Home » Misc » How michael jordan changed basketball
How michael jordan changed basketball
Why Jordan tops our list of NBA game changers — Andscape
As LeBron James, Stephen Curry and other stars create a new NBA before our eyes while standing on the shoulders of giants, ESPN and The Undefeated rank the 100 players who have done the most to change the way we play the game, how we talk about the game and the culture of basketball.
For this special edition of #NBArank, we asked our panel — with members from across ESPN, including TV, radio, ESPN.com, The Undefeated and ESPN The Magazine — to choose the players who have influenced the game most, both on and off the court: the real game changers. Here, Jesse Washington of The Undefeated explains why Michael Jordan is still No. 1.
Start with the shorts. Not the shoes — we’ll get to those. The shorts were the first sign that everything would change.
Michael Jordan began his NBA career with a peculiar superstition: He wore his University of North Carolina practice shorts under his Chicago Bulls uniform for every game. To accommodate the extra layer of luck, Jordan asked for larger game shorts. Back then, in the early ’80s, the bottom half of basketball outfits verged on tighty-whities. But when the high-flying rookie brought out the baggy bottoms, the rest of the NBA followed suit. Then, the world. Uniforms would never be the same.
Neither would the game.
Jordan transformed the style and substance of basketball, expanding the scope and meaning of athletic achievement. We still see his influence in ways big and small: kids wagging their tongues; the raging popularity of basketball in China; post-up players leaning backward into defenders before making their move.
But for all his huge dunks, fresh kicks and clutch shots, Jordan’s biggest impact came off the court as he empowered athletes, especially African-Americans, to obtain full economic participation in the billions generated by their labor. Starting with Air Jordan sneakers — which led to his own Jordan Brand, which led to him buying majority control of the Charlotte Hornets — Jordan blazed a trail for athletes to escape the plantation, buy the Big House and sit on the porch with their feet up, smoking a cigar.
But for all his huge dunks, fresh kicks and clutch shots, Jordan’s biggest impact came off the court as he empowered athletes, especially African-Americans, to obtain full economic participation in the billions generated by their labor.
Today, it’s normal for Cristiano Ronaldo to own hotels, gyms and shampoo. We expect Jay-Z to be “a business, man.” We don’t blink when Kobe Bryant and LeBron James launch their own movie studios. Jordan created that template.
And yes, it must have been the shoes.
In the past 30 years, has there been a more influential sports artifact than the Air Jordan sneaker? Before, athletic shoes were a subculture. Now, they’re world culture. Air Jordans remain fresh to death, even for a generation of customers who never saw him play, while the man himself has moved into unfashionable middle age. Athletic shoes generated $62 billion in 2016 global sales, an explosion sparked by a single pair of red, black and white sneakers.
Editor's Picks
#NBArank Game Changers: Most influential players ever, 100-76
#NBArank Game Changers: Most influential players ever, 75-51
#NBArank Game Changers: Most influential players ever, Nos. 50-26
#NBArank Game Changers: The 25 most influential players ever
Steve Kerr on Iverson, Nash, Durant and the most influential players
Michael Jordan: ‘I can no longer stay silent’
On this day in NBA Finals history: Michael Jordan’s ‘Flu Game’
MJ changed the game when he first took flight in Air Jordan 1s
All made possible by what Jordan did with a basketball in his hands.
He was not the first to score prolifically, to explore airspace frontiers, to dominate both ends of the floor. He did it all, only better than anybody else ever had, with a ferocious flair we had never seen. Jordan did not change the game of basketball only with his talent or athleticism. He changed it by combining those gifts with his work ethic and competitive drive. Nobody put more sweat into being great. Nobody cared more about winning. Jordan branded himself, through savvy interviews and gutsy performances like the “flu game,” to become synonymous with these concepts. Even questionable actions such as chewing up teammates in the quest for perfection, or coming out of retirement at age 38 to average 21 points per game in two seasons with the Washington Wizards, were seen as part of his ruthless competitiveness.
Previous players had been maniacally devoted to the game. Jordan made the grind mainstream. After leading the USA Olympic “Dream Team” in 1992, he was probably the most recognizable person on the planet, and his popularity fueled basketball’s global growth. Jordan was the biggest beneficiary of the modern media explosion, the perfect player at the perfect time.
