What Position Made Michael Jordan Famous?

NBA game position is one of the chief elements that took Michael Jordan to stardom. He played in multiple positions throughout his basketball career especially in the NBA and excelled in all of them.

Like many basketball enthusiasts who witnessed him play firsthand during his heyday will tell you; he was a rare kind of player. His skills and passion, as shown both on and off the court, were phenomenal.

Michael Jordan is probably the greatest basketball player ever to have existed. This is the man who singlehandedly redefined the proverbial NBA superstar, putting a fancier and ferocious face to it.

He had a unique blend of essential soundness, power, grace, speed, evidently long-term ability, artistry, and an unquenchable competitive desire.

Michael was the real deal, featuring vibrant skills on the court. Similarly, his unique sense of style amazed everyone who could notice it.

It did not matter where Michael was put on the court since he could dominate on the court regardless. However, the position that he is most famous for is the shooting guard. Likewise, he revolutionized the center position’s place on the NBA ballot.

Switching positions

The initial 50 years of NBA history saw the center position as the most important of all the other positions in basketball. Then Michal Jordan came along and all these changed.

Related: Bill Russell NBA Rings: A Legacy Of Greatness

He electrified the league and brought unprecedented attention to the NBA, with a consequential explosion of TV ratings. In fact, the four highest-rated NBA final in the history of the league featured Michal Jordan’s Bulls. It shows how much influence he had on the court.

The highest-rated final of all time took place in 1998, and Jordan was on fire in it.

Whether he was on guard or forward, he always had a way to turn his game up. Any basketball expert would tell you that versatility is a crucial element in star basketball players.

Most reputable players attained stardom out of being able to play several positions. Over the years, many other players have shown incredible ability to switch positions with so much ease, but Jordan still stands out as the best out of all such great talents.

Characteristics

He showed vast talent, commitment, humility amid stardom, and one of the greatest basket IQ ever. Also, the fact that he could switch positions and excel in every one of them on the court at a time (when not so many players could do it) makes him unique.

It is amazing how most of Michal Jordan’s abilities and achievements in the NBA have not been rivalled even by the contemporary stars, many years after his final retirement.

Jordan was an all-rounded player who could switch positions and still excel in them. When he played, you could easily tell that he belonged, regardless of the position he was playing.

All in all, his talent always came out naturally with relentless energy and skills.

Find out what position among the three Michael Jordan became famous of.

Shooting Guard

Shooting guard is the most explosive and athletic position in basketball. This is the main position Michael Jordan had. He shone brighter in it than any other position he ever played.

He played most often as a shooting guard throughout his career in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. It has been argued that playing this particular position is acknowledgeable for part of the player’s successful career.

Michael himself is a highly explosive and athletic player; this position was the perfect fit for him. He just fit right in it from the start. Therefore, his success while playing this position was inevitable.

It was his natural position – a spot that helped him known as the overall best basketball player the world has ever had so far. What makes this situation even more enticing is the fact that Jordan, as the most excellent shooting guard ever in the history of basketball, was not always a shooting guard.

Small Forward

After the 1997-1998 season, Jordan retired. He stayed at home or out of the league until 2001, then he returned. This time, he was with the Washington Wizards.

Related: 16 Best NBA Records You Should Know If You’re A Real NBA Fan

Even though he had lost part of his previous evident energy level and explosiveness, Jordan was still great on the court. So he switched to a small forward position.

This was the highest likely position he could take considering his new declined ability as a basketball player. The small forward position would give him extra options on the wing to apply his somehow faded skills.

Michael Jordan did well at this position, though it was apparent that his jump shots were much more of mid-range level, driving to the bucket at a much lesser percentage. However, as Jordan continued to play in this position, he begun to adapt well to it and even started to shine even though not as much as he did during his peak, before retirement

For the two seasons that he played with the Wizards, the superstar still managed to average over 20 points per game. This is an impressive performance for an ageing star being out of the league for about three years.

Jordan came back to play in the world’s most competitive basketball leagues at 38 years after nearly three years’ vacation, yet, still being able to achieve so much is unprecedented.

The numbers might have been lower when he played for the Wizards as a small forward than when he played for the Bulls as a shooting guard, but he was still one of the best players in the league on the comeback.

Point Guard

Not many people know that Michael Jordan ever played the point guard position. It is the least known among the positions of Michael Jordan. Towards the end of the season in 1989, he played this position for the Chicago Bulls.

Even though this position did not fit him well, especially if you considering that he was way taller than the required height for this position, he still made it work.

He had a monster height of 6’6 and surpassed the general required height of less than 6’1 for the point guard position, but again, he blended in. That was one of the greatest qualities of Michael. He could make almost anything work on the court even when it seemed impossible.

Michael Jordan still achieved so much on the court while playing this position. For instance, Jordan had a triple-double in ten of the last eleven games of the season that ended in 1989.

He completely dominated the competition while playing point guard and even made one of the greatest runs of his entire career. This proves more how much he is a wizard at this game. There is no limit to what he can achieve on the court regardless of the position.

Retirement

Jordan first retired when he was in his prime, which is why a comeback with the Wizards was easy for him. When Michael retired, the NBA had to find a replacement.

It was apparent that the game would suffer a detrimental blow from his retirement. They had to find another start to help them market the league the way Jordan did. However, every player they found fell short of the task. It seems like Jordan’s shoe was too big for them to fit in.

NBA had to change the rules to make it easier for the other players to emulate what Michael Jordan did on the court and for the game. As a player in the NBA, he also spearheaded the globalization of the game of basketball and the NBA itself.

When he finally retired for the last time after a busy 2002-2003 season, Michael had made history and set lots of records on the court. Besides the awards and the many titles that he won throughout his career, what he achieved on the court remains the most phenomenal part of his career.

Related: Is Zaire Blessing Dwyane Wade Following His Dad’s Footsteps?

Achievements

Michael Jordan’s accomplishments represent how much he dedicated himself to his career. His achievements are a clear indication that his skills, talent, personal dedication paid off.

Some of his achievement are summarized as follows; 

1. Won Rookie of the year
2. Became NBA MVP 5 times, and NBA champion six times.
3. Appeared in all NBA first team ten times
4. Became NBA Finals MVP 6 times
5. Featured in NBA all-defensive first team nine times
6. Took part in NBA All-Star 14 times
7. Became an NBA All-Star MVP 3 times
8. Featured in the 50th Anniversary All-time Team
9. Became a defensive player of the year.

Conclusion

Considering all the positions that Michael Jordan played on the court, he still stands out as the most talented basketball player of all time. Many players have tried to emulate his style, but they have all fell short. That is not to say that there are no great talents in the game.

Judging by his extraordinary talent as a basketballer, many people have argued that he could play any position and still bring the best out of each. Maybe they are right. But what we know is that he played three positions in the NBA, as we have seen and confirmed.

Related: Who Is Luka Doncic And What Did He Contribute To Dallas Mavericks?

Therefore, up to now, we know that shooting guard was the greatest position Michael Jordan had that produced the best out of him.