MJ CHOKING IN A GAME 7🧵

MJ lost game 7 to the Pistons in 1990.

His teammates get all the blame, but…MJ choked.

He had a poor 1st half against a guy with a groin pull.

And then stat padded.

Take a look.
MJ scored 10 pts in the 1st half of game 7.

With 8 min left in the 2nd quarter, Detroit turned a deficit into a 15 pt lead at the half.

In those 8 minutes:
MJ scored NO points
He only shot the ball TWICE
Outscored by Ed Nealy and Will Perdue

Hello? MJ? Mr 34 PPG?
😳

MICHAEL WILBON: WHAT HE THOUGHT OF MJ’S FINALS COMPETITION 🧵

Old heads trust @RealMikeWilbon, right?

He can’t even get through a PTI episode without mentioning MJ.

So, when he was a writer for the WA Post in the 90s, he thought MJ’s competition was GREAT, right?

Take a look.

Here Wilbon compares the 1991 Lakers to the Bulls prior to the Finals:

Cartwright > Divac
Paxson > Scott
Pippen > Worthy
Grant = Perkins
Worthy: “gimpy…doesn’t rebound”

So EVERY Bulls player was equal or better?

Isn’t that easy to beat?

Winning THIS makes you the GOAT?

2011 HEAT:
BETTER WHEN LEBRON SCORED LESS 🧵

People assume Miami was best when Lebron scored the most.

That assumption isn’t true. In fact, it’s the OPPOSITE.

The 2011 Heat’s best win percentages came when:

Lebron was the #3 scorer
He took 15 shots or less

Take a look.

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The Heat were 22-2 when Lebron took 15 shots or less. A 75 win-rate equivalent. It was 30% of their games. Common.

When he had 8+ assists: 36-11
When he scored less than 18: 7-0

When Lebron deferred more, he was playing INTO the Heat’s best strategy.

Miami writers knew it.

MICHAEL JORDAN: WHEN DID HE BECOME THE GOAT? 🧵

MJ fans love to say you have to win 6 titles to be the GOAT.

It’s a bad argument, for obvious reasons, and it’s NEVER been the criteria before.

What’s funny is MJ started getting referred to as the “GOAT” in…1989.

Want proof?

Prior to the 89 playoffs, most of the commentary on Jordan was that he may have had the best talent ever, but he wasn’t the best player yet.

Notice how, here in January, 1989, Roy Johnson actually calls out Jordan for being a bad teammate.

“Certainly not the best teammate.”

MICHAEL JORDAN: STAT PADDING KING 🧵

MJ fans love to argue that Jordan didn’t care about stats, and that he didn’t stat pad.

It’s a BIG lie.

Nobody ever cared more about their stats. MJ was the Greatest Ever at Stat Padding. GOAT!

Take a look. It’s a long one!



MJ cared about his stats RIGHT AWAY.

Per his Chicago scorekeeper, MJ checked his stats “every time” he reported in, starting in his “first week.”

MJ wanted to be sure he was the focus in the newspaper the next day.

This seems awfully early to be worried about stats, no?

🤔

FAKE 90’S NARRATIVES EXPOSED 🧵

Sports Illustrated had an article in March 1997 about the Bulls Superteam and the rest of the NBA.

This article was littered with commentary about how GREAT the league was, right?

Nope.

Did MJ fans not read this in 97?

Some comments…



Here’s a reference to how there were no teams that could compete with the Superteam Bulls.

The commentary?

The Bulls were the same year over year, but the rest of the competition got WORSE.

Wait, wait…wasn’t this the greatest era EVER?

1990 GENERAL MANAGER SURVEY 🧵
They surveyed NBA General Managers in the NBA in late 1990, Michael Jordan’s 6th season.

I’m sure the great MJ did really well on this, right? These are the main talent evaluators!

Let’s look. 22 GMs voted.

1) IF YOU COULD ADD ANY PLAYER TO YOUR ROSTER, WHO WOULD YOU ADD?

I mean, everyone knew MJ was the greatest. He’d be #1 here in a landslide. No question. GOAT!!!

Except…
He wasn’t first.
And he wasn’t second.

He finished THIRD.

13%. 3 out of 22.

WTF?!?

Are GMs casuals?

