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LONG POND, PA – JUNE 26: Michael Jordan owner of 23XI Racing at his pit box prior to the NASCAR Cup Series – Pocono Organics CBD 325 on June 26,2021 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond,PA.(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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LONG POND, PA – JUNE 26: Michael Jordan owner of 23XI Racing at his pit box prior to the NASCAR Cup Series – Pocono Organics CBD 325 on June 26,2021 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond,PA.(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Michael Jordan is probably the most iconic player in the game of basketball. His aura and legacy are untouched. And the reason is that he has given us some unbelievable moments in his career. But one such iconic moment is getting belittled despite him showing unbelievable athleticism.
It was game 2 of the 1991 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers. This was Jordan’s first-ever Finals appearance, and it was against the storied Magic Johnson and the Lakers. The Bulls took game-1 and were looking to double their lead. And it was a close game throughout.
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The game was remembered most likely for the insane shot Jordan hit. He was coming down with the ball before passing to Cliff Levingston, who drove in before passing it back to Jordan. His Airness then took one step into the free-throw line and then took off to dunk. And as he saw two Lakers attempting to jump, Jordan then switched hands mid-air and hit a layup while falling out of bounds. This shot is considered one of the most iconic in NBA History.
Fans of today are mocking the insane shot by Michael Jordan
Jordan’s iconic shot did not impress some of the NBA fans of today. With the increase in athleticism, this shot has become common and fans are not really impressed. Here are some reactions:
Ja Morant does this 5 times a game in January https://t.co/n0pMRW6HP2
— fj (@asaprockytop) June 5, 2022
One of the most overrated plays in league history. No reason to do that whatsoever. Just lay it up lol
— te🅿️ (@_tep13) June 5, 2022
Unpopular Opinion: I'm a former dunker and a huge fan of Jordan — watched this live as it happened. There was no blocker. It looks like he lost steam (towards end of career) and needed to switch hands because he couldn't dunk it. This is a great save. Not sure it's "spectacular"
— The Details (@BblKka) June 5, 2022
I’ve done this a million times with more contact on an 8 foot hoop. JorFraud playing part time janitors #LEBRONGOAT
— Mentions Demon (2-0 in dry jan) (Lib) (@DemonMentions1) June 5, 2022
Anyone ever asked why he did it? There was clearly no need
— C rader (@crader7691) June 5, 2022
I see this twice a week in the nba today
— Michael (@Michaelj_24) June 5, 2022
This move is a little overrated, if someone tries to block it, then it would've been spectacular but nobody does, so switching hands in mid air is kind of pointless.
— xch4rdz (@ch4rdzy) June 6, 2022
Wasn’t even a top 30 layup of his. It just happened in the nba finals so it became iconic. He did way more impressive layups throughout the mid to late 80s that puts this specific one to rest.
— Stinga (@chefremarkable) June 6, 2022
Always wondered why he switched hands, and why everyone made a big deal about this play
— Outamyhed66 (@outamyhed66) June 5, 2022
Surprisingly, it was not just young fans but also older ones.
Other Iconic Jordan moments
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Jordan had a lot of these moments throughout his NBA career. One of them was the dunk from the free-throw line. There was no other athlete like Jordan back in the day and when he did this, the league lost its mind. One more that comes to mind is the buzzer-beater he hit over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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MIAMI – MAY 26: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls drives the ball up court against the Miami Heat in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 1997 NBA Playoffs at the Miami Arena on May 26, 1997 in Miami, Florida. The Heat defeated the Bulls 87-80. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1997 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
But the most iconic Jordan moment came in his last game for the Chicago Bulls. It was game 6 of the 1998 Finals and the Bulls were leading 3-2. But they were down by 3, with less than a minute left in the game. And Jordan did the unthinkable.
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Michael Jordan came out of the timeout and cut the lead to just 1. And when the Jazz had the ball, he stripped Karl Malone on the baseline and got the ball back. Then Michael waited until the right moment before he hit the game-winner. This shot sealed the series and secured Jordan his sixth title.
