Tim Legler describes why Michael Jordan was feared: “He was that voracious and wanting to attack”
When Michael Jordan was at his peak, opponents around the NBA feared going against him. To this day, former players have an array of stories from when they had to square off against the Chicago Bulls icon.
Before he was an analyst, Tim Legler spent roughly a decade in the NBA. His career spanned from from 1990 to 2000. In that span, he played for eight different franchises and averaged seven points per game in 310 total appearances.
Recently, Legler sat down with fellow analyst and former player JJ Redick on "The Old Man and the Three" podcast. Among the topics discussed was Michael Jordan.
Since Legler's career spanned through the 90's, he saw Jordan up close and personal. He even had the chance to go against him on multiple occasions. While talking to JJ Redick, Legler touched on what it was like to guard one of the greatest players to ever step foot on an NBA court.
"I've played against a lot of guys that were Hall of Famers, he was the only guy that I ever played against that at no point could you relax, ever, guarding him. He was that veracious and wanting to attack."
"Because of the dynamic of their offense and the way it was constructed, you could just never relax because the guy wanted to relentlessly go at you. That's what separated him from anybody that I ever played against."
"[Michael Jordan] was the only guy that I ever played against that at no point you could relax... The guy just wanted to relentlessly go at you & that to me is what separated him from anybody I ever played against."
—Tim Legler
(via @OldManAndThree)
https://t.co/qle1DyWZxC
The legend of Michael Jordan lives on
Part of what made Michael Jordan so dangerous on the basketball court is that he was a fierce competitor. By the end of every game, he wanted his opponent to know that he was the best player on the floor.
The thing that stands out most about Legler's comments is what he said about how the Chicago Bulls played. Phil Jackson implemented the triangle offense to keep everyone involved, and keep the ball in Jordan's hands. This style gave him the ability to attack defenses at will.
When people talk about Jordan, his scoring is one of the main things brought up. He could hurt you from anywhere, and had a plethora of moves in his arsenal.
In his 15 years in the NBA, Jordan never averaged less than 20 points per game. From 1986 to 1996, he only averaged less than 30 points in a season once. By the time he retired, he had won the scoring title ten different times.
Michael Jordan is by far one of the greatest scorers ever because of all the things Legler mentioned in the interview.