Kenny Smith once dismantled Michael Jordan's "can't go left" myth with parallels to the legendary rockstar Prince

NBA: 1998 NBA Finals - Source: Imagn
Kenny Smith once dismantled Michael Jordan's "can't go left" myth with parallels to the legendary rockstar Prince (Source: Imagn)

Michael Jordan is arguably one of the greatest to ever step on a basketball court. The Chicago Bulls legend is widely regarded as the GOAT of the NBA. However, there's also a widely known notion about Jordan's weakness.

It was said that Jordan couldn't go left and that the only way to stop him was to make him go left. However, Jordan's former NBA rival Kenny Smith once dismantled that thought on a podcast.

On the 20th episode of the "Come and Talk 2 Me" podcast with Mark Jackson released on April 12, 2024, Smith was asked about his opinion on the "Jordan can't go left" myth. The former NBA champion gave a detailed explanation, comparing MJ to the rockstar Prince while rebuffing the myth.

"That's like saying, can Prince play the guitar?" Smith said. "Jordan was the most complete basketball player that ever lived. Complete, like Kareem was just as effective, LeBron at times could be just as effective but the most complete basketball player that ever lived is Michael Jordan."

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Smith's comparison of MJ to the rockstar Prince was an analogy the former NBA player used to define his Airness' mastery on the basketball court.

"His ability to do every aspect of basketball at the highest level and I think that came from going to college," he added.

Mark Jackson also added his perspective in between Smith's statements. He said that MJ starting at the college level helped him perfect himself and by the time he debuted in the NBA, he had no weakness.

Kenny Smith credits college basketball for Michael Jordan's greatness

During the podcast, Smith hailed MJ as the greatest player ever. He said that the best coaches in basketball are at the collegiate level and they practice different patterns of offensive and defensive tactics, while the NBA focuses more on man-to-man defensive and offensive tactics.

He made a quick comparison of Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and stated a differentiating factor backing his Airness.

"What's different between even the great Kobe Bryant and great LeBron James is that he was still the most fundamental basketball player," Smith said. "Like LeBron's IQ is crazy, but the most fundamental, when you watch LeBron you don't say he is the most fundamental."

Smith ended his speech by crediting the three years MJ spent playing in college for making him the most fundamental basketball player that set him apart from everyone else.

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Edited by Krutik Jain
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