I'm guessing Michael had $5k on the game
With someone else
Bro had no chance
Which Michael?
Olowakandi
Kandi man
The ol' tommyhawk slammer
That got me lol
finley mustve really not cared to even try to win the game cause otherwise why would you even waste time with that against MJ lol
Still can’t remember seeing anyone else who seemed to just pause and float in the air the way Jordan did.
Plenty of other high fliers and talented finishers. Just no one else who seemed like they could jump, take a second to assess the situation, then finish in any of three or four different ways.
I think a big part of it, outside of a natural grace or whatever, is it's rare for someone of his size and jumping ability to have hands that size. His ability to totally control the ball allowed him a ton of freedom to do that where as others who could do the same had a much higher risk of losing control.
Maybe that’s why kawhi‘s game looks the closest to mj‘s. The only other player who came close to looking like mj was young derozan
Yeah, kawhi has the hand size but cant jump quite like that
Not just the jumping, the fluidity MJ had was also very unique especially pre 1st retirement. Kawhi is closer to the 96-98 version IMO.
The fluidity is what made Jordan so amazing to watch. Everything always looked unforced. All his movements meshed so well together.
Great point.
Not anymore
he couldn't jump like MJ at any point in his life, but also not anymore.
Naw ,not saying he couldnt jump but not like jordan
The only other player who came close to looking like mj
Also don't forget about Dr. J, who was Jordan before Jordan and had the hand size to match
VC.
What lol
Kobe looked way closer like imitation Mike than Demar or Kawhi. Even Ant looks closer to what MJ kind of looked like than those guys. Yes, Kawhi can palm a ball and Demar has a midrange game but both are very stiff players.
Wade - closest I've seen to young MJ. Kobe - prime MJ.
Yep he himself has stated that his huge hands were his secret. He can easily palm the ball and do whatever he wants with it.
I wonder if scouts take that into account?
Hand size not really a metric in the nba. Most players can palm the ball. In fact guys like Russel Wilson and Drew Bree’s can palm a basketball. You need 10 inch hands more or less.
Then There are a few outliers like Kawhi
In comparing to the NFL, where Kenny Mittens was well known to have small hands
I can palm the ball at 5’9 lol
He was smooth as hell in everything he did. Jumping including somehow.
Fwiw, to me, that smoothness is one of the biggest differentiators between Jordan’s and Kobe’s game. Kobe was a crazy shot maker, Jordan made it look easy.
Tmac was a smooth operator
Tmac probably one of the most naturally gifted athletes to ever play in that NBA
Just imagine him and his cousin agreed to stay on the same team? Vince was alright with being the second fiddle.
Vince at that point of his career was absolutely not alright with being the second fiddle. Homeboy was the second coming/neck and neck with Iverson for most popular player in the league in the early 2000s.
You are right. He was totally okay with taking a back seat when he sulked his way out of Toronto though
well he went to the Magic who had 5 time All NBA player Grant Hill on the team in the same off-season, he got hurt but 100% that was considered Grant Hill's team when they went to Magic, the whole "T-Mac wanted to be lead dog" is not an accurate narrative. T-Mac became the man in Orlando due to Hill's injuries.
Pride and Envy
I’m 26, so never got to see him play, but that is the number one thing I notice when I see his highlights. He so often pauses and then shoots/lays the ball up on his way down instead of at the apex like everyone else. It’s super satisfying to watch and is such a different rhythm than everyone else which I’m sure contributed to him being so hard to defend
Man, for real. Jordan was just different.
Clyde the Glide has highlights where he also kind of hovered. Not quite like Jordan but only example I could think of from similar era.
A few guys like D-Rose had his mid-air contortion but never the weightlessness
Lavine had the weightlessness, but not the contortion.
And doing it while looking like he's giving it about 60% effort
That’s why the “he’d be DeRozan in today’s game” moronic crap you hear is rubbish. His ability to hang/glide in the air is something I haven’t seen much of today despite the obvious athleticism a lot of players today have
Just look at his body control compared to Finley on that second reverse layup, it's night and day. Very easy to see who made it and who missed it before the ball even leaves each either hand
Dominique Wilkins is probably the closest to being able to replicate. IMO.
