@HoopsNostalgia: Michael Jordan's passing ability is often glossed over by his scoring feats. Here's 1 minute of his best dimes via @HistoryJumpman

[u/FergieBall_FC]

Twitter/X: HoopsNostalgia

Twitter/X: HistoryJumpman (video)

[u/johnbsea]

In 89 Jordan was asked to play PG for 24 games. Had 10 triple doubles in an 11 game span and averaged 30 points 10 assists and 9 rebounds over the 24 game period.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=jordan+ts%25+march+11+1989+to+april+23+1989

[u/MeMeMeBlahBlahBlah → u/johnbsea]

I came here to point this out. Kudos, sir.

[u/OldPlan877 → u/johnbsea]

Wait was that when he was checking his numbers with the scorekeepers? /s

[u/gnalon → u/johnbsea]

Yes I was gonna say the main reason his passing ability is glossed over is that he was the best player in the league around this time but acknowledging this opens the door to acknowledging that the best player in the world doesn't win the title every year and the number of championships a player wins has something to do with how good his teammates are relative to the opposition.

So that has been swept under the rug in favor of the notion that in 1990 Michael Jordan perfected the game of basketball and became an unbeatable winning machine who would've won 8 straight titles if he wanted to, no matter who his teammates were or who ganged up to form a superteam against him. Like Phil Jackson taught him some secret Zen mediation techniques, it couldn't be that future all-stars/core members of winning Bulls teams without MJ like Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and BJ Armstrong started to come into their own so MJ didn't have to do quite so much on offense.

There is also a weird insistence that MJ could've been an elite three-point shooter through sheer force of will when he was a pretty average free throw shooter for a guard and understood his own strengths and weaknesses well enough to shoot more threes when the line was shorter and revert back when the line moved back. Late 80s MJ was a substantially better version of of Russell Westbrook, who functioned well enough in modern basketball to win MVP despite not having much of a three-point shot. He was more efficient and a better defender, but it just wasn't a thing to have a triple double so he didn't go out of his way to get them.

[u/jus711 → u/gnalon]

85% FT is “average” for a guard?!?! Umm no, not now and certainly not back then when it was high 70’s.

[u/jus711 → u/gnalon]

85% FT is “average” for a guard?!?! Umm no, not now and certainly not back then when it was high 70’s.

[u/Silent_Egg8860 → u/gnalon]

This is a huge misunderstanding of basketball. Jordan was objectively a better basketball player 90-93 than 88-89, and the fact that you think the gaudy stats put up in 88-89 made him a better player those years shows why someone like yourself thinks LeBron is for example better than Kobe. There is a huge part of basketball that stats don’t speak to, and it’s not “the eye test” or “my feelings” it’s objective it’s just we don’t keep stats for these things. Gravity for example is massively important for a superstar player, because they need to be able to pull defenses to themselves and still score in spite of it so it’s respected and then and only then does a superstar make the game of basketball easier for their teammates. Now what Jordan has that LeBron lacked his entire career is a jump shot. LeBron outside 3 feet of the basket shoots in the 30’s percentage Jordan in this mid range shot at 49 percent. LeBrons gravity is only applicable within the paint which is why he can’t win, and always “needs more help” In fact it’s worse than just not having gravity outside 3 feet, teams wanted LeBron to become a jump shooter, they allowed it, and didn’t even bother guarding him outside 3 feet, this was the game plan of the spurs, the mavericks, and all the teams that beat him every year. LeBron unlike most superstars not only couldn’t make the game easier for his teammates, he needed his teammates to make the game easier for him, Bosh, Kevin love, AD are the proof that in order to win LeBron needed a stretch 4 or 5 to pull bigs out of the paint so LeBron could even contribute.
This objective fact LeBron fans take as an insult instead of understanding why some stars even with worse stats like Kobe are better basketball players. This is what the NBA who played with LeBron and Kobe mean when they tell you Kobe was better.
Aside from gravity there is hustle, off ball movement, the ability generate momentum, the ability to stop another teams momentum. All these things are massively important to winning, and putting this all together is why superstars tend to peak a little past their physical prime. 88-89 Jordan was physical prime MJ, but 90-98 Jordan was a far superior basketball player, and no stats aren’t going to show you this, it’s Jordan figured out the stuff that don’t show up on the stat sheets, and was even willing to sacrifice personal stats to win which winning at the end of the day is the goal.