Maybe too perfect.
The only place Jordan failed to change the game is in social activism. Instead of calling attention to injustice, he chose to build and protect his logo, which was actually made in his image. By the time Jordan could no longer stay silent, James had proven that commercial supremacy and social conscience could coexist.
James is chasing Jordan, studying and tweaking his blueprint, trying to supplant him as the greatest. But when it comes to changing the game, on and off the court, Jordan stands alone. For all time.
Jesse Washington is a journalist and documentary filmmaker. He still gets buckets.
Michael Jordan's Effect on NBA Basketball: Was It a Good Thing? | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
His legacy is one of personified greatness. His name has become synonymous with being the best as it is not uncommon to use his it as a standard bearer of sorts. His game was beautiful, elegant and graceful and it inspired an entire generation of children all over America to "be like Mike."
Yes, Michael Jordan brought the NBA and basketball's popularity in general to new heights. His ability to soar to the basket and do things we'd never before seen captured the world's attention and helped make basketball more of a global sport than it had ever been. Unfortunately this came with a price.
Michael Jordan made scoring sexy. His reverse layups, slam dunks, and fadeaway shots were exciting to say the least. But as more and more of basketball's youth tried to emulate and imitate their favorite No. 23, we started to see that being like Mike was easier said than done. And as that basketball youth grew, so did the me mentality that Michael Jordan unintentionally created.
Suddenly, basketball became less about five guys playing with synergy and more about one guy trying to do it all himself. One on one play became the new style of the NBA and of youthful basketball in America and as a result, the quality of play suffered. The ball stopped moving, the fundamentals eroded, and the shot selection fell off the map.
Players were faster and more athletic than ever before, but they were more athletes than basketball players. All too often, player's only goal was to score, passing only when they had to. The end result was lower overall scores in the NBA and a poor product on the floor.
The league even changed the rules, to open things up for offenses, akin to what the NFL did to protect receivers and quarterbacks and increase scoring. While this succeeded in inflating the scores, it has only served as a crutch for unsound basketball. Rather than teach unselfish basketball, they've chosen to reward selfish basketball even more with cheap fouls and lousy defense.
If you watch basketball from yesteryear, the first thing you'd notice (aside from the embarrassingly short shorts) is the ball movement; the quality of shots; and how easily the overall scores reach over 100. This is not a result of each player being better than today's, but rather quite the opposite. It would be fair to say that overall, the players of yesteryear were less skilled with only some exceptions.
But it is because of this that they worked better as a team, with each player depending on the next, and no one player dominating the ball. Rather than each player trying to score on their own, the players passed the ball around and moved without the ball until they got the best possible shot. This is what basketball is all about.
Unfortunately, even some of today's best basketball players suffer from the "be like Mike" mentality. As unselfish as LeBron James can be, he has shown almost an inability to play without the ball. Rather than cut back door, or do something as simple as setting an off the ball screen, he does what most players of this generation do...nothing. Without the ball, nothing.
The most ironic part of the "be like Mike" effect is that Michael Jordan was one of the most fundamentally sound players in history. He was effective with and without the ball. He set screens. He passed with purpose more often than out of necessity. And his shots, though seemingly difficult at times, were almost always balanced and under control.
Somehow, these aspects of his game were lost in translation, overshadowed by the flashier parts of his game.
Michael Jordan's influence on basketball was greater than any other player in NBA history. My question is...was it necessarily a good thing? I'm not so sure.
Stephen A Smith: Michael Jordan changed basketball for the worse, and Stephen Curry for the better The game has become more personal.
“It's not Steph Curry's fault that he can shoot. He changed basketball. No, he took the game to the next level.
Michael Jordan, whom I love and consider to be the greatest player in history, is more than anyone responsible for changing the game for the worse. He was so phenomenal that the NBA began to promote the individual player, the audience began to reach out to the individual player, and the game became a little more individual. Because people wanted to be like Mike. Before Mike, there were Bird and Magic.
I mean, before Michael Jordan, the focus was on the team. After Jordan came Kobe, Vince Carter and all the rest. There has been an individualization of the sport, in part because of the money that came with it,” Smith said.
