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Former NBA and Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan, widely considered the greatest player of all time, broke many records during his illustrious career that spanned over a decade in the NBA.
Known more for his scoring because of his ability to put the ball in the hoop at will, Michael Jordan's defense is sometimes overlooked even though he was a former Defensive Player of the Year and is regarded as one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
Whether he was guarding the perimeter, defending the pick and roll or just locking down the opposition's best guard, Michael Jordan could do it all and that has earned him nine selections to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team. His ability to pick the pockets of opposing ball handlers led to him accumulating many steals throughout his career. With that said, here are the top 3 seasons where Michael Jordan averaged more than 2.5 steals.
#3. 1988/89 - 2.9 steals per game
During the 1988-89 NBA season, Michael Jordan averaged 32.5 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game while shooting the ball better than 53% from the field and 85% from the free throw line. MJ recorded 15 triple-doubles that season and 44 double-doubles.
Michael Jordan's best regular-season game, in terms of steals, came against the Boston Celtics. His Airness managed 9 steals along with 52 points on better than 54% shooting from the field. Truly remarkable numbers from MJ. In fact, Jordan had 16 games that season where he recorded at least five steals.
#2. 1986/87 - 2.9 steals per game
In the 1986-87 season, just his third year in the league, Michael Jordan averaged a whopping 37.1 points, 4.6 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 steals while shooting the ball better than 48% from the field and over 85% from the free throw line for the Chicago Bulls.
His best game of the season came in a four-point win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, as MJ had 43 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 8 steals on better than 55% shooting from the floor. MJ had 13 games in which he managed 5 or more steals during the regular season for the Bulls.
#1. 1987/88 - 3.2 steals per game
During the 1987-88 season for the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan averaged 35 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds along with 3.2 steals while shooting the ball better than 53% from the field and over 84% from the free throw line, en route to winning his first and only Defensive Player of the Year trophy.
MJ's best performance of the season, in terms of steals, came against the New Jersey Nets (Brooklyn Nets). His Airness recorded a whopping 10 steals on the night in a 27-point demolition of the Nets, along with 32 points on just 18 shots. MJ had 15 games during that season with five or more steals in a game.
Guess the Lakers players!
