On 20-year anniversary of iconic shot, Jazz remind everyone 'MJ pushed off'
Michael Jordan took his final shot as a Chicago Bull on June 14, 1998.
It also happened to be one of the most iconic shots in NBA history.
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Jordan took a lingering 20-foot jump shot while down 86-85 in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, before calmly sinking what would turn out to be the game-winning score.
It was a fitting feather in the cap of the mid-’90s Bulls dynasty.
Jordan got to be the lone gunman, scoring a somewhat inefficient 45 points in the game. That still accounted for more than half of his team’s offensive output.
Dennis Rodman led the team with eight rebounds and fierce defense, notably getting under the skin of Jazz legend Karl Malone.
Scottie Pippen played the role of dutiful sidekick, filling up the stat sheet and tying for the team lead in assists with four.
Everyone did their respective jobs in Game 6, but people will always remember Jordan’s shot.
That includes the Utah Jazz and their fans, apparently.
When the NBA sought to commemorate the event, the Jazz echoed a sentiment many of Jordan’s detractors like to repeat.
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Amid the comments, the official Utah Jazz Instagram account replied to the post:
“MJ pushed off” has become something of a meme in recent years. Considering that Jordan’s fiercest critics don’t have too much material to work with, it’s not surprising.
In fairness, however, the critics may have a point on this one.
Watching Jordan create the space to get off an unfettered jumper, it’s hard to ignore the hand that Jordan placed on Bryon Russell’s hips on the apparent pushoff.
In real time, it doesn’t seem like Jordan’s push is significant. But things look much more egregious at anything less than normal speed.
Unfortunately for the Jazz faithful and Jordan’s haters, the history books will only show that Jordan made his final shot with the Bulls to claim his sixth title and Finals MVP honors in six Finals attempts.
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