Steph Curry made it to the sixth NBA Finals. Basketball world is ruled by a wizard again
Related content
Breaking news
Chris Broussard: 'Anthony Davis should be traded for Damian Lillard'
Kendrick Perkins: "LeBron plays badly" 4
Dwight Howard will make $1 million in Taiwan, 50 times the local league limit 6
Milos Teodosic's 5 3-pointers helped Virtus beat AC Milan away 1
Nick Young: LeBron throws too much around the basket. Let Davis be the MVP” 8
Video Video posted of Miles Bridges' ex-girlfriend trying to break into his house 8
Brian Windhorst: "George and LeBron were minutes away from being teammates" 8
Karl-Anthony Towns advised Anthony Edwards: "Be yourself and enjoy the game" 6
Euroleague. "Real" will host "Anadolu Efes", "Maccabi" - "Barcelona" and other matches0029 1
Games Rapper Drake bet $121,000 on an NBA 2K match between rapper 21 Savage and streamer Kai Cenat. The broadcast was watched by 273 thousand spectators 1
Show more than
news of my team
Select your favorite team
Select the Sports-Futolchockeybianbox/Mmormusla-1 Tennis 9000
18:20 PM. Women. Mechelen will host Girona
Anthony Davis: 'On defense you have to rely on yourself'
LeBron's fake social media account reported the requested trade worry. A long season ahead” 16
VTB United League. CSKA vs. UNICS 2
"In two months I will be 38 years old." LeBron responds to criticism over his performance this season0029 15
Richard Jefferson: “The Lakers had time from April to October, and this is the team they put together. It's negligent” 5
LeBron James: “I need to learn to fake” 28
Video Ja Morant and Desmond Bain combined 64 assists, 11 rebounds and 11 rebounds. This is the first time in Memphis history 7
Jordan Clarkson: "79-3? Maybe 2
NBA. Durant's triple-double helped Brooklyn defeat New York, Lakers lost to Clippers and more 192
moments of the day 1
Samara signed Jordan Theodore 2
Video Bucks take Thunder to second overtime on Lugenz Dort's foul with 0.6 seconds left . Alga, UNICS! 4
Video Nets players congratulate Jacques Vaughn on his first win as head coach0029 2
Video Bulk Blok Blocked a throw of Donchich Luke with a deviation of 10
Video Nikola Vuchievich showed the middle finger to the fan after the run 2
Attacking the Ceil "STE is 118.5. This is the best record in the NBA since 1976 20
French squad for the World Cup, Conor wants to buy Liverpool, Man City knocked Chelsea out of the League Cup, Arsenal lost to Brighton, Lewandowski received the Golden Boot and other news 24
Video LeBron James misses game against Clippers due to injury 34
Video LeBron James makes a crazy pass from behind to Austin Reeves
1 08:20 Photo Miles Bridges hinted on social media to return to Charlotte0029 6
Show more than
News Archive
Poll
Five reasons, why Jordan would be good in the modern NBA ᐉ UA-football
Original Article -Kirk Goldsberry, ESPN
Translation and Adaptation -UAA-UAA-UA -Football
What would happen if Michael Jordan during his fighting years played in the modern NBA?
This popular hypothesis is discussed in the documentary series The Last Dance, but when comparing different eras, there are a huge number of variables to take into account. But no matter how you look at it, in the end it's clear that MJ will dominate today just like he did with the Chicago Bulls at 90 years.
Below are five reasons why Jordan would still be the greatest basketball player in the world today.
Incredible athleticism
Let's start with size: can Jordan stand up to the best players of today. The answer is unequivocal - yes.
Michael is considered one of the most impressive athletes to ever play in the NBA. Consider this excerpt from his 1983 New York Times profile.
“He is well-built – 198 centimeters tall, 86 kg. Can play defender or forward. He is fast, running 40 yards (36 meters) in 4.3 seconds."
We all know that MJ could skimp in the gym, but his speed was unbelievable. He could run like Dion Sanders (a former American football player and baseball player who ran 40 yards in 4.27 seconds). Imagine the physique of Clay Thompson combined with the agility of Allen Iverson and the speed of Russell Westbrook. Jordan may not have been as big and strong as LeBron James, but he had elite speed. And his jump was always very good.
While some Jordan-era players would have a hard time keeping up with today's speeds, Michael will be fine.
