Thursday, October 14th, 2010 at 3:21 pm  |  231 responses

Michael Jordan: If I Played Today, I Could Have Scored 100

USA Today had a chance to ask Mike a few questions about NBA 2K11, which allows gamers to play as Michael Jordan in the ‘Jordan Challenges’ mode. Greatness commented on how he thinks the hand checking rule has made it easier for guards to score: “It’s less physical and the rules have changed, obviously. Based on these rules, if I had to play with my style of play, I’m pretty sure I would have fouled out or I would have been at the free throw line pretty often and I could have scored 100 points.”

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  • Justin

    What you guys should do is go to YouTube and type in Hoopsencyclopedia. Pick a game, because he has many and just watch in awe of what he could do. Then put him in today’s game.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    NBK
    Look at how many times Jordan exceeded 1,900 shot attempts in a season and then look at Kobe’s numbers. Even as leading men, it’s not that close. I checked this out the other day and was shocked.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Oh and NBK
    Aren’t you coming to a definitive answer as well?
    You’re saying it’s definitely possible. Scratch that, you’re saying it’s definitely probable.
    Jukai is saying it’s neither probable nor possible.
    Your both making definitive determinations.
    I told y’all from jump its dumb to expend this much energy on this topic. Yes, I know that’s why we come to SLAM, but for people to be calling each names and questioning their intelligence about something that is as hypothetical as this, man that’s a big much.

  • http://slamonline.com Kap

    No team would let anyone score 100. They would put all five guys on MJ and let others score. These guys do have dignity you know.

  • http://slamonline.com Kap

    I also read on HOOPSWORLD that is was believed that Wilts 100 was pre-conceived even before the game began because teammates passed up open shots to let Wilt score and even sacrificed winning the game to let him score 100. Kobe’s 81 was full of shots that only he would take and make.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    It is definitely possible. I never said probable no chance. Possible is not definitive wtf are you talking about? Impossible definitive / can’t happen. Possible – not definitive – it doesn’t imply probable either. And once again you don’t shoot an entire careers worth of shot attempts in a single game, Jordan took less shots to score more points then Kobe throughout his whole entire career. (meaning he shot at a higher % was more efficient and effective). Acting like dude couldn’t buy a 3 even though we all know he was a streak shooter is just grasping at bs. I understand it’s not likely he would even approach 81 let Alone 100 but it isnt impossible

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I think calling Jordan a “streaky” three pointer shooter is going a little too far.
    Jordan shoots threes like Wade shoots threes. Neither of them is on Kobe’s level.
    Yes both Wade and Jordan can get hot, but it rarely happens from 3.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Well considering we aren’t taking about averaging 100 or averaging anything. We know if he got hot he could light up a scoreboard even from 3. And we are hypothetically talking about his best possible game.

  • barnabusb

    MJ doubters need to go watch his Bulls play the Pistons in 88 and 89 playoffs. He got BEATEN DOWN but still couldn’t be denied most of the time. Watch a full me and you’ll see it was totally different back then.

  • http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5493184 Jackie Moon

    What’s funny is that IF Lebron and Kobe had played in different eras, some people would be here saying that “LEBRON WOULD HAVE SCORED 100 IF HE PLAYED AGAINST THE DEFENSES KOBE FACED”… Lebron Max Reg Season Pts, 56 … MJ Max Reg Season Pts, 69 … Kobe Max Reg Season Pts, 81 …

  • http://thephotoriot.com davidR

    guys, please check Kadavour’s comment at 4:16 am. that should explain why jordan getting 100 probably wouldnt happen

  • T-Money

    Jukai: You’re overstating MJ’s penchant for dribble-drives. In his second three peat he was basically posting up from midrange and shooting fade aways the whole game. That doesn’t require as much effort as driving to the hoop. / Chuckaz should be banned for saying that Mj wouldn’t average 25 today lol

  • http://stapledesign.com Spaceship Jay

    Lol Kap, I figured the same before Kobe’s 81. But I guess not.

  • slick ric

    @ david r, man gone wit that bs, he could got a 100.

  • Kadavour

    this comment section should be a study on nostalgia’s effect on logic. fun reading though

  • Jeffrhay

    Imma let MJ say this if he wants to, and let small minds argue apples and oranges trying to disprove it. Hes earned it.

  • http://slamonline.com/ Adam Figman

    i’m curious to see how this’ll break down after we tally up some votes: http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2010/10/polladaday-mjs-100/

  • http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5493184 Jackie Moon

    @Jeffrhay – MJ’s earned the right to make up claims about what he could do?

  • Jeffrhay

    @JM – It seems pretty moot at this point..

    As distinguished as he was during his career, I don’t see a point to arguing with his gut statement with cold hard statistics. (This is presupposing that he thought about what he said beforehand and didn’t just spout off..)

    I don’t see a reason for calling him out on it, and I don’t even see a definite means with which someone (except MAYBE his peers) could even do it!
    All this comparison of players/eras/rules can’t REALLY be the bottom line, considering MJ’s contribution to the game.

    I think it’s interesting that he said it, and because I can never know if it’s REALLY true or not, I can trust his gut instinct or some numbers on paper. (and yes I watched the HOF speech)

    1oftheGOAT > statistics.

    Why not?

  • http://www.facebook.com B-Moore

    I find it a little amusing how few people have commented on Jordan saying he would’ve fouled out or scored 100. Jordan could do anything he wanted. If He went out with a purely scoring mind frame. Greatest there ever was. Jordan gets it done.

  • Rols

    Jeez, Jordan is still full of himself. Christ. His HOF speech wa ridiculous and now this absurdity. I know his Cuban chick is fine but c’ moon she banged Enrique Iglesia’s baby brother. Jordan get over yourself. Its the money not the tongue. He never learned how to switch “it” off.

