When discussing Michael Jordan 's legendary exploits, his offense first comes to mind. A beautiful blend of graceful, acrobatic shots and ruthless, powerful dunks made him one of the most explosive scorers in NBA history. However, MJ was also about putting work in on the defensive end of the floor, recognizing that the less-glamorous part of basketball was just as crucial to winning games.
One of the most memorable examples of Jordan's defensive prowess came on March 4, 1987, when he and his Chicago Bulls faced off against their bitter rivals, the Detroit Pistons. In a high-scoring game that saw Jordan drop an incredible 61 points, it was not his offensive outburst that stood out to him as his favorite aspect of the game. Instead, he remembered his performance on the defensive end most.
"A victory for the defense"
As was usually the case when the Bulls and Pistons met, it was a contentious and hard-fought affair. The Bulls battled back in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. The Pistons' high-scoring forward Adrian Dantley had it going on in that game, scoring 32 points on an efficient 13-of-20 shooting clip, including an immaculate 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
With the game hanging in the balance in overtime, Bulls coach Doug Collins switched his defensive assignments, putting "Air Jordan" on the six-time All-Star to try and slow his roll. To nobody's surprise, the ploy worked as Chicago picked up a 125-120 road win.
Afterward, Jordan was beaming about his performance, but not because he scored 61. His defensive performance in the game's crucial moments was the deciding factor, adding an extra layer to his impressive showing.
"Because we won. And because I switched onto Adrian Dantley in the last few minutes, stole the ball three times and held him without a basket. A victory for defense," MJ proudly said .
Left off the All-Defensive teams that season
In addition to scoring 61 points in that game, "His Airness" added seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and three blocks. Despite his tremendous defensive efforts, Jordan was curiously not on any of the league's All-Defensive teams that season, even though he averaged 2.9 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.
In fact, MJ proclaimed he would have loved to be on the All-Defense team that season rather than garner All-NBA honors.
"I'd rather make all-defense than all-NBA," Mike said after he became the first player in league history to register more than 200 steals and 100 blocks. The Defensive Player of the Year award that season, however, went to the Los Angeles Lakers' Michael Cooper, who finished the campaign with only 78 steals and 43 blocks.
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