MJ FINALS OPPONENTS CHOKING IN THE 4TH 🧵

People argue MJ “found a way to win.” Actually, his opponents found ways to LOSE.

These teams all choked when it mattered most. Stopped scoring. Always.

Here are the 4th QTRs for opponents in the last games of MJ’s Finals (+ 2 more). 1991 LAKERS
Game 5

With 4 minutes to go, the Lakers led 93-90.

While Paxson was downing 5 straight shots (not MJ), the Lakers had FOUR straight possessions with 0 points.

The Lakers had only 21 points in the 4th quarter (106 PPG during the season).

Here’s the first choke. 🤷‍♂️

LEBRON’S 2004 BRONZE🧵

The criticism of “LeBronze” for the 2004 Olympics is DUMB.

D-U-M-B.

1) Lebron didn’t play. He played 3 MINUTES in the semifinal loss.
2) Overall, he shot 19-32, 65% TS%
3) Brown was criticized for NOT playing him. Stern even called Brown over it

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The commentary at the time was all positive about his play, and positive about his WANTING to play.

His enthusiasm and energy wasn’t rewarded by Brown, who always hated young players.

Keep in mind that 7 of the original 9 players selected in July 2003 didn’t bother to show up.

LEBRON EXPECTATIONS: 39 YEAR OLDS IN PLAYOFFS 🧵

Lebron is going to be called a failure at some point in the playoffs for not playing at a “GOAT level.”

When, you know, he’s 39.

So how did other greats do at age 39 in the playoffs?

Here are some of the top players, ever. Kareem, 1986
Kareem averaged 31 MPG, and had an 18 GameScore.
26/6/3.

This was the BEST of everyone at age 39.

But…the 86 Lakers MISSED the Finals.

Why? Because Hakeem/Sampson WORE DOWN Kareem, on the boards, and on defense.

Playing a 39 year old center was an issue.

#OTD, 3/26/87
The Bulls lost to the 21-49 Nets, by 2.

MJ scored 40, but was 100% to blame:

NO FG’S in the last 7:30…shut down by RESERVE McKenna
Missed 2 FTAs with 1:05 left
AIR BALLED a buzzer beater
Had McKenna score 15 pts off him in 20 min (5-6 from 3, Nets record)

1/4



The team blamed its defense.

Note that the Nets beat writer called out that McKenna went off because MJ was “cheating” off his man and leaving McKenna alone to shoot 3s.

Nets HC: “Michael can’t poach as much.”

Jordan was less effective defending 3 pt shooters? 🤔

Also…

PHIL JACKSON MYTHOLOGY: NOT A “NOBODY” BEFORE MJ. 🧵

MJ fans argue MJ “made” Phil, that Phil was a “nobody” prior to the Bulls.

Not true.

All of the myths that follow have been argued on Twitter.

Phil didn’t cover some of this in his book… Phil’s coaching path:

79-81: Nets assistant
82-87: Albany HC, CBA
88-89: Bulls Staff

Plus summers in Puerto Rico.

Phil also played 12 yrs. Some veterans got HC gigs without ANY coaching experience (Kerr, Kidd, etc).

Phil played for Fitch in college and Holtzman in NY.

#OTD, 3/19/95
MJ returned from a 147 game paid vacation, and lost to the Pacers.

MJ was awful:
19 pts on 28 shots (!), 31% TS%
No FG until 8 min left in the 2nd
1-7 in the 4th
“Burned on defense often”
Missed 3 wide open 3s in OT
Cramped up

What’s the excuse THIS time?

1/4





Oh yeah, his paid vacation.

Funny, MJ fans swear he wasn’t ready to play yet vs ORL in the playoffs, after 21 games.

Reggie Miller thought it would take “a game or 2.”

Phil thought it would be 2 weeks.

Casuals. Did Reggie and Phil ever play? What do THEY know?

#OTD, 3/10/96
The Knicks beat the Bulls by 32, 104-72.

MJ scored 32, on 12-26 shooting, and had 7 TOVs.

At least MJ got rest, right? Sat in the 4th?

Nope.

He had 43 MP in a game decided by 32 points.

NO stat padding, right? Not worried about his MSG scoring average?

In truth, it’s hard to get data on this game, because Don Nelson had just been fired and the Knicks job was now open.