Great shot
Will Jordan's offensive play work these days? This question is not easy to answer. The NBA has changed a lot since Michael left basketball for good in 2003. Those medium throws that the leader of Chicago used to fill the ring of rivals are now frowned upon. Mid-range jumpers have been replaced by the era of three-pointers. Would Jordan be able to adjust to this new reality?
The real Michael Jordan was born in 1963. Let's imagine that a hypothetical modern MJ was born at 1993 year. Much has changed in youth basketball between 1970 and 2000, and much has changed in college programs between 1980 and 2010.
The real Jordan carefully designed and adapted his game to a completely different version of basketball. In his first season, NBA teams averaged 3.1 three-pointers per game. In the 2019-2020 season, this figure is 33.9 attempts. Now any shooting guard who wants to win (and that was Michael) should have a well-placed three-pointer in his arsenal.
Skeptics might argue that Jordan has only made 32.7% of 1,778 3-pointers in his career. This is not a very good indicator for that time, and for the present times, but this figure is also misleading. Most of the courts Jordan learned to play didn't even have 3-point lines. When MJ became the NCAA champion in 1982, there were no long-range marks on this court either.
A hypothetical Jordan born in 1993 would have grown up in a basketball culture that promoted the three-point shot. In high school and college, he would have been forced to practice long range shots every day. Asking if Michael could have successfully shot from behind the arc is like asking if Bjorn Borg could have learned how to play a modern tennis racket.
When modern scouts assess the shooting potential of young players, many focus more on free throw percentage than on actual shooting percentage. Over the course of his career, Jordan has made 84% of NBA free throws - and this is an excellent indicator.
More importantly, Jordan was the best in his era when it came to jump shots. His ability to create a shot and execute it with a high percentage of efficiency could not be approached by any other player of his generation.
The way Jordan shot from free throws and mid-range throughout his career makes it clear that MJ could have easily built a consistent three-point shot if he played in the modern NBA. It can be assumed that the three-point performance of a hypothetical 27-year-old Michael playing in the NBA in 2020 would be comparable to Clippers stars Paul George (39.9% on 7.9 attempts per game in the 2019-2020 season) and Kawhi Leonard (36 .6% at 5.7 attempts).
George and Leonard are excellent two-way Jordan-type players, and they both came into the NBA without a consistent three-pointer. However, they got better in this component even before they reached their peak. How? Hard work, talent and guidance from coaches to develop players.
Does anyone really think that Michael Jordan, the most competitive superstar in basketball history, wouldn't be able to hit 35-40% three-point shooting if he grew up in a perimeter attacking environment. Come on!
Rules make scoring easier
How many points would Jordan score in the modern NBA? Given the changes in perimeter defense rules (hand contact was banned in 2004), shot distribution, and increased pace of play, it's fair to assume that combining Jordan's level of engagement with his efficiency would give Michael more points these days than he did in his era.
Imagine Jordan and Chicago attacking "miss matches" in the modern NBA with its modern defense. Imagine characters like Kevin Love or Kristaps Porzingis trying to stop Jordan after trades. Imagine perimeter defenders of the caliber of James Harden or Steph Curry trying to match Jordan with his speed, dribbling and underhand prowess.
While in today's NBA there are more players like Leonard, George or Thompson who could certainly put more pressure on Jordan than his guards at 90s, the absence of so-called "hand-checking" would have made perimeter defense much more difficult. These days, Jordan would easily be at Harden's level in free-throw frequency if he wanted to.
In 13 years at Chicago, Jordan averaged 31.5 points per game while shooting 23.3 shots. That's 1.35 points per try. But thanks to the three-point revolution and changes to the defensive rules, scoring from long range would have been even easier for Michael. If we apply the average efficiency of the top 10 scorers of the 2019 season to Jordan-2020 (1.41 points per game), we get that 23.3 attempts in the modern NBA would bring MJ 32.9 points per game.
But Jordan has always been above average, and if we apply to our hypothetical Michael the same efficiency that Harden attacks (1.52 points per shot), then those 23.3 shots turn into 35. 4 points per game. That's about how much the Chicago star would have scored in his prime if he played these days.