  • KB8toSG8

    @Justin…..it was one game when he got that 3 point shot hot. And also, the 3pt line was 2 feet closer. Don’t you think that’s easier??@nbk…..don’t you dare compare MJ and KB’s FG%. Mj never had a post player to accomodate into his game. KB had to solely operate from the perimeter for most of his career. MJ also drove more because he was a better athlete, had bigger hands and hence could finish better at the rim with contact. Basketball 101: The farther you go from the rim, the harder it is to score points. KB HAD to operate from the perimeter mostly to make the offense running during his time. MJ operated anywhere he liked since there wasn’t a dominant post player who clogged up the lane.

  • KB8toSG8

    @Justin….without any sort of offensive scheme going around, I can name a LOT of guys that could score 100 if they played on the suns. A LOT. Big O, Kobe, LeBron, West, Baylor, Gervin and a few more guys. Hell, if Kareem was motivated enough, he could abuse the sky hook repeatedly and get 100 as well! If you’re talking about Phil’s offense, he has no chance. Absolutely Zero.

  • The Philosopher

    ^Shout out to Magic Johnson.^

  • JoeMaMa

    Michael Jordan’s best scoring season came in 1987-88, when he averaged 37.1 ppg. During that time, the league scoring average was 109.9ppg, and the FG% was 48%. In the 1992-93 season, it was 105ppg and 47%. Last year, the league scoring average was 100.4ppg, and the FG% was 46%. So, during MJ’s best individual scoring year, when he went lights out, when defense was obviously lacking, when shooting %s across the board were better, he didn’t get 100. During the early 90s, that ‘tough’ brand of basketball (which I agree had less whistles, which cuts BOTH ways), the league still had more scoring than now, and better shooting %s across the board. Jordan was around for bad teams, too: the Nuggets of the mid/late 90s, the Heat/Twolves in the early going. The factors were in his favour. HE HAD HIS CHANCE. DIDNT HAPPEN. By the way, I’m an MJ fan. But I’m also sensible.

  • http://sdklff.com Jukai

    NBK: He scored more effectively because of his driving.
    And I’ll restate this once again, because apparently you’ve ignored me when I said it the first time: scoring 35 points in the first half is nothing. That’s 70 points. That’s 11 points less than Kobe. That’s 30 points less than the goal that needs to be achieved.
    And that’s considered one of Jordan’s greatest games.
    The Portland Trailblazers were perhaps the weakest defensive team Jordan faced in the Finals. Drexler could never guard Jordan well.
    T-Money: The majority of people here are saying prime Jordan, like 80s Jordan. The second three-peat Jordan was less athletic and I don’t believe he ever scored over 60 points in a game. Ironically, I think the second three-peat Jordan is more LIKELY to get nearer to 100.
    But it’s just not happening.

  • Justin

    @Jukai…Scoring 35 points in a half actually IS something because he sat out the first 6 1/2 minutes of the second quarter. I would say it’s considered one of his greatest HALFS because he barely played in the second half, only scoring 4 points and mostly looking to get the rest of the team involved because of the big lead they had. If that game had been remotely close, he stays in the game and he keeps scoring.
    @KB8…the 3 pt. line was not closer that year. It wasn’t moved closer until the start of the ’94 season (when MJ retired) and not moved back until the start of the ’97 season. The Portland game was in ’92.

  • kozouu

    OMG Kobe had to score 81 points because his team was trailing by 18-pts against the RAPTORS, wouldn’t that be embarassing? And his teammates that year was kinda crappy (Kwame Brown, Smush Parker), so he didn’t have anyone else to pass-to to score. If you swap that Kobe with 37.1 PPG MJ, MJ could score 100 if he has to. Who cares if Kobe did it with 7 threes and by going to the FT line, MJ could’ve done that too + by stealing the ball and fastbreaks dunks.

    Now, why couldn’t MJ score 100 before? Because he didn’t have to! He’s got Scottie Pippen to pass to, while Kobe’s got no-one else to pass to that year.

    Also in the 69 points game, MJ still managed to get 18 boards, 6 assists, 4 steals, only 2 turnovers, and probably got 5 fouls because he had to still play a hard defense. While in the 81 points game, Kobe only got 6 rebs, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 turnovers. So, if MJ didn’t have to grab that many rebounds (Grant only got 5 in that game, and Kobe had Odom and Kwame to grab 10 each to work for the boards) in that game, and dish more assists than Kobe, and had to foul more than Kobe to defense, MJ would probably got 100 instead of just 69. And MJ would easily reach 100 agaisnt that Raptors Kobe played against.

    So MJ is the G.O.A.T, but that doesn’t mean Kobe can’t be the best. They are two great players in the NBA, and each can do extraordinary things if they wanted to.

  • kozouu

    Also all of these comments would just make it easier for MJ to score 100 today.

    They said MJ isn’t deadly from the 3-pt line, what happened? 6 threes in one half vs Blazers ’92 Finals. MJ is only good at offense, what happened? He got named as NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in ’88 while still averaging 35 PPG. MJ is a ball-hog, really? what’s averaging 32.5 PPG and 8 APG then, or averaging 31 PPG and 11 APG in a Finals series vs Magic and the Lakers, and how did he beat the Pistons Bad Boys?

    So, if young MJ was still playing today and reading all these comments, it would just fire him up even more to score 100 points.

  • kozouu

    ^When it said ‘Magic’ there, I was referring to Magic Johnson, not the team. So please don’t get mixed up or confused :D

  • http://www.lakers.com CommissionerPalpatine

    BS.
    Hey MJ stick to your underwear commercials tool bag.

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