The definition of poetry in motion
Ja
You ever watch Paul Pierce play?
Jumping high and being high are two different skill sets
If the latter was a sport, UC Santa Cruz would be an NCAA powerhouse.
Better get coach Rasheed Wallace on it
The time to delete this was 9 hours ago
I think I'll stand by it. It may or may not be sarcasm.
Haven't seen this before. Thanks for posting. Love how MJ was still yapping to Finley even in a game of horse lol.
The Last Dance showed he talked shit to everyone, even that old security guard he was playing coin toss with. I think the guy is competitive in everything he does.
He straight up says he has “a competition problem.” Based on all available evidence, it seems like Jordan treats competition like an (untreated) alcoholic would treat a bottle of Jack.
To someone like 10 yrs younger than him lol
That off-hand jumper by MJ was too smooth
The chockiest swish, felt like the net was gonna break in half.
That sound is just music to my ears. The most perfect sound in the world is a wet net.
Seriously. Some people are just beyond athletic. So pure.. with his off hand.
Ben Simmons in shambles
In 1991, Finley's senior season, Proviso East won the 1991 IHSA class AA boys basketball tournament and Finley was named to the all-tournament team. Finley's teammates, known collectively as the "Three Amigos", included future NBA draftees Sherrell Ford and Donnie Boyce. In response to winning the state championship, Finley was invited to travel to Deerfield, Illinois, where he played against Michael Jordan in a game of H-O-R-S-E and a 1-on-1 game to three points. Jordan H-O-R-S-E and won the game of 1-on-1 three to one.
This is the 1v1 game. MJ took that first bucket personally lol.
"See you in about five years" lol
Yeah and in 5 years time MJ would be getting started on his 2nd three-peat 💀
Michael Finley’s first game against Jordan came in January 1996, so it was almost exactly five years later.
Jordan HATES losing, at anything. No matter what. :D
The difference between the layups after the left hand shot is just wild. MJ goes way higher with the pump fake and yet looked so much more smooth. Honestly a little surprised Michael let it count.
Jordan made it look easy
Man was just built different. Made everything look effortless.
It's crazy how smooth MJ is. He just makes everything look so effortless. It makes no sense.
Tommy Hawk Slammer is nasty work
Why would one of your HORSE shots be a standard one handed dunk vs Jordan?! lol
Because he's a kid and probably got nervous
That is like trotting out the ol tommyhawk slammer against prime bron
i can just hear MJ thinking "i do this shit over ewing and robinson"
Maybe he wasn't in it to win, but to enjoy the experience.
Spurs champion Michael Finley
Underrated. I was so happy when we got him, he was a spurs killer with the mavs.
Michael Finley got like 98% of his dunks off of two feet. Very powerful dunker
That Tomahawk dunk of Jordan JESUS LAWD HAVE MERCY
Tommyhawk slammer*
He was one of the five original players to be part of Team Jordan and endorse/wear Jordan shoes and apparel.
No pickup game beats MJ playing quarters v security guard
Michael Finley looking like Pinky from Friday
Still haven't seen a player that elegant and graceful as MJ.
NBA Live 04 - Commentator would say that Finley reminds him of another Michael..
Gravity applies to all of us equally. But it didn't seem that way for Michael Jordan. He got that 0.75 gravity enabled in the air. It's unreal.
Are his hands a big as Kawhi's? It always seems as if he could hold the ball with his thumb and middle finger only if he stood still.
Jordans hands are bigger
GOAT
The real smooth operator
Same mannerism and way of talking with antman.
MJ doesn't sound like a perk here.
that darn tootin perky MJ
Finley took a beer 🍺 out of Jordan's hands right after this 😆
Waiting for cartwheel dunk
Ant won't be beating allegations anytime soon
Jordan picking on teenagers to prove his prowess. His stans believe this somehow proves his greatness...lol
Weird comment.
Replays/alternate angles
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