The perfect defense for today's NBA
Over the past few decades, the attack in the NBA has been exposed. Now is the time for pick-and-rolls and drive-and-kicks. Would Jordan be able to prove himself in the modern league when defending the perimeter? Hell yes.
In a league increasingly leaning towards backcourt and perimeter attacks, Jordan's tenacity and defensive impact will only be more valuable than in his prime. Remember, Michael was the NBA's top stealer three times. In 1988, he was named Defensive Player of the Year and made the Defensive First Team of the Year nine times.
Of course, Jordan will lose some agility against modern backgrounds, but his quick feet and balance would allow him to effectively counter the best dribblers of the caliber of Kyrie Irving or Stephen Curry. In addition, his size and arm span would easily allow Jordan to intercept Paul George-style passes.
It's interesting to imagine how Jordan would have stood up against the best point guards and defenders on defense. Can Harden outplay him at the top of the arc? Can Klay Thompson get past Jordan with a screen and shoot a 3-pointer? Can LeBron get through Michael in a fast break? Can Durant neutralize MJ's defenses with his signature jumper?
Jordan could chase Curry or Thompson through screens, as he did against Reggie Miller. Michael could have held off Kawhi Leonard as he did with Clyde Drexler. Yes, he might have problems with Durant, but who wouldn't?
If we talk about Jordan's defensive weaknesses, then these are size and strength. Michael ran into problems when he tried to keep Magic Johnson in the first two games of the 1991 finals. This series could have gone differently if Jordan and the Bulls didn't have Scottie Pippen.
Jordan was a great defender, not only because he could close any superstar. He was great because he could make life difficult for even the best playmakers and defenders in the world. Now there is no coach in the league who would not like to have 19An 8cm guard with the speed, decision-making and work ethic that Jordan had.
Competitiveness
It's not reflected in the statistics, but what ultimately makes it clear that Jordan will thrive in any era is its competitiveness. When we watch The Last Dance, we see how the fire in Michael's eyes is always heated to the limit.
Just go back to that epic ending in Salt Lake City in Game 6 of the NBA Finals 1998 years. Losing "-3" with 40 seconds left in the game, Jordan first made an effective pass under the basket, then robbed Karl Malone on the other half of the court and finished off Utah with the famous crossover against Brion Russell and an accurate shot from an average distance.
From the NCAA victory over Georgetown in 1982 to the victory over Utah 16 years later, Jordan has consistently been the best player at the end of the season, at the end of the series and at the end of the game.
50-26
Even questionable actions such as chewing up teammates in the quest for perfection, or coming out of retirement at age 38 to average 21 points per game in two seasons with the Washington Wizards, were seen as part of his ruthless competitiveness.
But when it comes to changing the game, on and off the court, Jordan stands alone. For all time.
His reverse layups, slam dunks, and fadeaway shots were exciting to say the least. But as more and more of basketball's youth tried to emulate and imitate their favorite No. 23, we started to see that being like Mike was easier said than done. And as that basketball youth grew, so did the me mentality that Michael Jordan unintentionally created. 
While this succeeded in inflating the scores, it has only served as a crutch for unsound basketball. Rather than teach unselfish basketball, they've chosen to reward selfish basketball even more with cheap fouls and lousy defense.
As unselfish as LeBron James can be, he has shown almost an inability to play without the ball. Rather than cut back door, or do something as simple as setting an off the ball screen, he does what most players of this generation do...nothing. Without the ball, nothing.
A long season ahead” 16 
But no matter how you look at it, in the end it's clear that MJ will dominate today just like he did with the Chicago Bulls at 90 years. 
Jordan may not have been as big and strong as LeBron James, but he had elite speed. And his jump was always very good. 
In his first season, NBA teams averaged 3.1 three-pointers per game. In the 2019-2020 season, this figure is 33.9 attempts. Now any shooting guard who wants to win (and that was Michael) should have a well-placed three-pointer in his arsenal. 
Over the course of his career, Jordan has made 84% of NBA free throws - and this is an excellent indicator. 
How? Hard work, talent and guidance from coaches to develop players. 
4 points per game. That's about how much the Chicago star would have scored in his prime if he played these days. 
Now there is no coach in the league who would not like to have 19An 8cm guard with the speed, decision-making and work ethic that Jordan had. 
