tried to defeat him every year in the finals. The Knicks tried to wear him down. But he eventually beat everyone to become champ. He stayed on top until he retired. Then he came back and reclaimed the title of GOAT.

Jordan's Versatility and Achievements

Jordan didn’t have any weaknesses. They said he couldn’t hit the jumper, and he developed the deadliest mid-range shot possibly in history. They said he couldn’t hit the 3. He broke a record for 3-pointers in the Finals, no less. They said he couldn’t make his teammates better. He averaged triple-doubles at the point guard position. They said he couldn’t play defense. He won Defensive Player of the Year, three steals titles, and was named the best defender at his position nine years of his career (a record, since tied) (NBA.com, 2022). They never said he couldn’t score. He was always the best scorer on the court no matter who the Bulls were playing, for the majority of his career. He won more scoring titles than Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, and Jerry West combined! In fact, Jordan so relentlessly worked on every aspect of his game that he made it impossible for any one man or team to beat him. They had to rely on his teammates to do that. But when Jordan got just one all-star, Pippen, he took the best defensive team in history to seven games. Pippen missed that seventh game, or Jordan probably would have had seven championships. And once he beat the Pistons, he never didn’t get the upper hand on all of his opponents.

Jordan's Legacy in the Finals

Jordan was perfect in the Finals. I know that the number of titles doesn’t prove much, but the way Jordan won, taking on all comers, and always winning every time, was more than impressive. It showed the dominance and relentless pursuit of perfection prerequisite to becoming the GOAT. Other greats lost to each other in the finals. West, Chamberlain, and Baylor lost to Russell. Magic lost to Bird. Bird lost to Magic. Hakeem lost to Bird. Jordan lost to no one (Thompson, 2019).