“When the game was on the line, no one was better” - David Thompson praises Michael Jordan’s clutch mentality
Michael Jordan’s legendary energy in the clutch was mentioned by David Thompson in NBA’s list of “75 Stories”. During the Monday episode focusing on Michael Jordan, Thompson spoke about Jordan’s ability to show up when the game was on the line.
David Thompson praised MJ, saying there was nobody better than Jordan in the clutch:
“When the game was on the line, no one was better.”
Michael Jordan, the legendary Chicago Bulls guard, has an intense list of achievements that can backup Thompson’s claim.
Jordan is a 6x NBA champion with 6 NBA Finals MVP awards and five NBA regular season MVP awards, having also been named NBA defensive player of the year (87-88), and NBA Rookie of the Year (84-85).
As a 10-time NBA scoring leader, Michael Jordan has proved in an immense capacity of how successful his offensive game was. The 14x NBA All-Star has many more awards, inducting him into the list of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. During this year, the NBA picked a 75th Anniversary Team for 2021, of which he was front and center.
Accolades like these far prove Michael Jordan’s ability to show up in the clutch. If he was not able to do so, he most definitely would not have won six championships in one of the most competitive periods in the NBA.
Michael Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across 1072 games. A crazy scoring feat for the amount of games he played.
Seen in the video below are some plays in Jordan’s career that have helped define him as a notoriously clutch player. MJ was known for having an immense hunger for victory, so much so that it was the only answer in his mind. There are many moments captured show that energy.
Michael Jordan's most clutch moments
A notable performance in the video that showcases Jordan’s greatness in his 1989 performance against the Milwaukee Bucks. MJ scored 50-points to beat the Bucks 117-116. Jordan scored 27 of his 50 points in the fourth quarter alone, including the game winner.
Jordan's 50-point victory over the Bucks
Arguably one of Jordan’s most clutch moments was his three performance in the 1993 NBA Finals. In what would be the year that the Bulls would win their third championship and gain their first three-peat, Jordan had an amazing 3-game run.
MJ scored 40 or more points in four straight games against the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. He scored 42 points in Game 2, 44 in Game 3, 55 in Game 4, and 41 in Game 5. Jordan finished Game 6 with 33 points to bring the Chicago Bulls their third straight NBA championship.
1993 NBA Finals
Jordan’s scoring ability was legendary primarily because of how reliably clutch he was. Players that can score the ball are only an asset if they are there when you need them and Jordan was always there when the Bulls needed him. Time and time again did the greatest to ever do it show the rest of the league that the crown was his and absolutely nobody else’s. Jordan played with quickness, aggression, but most of all, reliability.