“Michael Jordan Couldn’t Go Left”: When Isiah Thomas Revealed ‘The Jordan Rules’ Used by Bad-Boy Pistons
Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan. Credits: USA TODAY Sports
The rivalry between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas is one of the best we’ve ever seen. While there might have been a lot of bad blood between the two, the rivalry was purely built on the court. In the late 80s, the Bad Boy Pistons ruled the NBA. During that time, young Jordan was trying to stamp his authority in the league and the Pistons weren’t going to make it easy for him. So, they devised a set of Jordan Rules to stop the incredibly skilled scorer.
During an appearance on the ‘ALL THE SMOKE’ podcast, in 2023, Zeke talked about the Jordan Rules and how they executed their plans against the Bulls legend. Stopping MJ wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, and the Pistons knew it. So, they traced all his weaknesses, which weren’t a lot, and planned their game around it.
Thomas said that since his team was incredibly disciplined, it was easy for them to stick to the plans. A major flaw in Jordan’s game was that he was a “reluctant passer”, and the Pistons wanted to put him in difficult positions where he’d have to pass.
To get Jordan to give up the ball, the Pistons identified that he doesn’t have great handles and that moving to his left is his weakness. So, the Pistons started double, triple-teaming him, just to force Jordan to give up the ball. Zeke said,
“He didn’t have great handles, [Michael Jordan] couldn’t go left, and if he went left more than two, three times, he had to pick it up, so the rules are very simple.”
The Pistons analyzed all the metrics related to Jordan’s game, something that wasn’t a trend in the NBA back in the day.
The 2-time NBA champion added that the NBA was promoting dunks in the league at the time. So, with their strategy of double-teaming the opposition’s key player, they would often stop MJ in his tracks. The Pistons were more than willing to foul only to stop Jordan from dunking on them, to frustrate him, by playing mind games. The Bad Boys were successful in their plan as they won back-to-back championships and marked their name in the NBA’s history books.
Michael Jordan had a way out against the Jordan Rules
As a competitor, Jordan wasn’t just going to give up on the attempts made by the Pistons. In 2020, his teammate B.J. Armstrong gave a rebuttal to the celebrated Jordan Rules. He said that the plans were effective only as long as MJ approached his game the traditional way. But, seeing how the Pistons were able to manipulate his position, he had to come up with a solution. MJ’s way out was catching the ball in positions where he could easily convert.
Advertisement
Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports (c) Copyright USA TODAY Sports
Armstrong said,
“He figured out he had to catch the ball in position to score. So, he learned to operate from the post and on the weak side and play the game with three dribbles or less. Now when he caught it, because his footwork was so good, he could score in a multitude of ways. He was skilled enough to adapt to any situation.”
Despite facing strong challenges, MJ was able to get past them because of his preparation and mentality. And as fans, we got to witness arguably the greatest era of basketball.
News
Ja Morant’s “Eye Discipline” is praised on social media as the Grizzlies guard maintains composure while being interviewed by a smoldering reporter. tt
Social Media Applauds Ja Morant’s “Eye Discipline” After Grizzlies Guard Manages To Keep Himself In Check While Being Interviewed By Smoking Hot Reporter Ja Morant is hardly the most disciplined guy in the NBA. His recent suspensions suggest that much. But…
Dwyane Wade rips ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade’s attempt to block their transgender daughter Zaya, 15, from legally changing her name and gender. tt
Dwyane Wade said his transgender daughter Zaya, 15, should be legally permitted to change her name and gender, amid an attempt from his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade to block the move. Wade, 40, said that Funches-Wade’s opposition to a court petition to…
Pictures: Brittany Mahomes’s revealing shirt that she wore on her dinner date with Patrick has social media fans in stitches. tt
PHOTOS: Social Media Is Losing Their Minds Over Brittany Mahomes’ Revealing Shirt She Wore On Dinner Date With Patrick Brittany Mahomes has turned heads with a daring outfit on date night with her NFL husband Patrick. The 28-year-old had a recent night…
NFL Fans Are Totally Confused After Zach Wilson’s Photo Appears In The Most Unlikely Of Places. tt
Fans were understandably confused after a picture of Zach Wilson flashed in an unlikely location this Thursday. The New York Jets quarterback has been permitted to seek a trade and is likely speaking to other teams, but no one expected him to be traded…
Tom Brady Drops Clip Showing How Much He’s Enjoying Retirement (VIDEO) tt
Tom Brady Drops Clip Showing How Much He’s Enjoying Retirement (VIDEO) Tom Brady may have finally discovered what it really means to have no football obligations. The former NFL quarterback announced his retirement from the sport earlier this year and rumors of…
After the release of disturbing pictures, Johnny Manziel’s girlfriend addresses allegations of domestic violence (PIC) tt
Johnny Manziel’s Girlfriend Responds To Domestic Violence Claim Following Release Of Disturbing Pictures (PIC) Johnny Manziel has a history of domestic violence accusations, so when his current girlfriend seemingly exposed him, no one batted an eye about it. Johnny Manziel’s girlfriend,…
End of content
No more pages to load