Watch: When Michael Jordan's slick new 'invention' left announcers speechless in 1988
Michael Jordan's legendary status continues to grow to this day, even in retirement. Thanks to archives from when MJ was playing, more and more footage continues to surface from his early playing days.
Just like he did so many times throughout his career, Jordan would frequently put on a show for those in attendance, and those watching on TV. His rise in superstardom came at just the right time, with technology advancing to a point that fans could watch him play on TV and change the game in real-time.
Years prior, superstars like Wilt Chamberlain, who were doing things the basketball community had never seen before, reached a limited audience. Without nationally broadcast games, feats like Chamberlain's 100-point game remain somewhat of an urban legend.
It wasn't until years later that basketball games began to be broadcast night in and night out to a massive viewership. In a clip that recently resurfaced, Michael Jordan left announcers baffled as he went behind the back to his dominant dribbling hand.
Michael Jordan invented a New Basketball move in the middle of a game that no one seen before leaving announcers speechless https://t.co/YDv8DfNcOl
Did Michael Jordan really invent the behind-the-back to his dominant hand dribble move?
As many in the Twitter replies were quick to point out, Michael Jordan didn't actually invent the dribble move seen in the video above. Years before Michael Jordan ever busted the move out mid-game, 'Pistol' Pete Maravich was already on video showing off the move.
The reason the announcer likely hadn't seen the move done by Pistol Pete is likely the same reason we don't have footage of Chamberlain's 100-point game. At the time Maravich was playing, games weren't nationally televised, and without YouTube to use as a resource database, he was likely unfamiliar with the move.
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During an interview years back, Larry Bird praised Maravich's skills with the ball, recalling how he was baffled at the way Pistol Pete was able to handle the ball:
"That ball looks like a part of his hand and I said, 'He must spend a lot of time dribbling and dribbling.'"
As Pistol Pete revealed during his career, when he was a kid, he would frequently spend eight hours a day with a basketball in his hand. Although it isn't clear whether or not he actually invented the dribble move in question, he certainly did it before Michael Jordan.
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