Michael Jordan was known for a lot of things during his career. His Airness was just incredible, showing his athleticism every time he stepped on the court; his scoring ability was something great to watch but it seems like MJ had more attributes that people seem to ignore.
Scott Williams is one of the four lucky players that played with both Michael Jordan and LeBron James, so he knows very well how different or similar they are on the court.
Talking with HoopsHype, Williams talked about one attribute from Jordan that people often overlook, his speed. Williams explained that MJ was actually quicker than people remember, even comparing him with Allen Iverson, one of the most talented and quickest players in NBA history.
“I don’t think people realize how cat-quick he was. It almost left guys flat-footed or slow-footed. He just moved at a speed that was so much faster than anybody else. He was like Allen Iverson but six inches taller in the way that he could move that basketball and put it down one time so fast and then explode. It made people look at his cape from behind.”
Williams entered the league with the Chicago Bulls after going undrafted during his college years. He went to win three titles with the team before playing with more franchises around the league. He had plenty of stories to tell about MJ, including how the legend wouldn’t allow him to beat him in one-on-one games.
“He wanted to improve his low-post and back-to-basket game. We played a lot of 1-on-1 after practices. He would have someone throw the ball to him and he would catch it with a pivot foot on the block. He was working on trying to get around bigger, stronger players, knowing that he would have no problem with someone his size. He had to learn to shoot with a hand in his face. I never beat him in one of those one-on-one sessions.”
Classic MJ. He was one of the fiercest competitors in the NBA and now we know he used unique strategies to beat his opponents. Jordan was a threat, a problem for everybody who dared to guard him. However, most of the time we focus on his scoring ability without realizing, as Williams said, that he had more skills to offer.
