Home

NBA

Michael Jordan’s One Advice Destroyed NBA Veteran’s Misconception: “Scored 50 on the Memphis…”

Published 03/07/2024, 1:14 AM EST

Follow Us

via Getty

Michael Jordan is not only a legendary player but a brilliant analyst as well. Ex-Dallas Mavericks star Jamal Mashburn has revealed how good of an observer the 6x NBA champion was. He confessed to Jordan’s knowledge of the game being superior to what he had first thought. He also recollected the time he played against Mike in his last All-Star Game in 2003. The 51-year-old remembers His Airness going through almost all the All-Star players, chatting about their weaknesses and strengths from the top of his head.

Mashburn was the guest on the latest episode of ‘The Old Man and the Three‘, where he revealed, “I sat there and I was like, I thought I knew a lot about basketball, but he’s on a different level from how he looks at it, scouts it, observes it.” He also talked about the 6x NBA champion’s advice to him that led to him scoring 50 points against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jamal mentioned how he received insights on his game from Jordan after a one-on-one session. “He was able to break down my game analytically,” Jamal stated. The ex-Mavericks star recalled how Jordan told him about his habit of going left 80% of the time and pulling up with the right hand. Mike told Mashburn to go right two or three times in the game, as the ex-Mavericks star claims.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

According to Mashburn, Mike’s reasoning behind the suggestion was that if Jamal would go right two or three times in the game and make a pull-up jump shot or right-hand layup, he would be balancing out his game and keeping the defense off balance. “I implemented that. Scored 50 on the Memphis just by turning the other way,” he stated.

But how did Mashburn put MJ’s words into action?

A closer look into Michael Jordan’s impact on Jamal: The 50-point game

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The game Jamal played in 2003 for the New Orleans Hornets against the Memphis Grizzlies will forever remain imprinted in his memory. This was the first game since 1994 in which Mashburn scored 50 points against a team. His previous 50 points came against the Chicago Bulls when he was playing for the Dallas Mavericks.

‘That Man Never Got Tired’: Jamal Mashburn Reveals How Michael Jordan Made Him Wary of The NBA Lifestyle

His second 50 coming after an 8-year gap shows the impact Michael Jordan’s advice had on Jamal against the Grizzlies. He also recorded 5 rebounds, and 5 assists during that game, with a field goal percentage of 51.5%. This explains Jamal expressing his admiration for the Bulls legend on multiple occasions.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

What are your thoughts on Mashburn’s story? Let us know in the comments below.

Michael Jordan ‘Hit’ NBA Veteran, Weeks After ‘Embarrassing’ Encounter Left Him Restless

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Khelendra Kumar Yadav

286Articles

One take at a time

Khelendra is an NBA writer at Essentially Sports, where he brings insightful analysis and engaging content to basketball enthusiasts worldwide. With a passion for the game cultivated from his own experiences as a basketball player, he has represented his school team in numerous tournaments, honing both skills and an intimate understanding of the sport. Khelendra holds a PG Diploma in Digital Media from a reputed university, providing him with a solid foundation in multimedia storytelling and digital content creation.
Show More>

Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth