Michael Jordan’s athleticism was off the charts. At any moment, MJ could take to the skies to either dunk the ball or lay it up into the hoop. This is why one of the nicknames he got branded with was ‘His Airness’, and his signature shoes were called ‘Air Jordan’. Perhaps no one could match Jordan’s proficiency in the air.
Jordan would take any and every opportunity to show off his athleticism, including a charity game. In the 1988 Push-Excel charity game, Jordan complied with the name of the event, as he pushed the pace and excelled in the air with a solid combination of layups, dunks, and alley-oops.
His performance allowed him to win the game’s MVP, as he put up 44 points during his showcase. 1988 was truly one of Michael Jordan’s best years. He won the NBA’s MVP and Defensive Player Of The Year award that season, becoming the only player in NBA history to win DPOY while averaging more than 35 points per game.
Jordan was driven beyond belief and would do anything and everything in his power to make sure that he would play at the highest level possible and get his team the victory. This is what separated MJ from all the players before him, and those who have come after him.
While his skills on the court were elite, it was his mentality that was unmatched. Kobe Bryant is perhaps the only player to come close to MJ in that respect. And that is why Kobe is considered the closest player to MJ in terms of skill, achievements, and mentality.
Jordan went undefeated in each of the 6 NBA Finals during his career, and only lost 1 playoff series between 1991 to 1996. MJ would go on to have arguably the greatest career in the history of the NBA. He’d win 6 NBA championships in the 1990s, including 2 three-peats.
