NBA legend Michael Jordan is arguably the best player ever to play the game of basketball. Many fans believe he single-handedly helped the Chicago Bulls win six NBA titles. However, he did have a great supporting cast around him including Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. But there are some fans who believe he had some help from the league as well. They argue the NBA helped Jordan win titles due to his superstardom. Something that helped the league rake in huge amounts of money.
One such claim is about MJ receiving foul calls in his favor. Another argument is that the NBA changed the defensive three-second rule to help Jordan drive to the basket without any trouble from big centers. In 2017, a Hall of Famer talked about Jordan not being called for violating the rules.
Reggie Miller’s sly dig at Michael Jordan
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The carry is probably one of the least-called violations in the NBA. With the speed at which the game is played, it is arguably impossible to tell if a player carried the ball or not in real-time. However, it is still called at times. NBA legend Reggie Miller made an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show in 2017. During the show, Dan Patrick and the sharpshooter discussed who had the crossovers in the league between Allen Iverson and Penny Hardaway. While speaking about it, Reggie noted the NBA had to change the rules because Iverson carried the ball a lot.
Then when they were speaking about shooting touches, the Indiana Pacers legend stated Michael Jordan had a great shooting touch as well. The host then asked whether Jordan carried the ball while playing. Reggie replied, “Michael did a lot of things in the league.”
As the host and the crew started laughing, the five-time NBA all-star said that he was just joking. He hilariously said, “Just kidding, just kidding. I’m just kidding.”?Reggie Miller then put his foot on the table to display the Air Jordan 2s he was wearing at the time.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Did the league help Jordan?
At the beginning of the show, Reggie Miller revealed the Air Jordans he was wearing. He then joked that he has the license to take shots at MJ because he endured a lot of shots from the five-time MVP.
WATCH THIS STORY – Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol And Other Eligible Candidates For A Stacked Hall of Fame Class of 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Even though Reggie was joking about Michael Jordan not being called for carrying the ball, many still believe the league helped him in some ways. Be it the change in the defensive three-second rule or the foul calls.
Do you think the NBA helped Michael Jordan? Let us know in the comments.