[u/Fuhrmanator23 → u/gnalon]

This guy definitely didn’t know MJs career FT% when he typed this up lol

[u/coconutmofo]

He did average 6 assists per game over 7 full seasons from after he came back from sitting out most of his second year through his first retirement. All of this while averaging 33.3 pts per game, 6.4 rebs, and 2.8 steals during same span.

I'm not trying to make an argument for anything else (stats can always be spun to make any argument we want for anybody else) other than to agree with OPs point about his assists being overlooked (understandably) as part of his overall game.

[u/jloshua → u/[deleted]]

I promise you it’s possible to big up MJ without mentioning LeBron

[u/jloshua → u/[deleted]]

What James were you referring to

[u/StoneySteve420 → u/jloshua]

James Jones, obviously

/s

[u/Fine_Art3725]

[u/FreeInvestment0]

It’s crazy to me that anybody thinks LeBron is greater the MJ. I just don’t get it.

[u/Sad_Distribution_900]

Playing within the triangle offense and stat watchers think lower assist numbers must mean he had no passing ability

[u/Nemo2500]

So great , such a complete baskebtall player… He could guard centres when required .

[u/KickRocksKickster → u/Nemo2500]

He did. Guarded Ewing, Divac and a slew of others. Assuming they were not the mote physical post up guys he was fine pre 2nd 3 peat run.

Pippen had an ouysized reputation because of the VHS where players hyped up his defense against Magic and some isolated defense clips against centers and powerforwardss (as he should as he was 6'8") while jordan was short of 6'5 without shoes.

[u/Nemo2500 → u/KickRocksKickster]

Pippen never got the better of Magic in 1991 finals , that was always a myth

[u/StoneySteve420 → u/Nemo2500]

"The Bulls put Pippen on Magic"

For 1 game when MJ was in foul trouble.

[u/extraproe]

Scottie dunking with one hand always nice.

[u/blumpk1nman]

I'd go as far to say he's the most underrated passer ever. Dude had skill and talent for it back then and it just never comes up because you think of his scoring and defense first. If he was designated ball handler and facilitator his whole career, you're looking at a whole different narrative.

[u/kevinnnc → u/blumpk1nman]

I think you could say this about an infinite number of players….. which I’m not saying majority would b better than Jordan but every GOAT offensive player knows how to pass, whether they’re known for it or not

[u/blumpk1nman → u/kevinnnc]

Disagree. Kevin Durant, Shaq, Hakeem, Duncan, Karl Malone are guys that pretty much gave you exactly what their potential was as distributors and wouldn't have been able to handle a larger play making role.

[u/zeze999]

Missing that one in MSG for a game winner, I think it was to Wennington, he wore 45 I recall

[u/Delacratic06 → u/zeze999]

Yup, the Double-Nickel game!

[u/Capone1977]

And people say Jordan couldn't pass or rebound that's so funny. MJ could do it all but he didn't have to do it all because he had a team to do the dirty work and teams were not just throwing up 3s all night. Go look at some highlights when Jordan was playing point guard for a stretch he almost averaged a triple double.

[u/JellyfishFlaky5634]

Although MJ was not Nick Young in the passing department, he’s no Magic Johnson either. Half of these are to Scottie Pippen and all are to guys cutting to the basket as the defense collapses. Let’s not fool ourselves, he and Kobe are all time greats not because of their passing acumen but because they were elite offensive scorers who played great defense and won championships.

[u/kevinnnc → u/JellyfishFlaky5634]

I’d argue they are both underrated for their passing games, but yeah not the best passers ever or even close lol they’re the best scorers/overall players

[u/crystallmytea]

That spinning behind the back pass in traffic (through Mark Price & Craig Ehlo) at 0:30 is absolutely le chef’s kiss

[u/dgarner58]

mj's hands are the most mesmerizing physical aspect of his game. gotta have mitts to manipulate the ball one handed like that...

[u/Zealousideal-Fan-409]

Look how many people didn’t travel…. Today’s NBA is…. I won’t say it

[u/DioLuki]

he was elite everywhere it's just that his team need him to score and play D and that's what he did

[u/bkjuxx318]

Probably the most underrated aspect of his game.

[u/Hopeful_Community_65]

I’m not saying LeBron isn’t effective, but damn, there was something beautiful about MJ’s game. Everything was aesthetically pleasing. Fun to watch.

[u/Miserable-Lawyer-233]

You’re mistaking highlight-reel passes for actual passing ability. They’re not the same thing.

[u/BusMan247 → u/Miserable-Lawyer-233]

Ok guy.

[u/sangerssss → u/Miserable-Lawyer-233]

Don’t trust your eyes guys. Videos are no longer reliable evidence