Created to Crush Michael Jordan ? Here?s a Breakdown of ?Jordan Rules? by Late Pistons Coach Brendan Malone

Michael Jordan was rising to the top in the late 1980s. With him consistently averaging over 30 points per game, he was the main focus of the opponent’s defense any time he stepped on the court. In 1988, the Detroit Pistons made it to the NBA finals. But they fell short to the Los Angeles Lakers after having no answer to superstar Magic Johnson.

They brought in a new assistant coach in 1988 to correct their weaknesses and improve their defense. This helped them greatly, as they took down all their opposition in 1989 and 1990. The person who helped the Pistons do this was the late Brendon Malone.

The rivalry between Michael Jordan and the Detroit Pistons

The Pistons drafted Isiah Thomas in 1981 and began their rebuild three years earlier than the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls got Michael Jordan in 1984 and started their way to the top. After Jordan got past his early injuries, he was one of the best players in the league. He averaged over 30 points per game. In 1987, Jordan dropped 61 points in a game against the Pistons. But the real turning point was in 1988.

On April 3, 1988, Michael Jordan went on to drop 59 points against the Pistons. But the game ended with a score of 112-110 in favor of the Bulls. That is when Chuck Daly and the team decided that they would never let Michael Jordan defeat them by himself ever again.

Brendon Malone was added to the team as an assistant coach earlier that year. Malone was known for his defense. He brought new ideas to the game to shut down the opponents. This was vital as they constantly went up against Michael Jordan in the Eastern Conference playoffs. But the addition of Malone changed everything. He and Daly brought up a set of rules for the teams to follow when facing Michael Jordan.

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The aggressive play style of the Pistons earned them the nickname Bad Boys Pistons. They were very physical against Michael Jordan, in particular, to stop him from scoring. They implemented the ‘Jordan Rules’ in order to stop His Airness.

The ‘Jordan Rules’

Brendon Malone later revealed that he had set a list of rules exclusively to follow when facing Michael Jordan. Jordan’s greatness was never taken lightly. The Pistons knew that they had to be fully prepared to neutralize Jordan in order to move on in the playoffs.

This led to the iconic ‘Jordan Rules’. Brendon Malone revealed the Jordan rules during an episode of The Last Dance.

He said, “On the wings, we are going to push him to the elbow, and we?re not going to let him drive to the baseline. Number 2, when he?s on top, we?re going to influence him to his left. (3) When he got the ball in the low post, we were going to trap him from the top. That?s the Jordan Rules, and it was that simple.”

These rules were essentially to keep Jordan out of the baseline or from getting near the basket. So the interviewer asked Brendon during the Last Dance about the protocol if Jordan did get to the baseline.

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To that, Brendon said, “That?s when Laimbeer and Mahorn would go up and knock him to the ground.“

Even with all this, Jordan averaged 30 when they went up against the Pistons. But the physical toll on his body was enough for the Pistons to pull through and get past the Bulls. Dennis Rodman said that they were trying to hurt Jordan physically.

But basketball is a sport, and using the rules to your advantage is not wrong. It’s a game where everyone is trying to win. Brendon Malone was one of the first to understand the rules and use them to his advantage when going up against Michael Jordan.

How did MJ overcome the struggles?

Michael Jordan was always hurt and bruised after going up against the Pistons. Jordan revealed later that he hated them for it, and that hatred carries to this day. Jordan cried after the Pistons beat him in 1990. He was devastated. He knew his team did not have the fortitude to get through them.

The Bulls complained to the league office in the 1990?1991 season. After that, Phil Jackson made the team less reliant on the referees, no more whining and just playing through the physicality. Scottie Pippen said in the documentary that Jordan trusted his teammates more that season. Jordan was still dominating the league the way he did, but now he was much more prepared mentally to face the Pistons.

The Bulls swept the Pistons in the playoffs and won their first championship with Michael Jordan, and the rest is history.

Brendon Malone’s mark in the NBA

Brendon Malone focused more on defense. His understanding of the sport helped him develop schemes for specific players. Brendon, during his time in the NBA, achieved a lot as an assistant coach. He was a coach for the Pistons, Raptors, Knicks, and many others. He was a part of the NBA for over 30 years. Malone passed away on October 10th, 2023, at the age of 81.

He is the father of the current Denver Nuggets head coach, Michael Malone. Michael Malone recently took his team to the NBA final and won the championship in 2023. Soon after the Nuggets won the championship in 2023, Brendon Malone was given the 2023 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award.

He saw his son win an NBA championship as a head coach. Brendon Malone was one of the key figures in NBA history who helped revolutionize the game.

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What do you think of Brendon Malone’s impact on the NBA? Let us know in the comments!