Every article was speculating that Phil and Jordan may go to the Knicks.

Phil said on NBC his negotiation had changed because a contender had an open job.

MJ AND HIS SCOREKEEPER 🧵

Michael Jordan won DPOY in 1988 with fishy defensive metrics at home, after a season where he was “ticked off” he didn’t get All Defense.

Did he get scorekeeper help? 🤔

If so…who WAS that guy?

And did MJ ever PAY that scorekeeper? (Hint: YES)



First, here’s the context of the 1988 season.

MJ was PISSED he didn’t get All Defensive team in 1987.

Blamed it on reputations.

Said to “check the stats” of Michael Cooper.

So MJ was:
1) PISSED
2) Focused on stats (steals, blocks)

Did he try to HELP himself in 1988? 🤔

#OTD, 2/26/87
MJ scored 58 vs the Nets, in a win by 15.

Among the highlights:
1) Seven of his 16 FGs were from cherry picking after MJ left his man, per Doug Collins

2) He got TWENTY SEVEN FTA’s, including SIXTEEN in the 1st half

(The Nets said you could “not touch” MJ)

1/2

3) He played 37 min and until 2:44 left in the 4th in a blowout. The Bulls led by 30 at the half, 19 entering the 4th. He scored 13 in the 4th.

4) MJ said HIMSELF he was aiming for the Bulls scoring record, which he got while up 110-93.

But MJ would never play for stats!

2/3

OTD, 2/24/03
MJ quit on his team, leaving a game with 6:27 to play after he missed a shot, missed a FTA and had a TOV in 3 minutes (losing a 1 pt lead).

He was 4-13 for 9 pts.

This was the last game MJ played until March 20th.

MJ fans lie about his injury and the details.

1/6

The narrative is:

1) MJ got hurt at 26-21
2) As a result of banging knees with Eton Thomas
3) In an isolated event
4) Which had an immediate impact
5) And ended MJ’s season

Except…MJ didn’t have new injury, didn’t “feel the effects” of the knee for 10 DAYS, and kept playing.

MICHAEL JORDAN IN DUNK CONTESTS: NOT A SINGLE LEGITIMATE WIN 🧵

Jordan competed in three Dunk Contests. He “won” two, but neither was what you’d call legitimate.

The mythology here is quite something. His 2 wins were fixed.

Take a look. In 1985, Jordan LOST his first Dunk Contest, to Wilkins.

Does anyone know this?

MJ barely made the Semifinals, when it was expanded to 5 players instead of 4.

In the Finals, Wilkins beat him on ALL THREE dunks. He won “in a breeze,” 147-136.

Shouldn’t this taint MJ’s legacy?

MJ: “I’D LOVE TO SEE LARRY BIRD AS A BULL”

MJ would never “team up” with great players, right? He wanted to “BEAT the best, not join them.”

So when the Celtics were looking at trading Bird in 1990…what did MJ say?

“We’ll take him.” 😳

He even offered to take a pay cut.

1/5





Here’s a more full-throated endorsement from MJ.

“I would love to see him on the Bulls. I would love to play beside him.”

Lobbying in the press for a Top 10 All Time player to join his team?

When MJ didn’t even have a single title yet?

MJ would never! 🤷‍♂️

COMPARING MJ AND LEBRON TEAMMATE PERFORMANCES IN FINALS BY BPM 🧵

This string takes MJ’s and Lebron’s teammates in Finals, showing the % of teammate minutes played at each BPM level (defined by Basketball Reference), weighted by MP.

MJ’s teammates clearly performed better. Let’s look at MJ’s teams.

He had GREAT support. 43% of his teammate minutes played were All Star level or better, through 6 series.

22% was Hall of Fame level.

Only 19% was replacement player level or worse.

HAND-CHECKING AND RULES CHANGES: WAY OVERRATED 🧵 (A LONG ONE)

90s fans constantly complain that the RULES CHANGES are the primary reason scoring is up, and that it’s much easier to score today.

The scoring increase is due to improved skill and strategy.

Let’s look. Before starting, there ARE things that make it easier to score.

The Eurostep is enforced differently
Offensive players try to initiate contact more today
Offensive flopping has increased

None of these are “rules changes.”

Also…none are more than a couple possessions a game.