Was Michael Jordan's Defense Overrated? Two Former Players Think So

Michael Jordan was known as one of the NBA's greatest defenders but Gilbert Arenas and Rasheed Wallace disagree

NBA great Michael Jordan has all the credentials that would place him among the greatest defenders of all-time. 

He made the All-Defensive Team nine times with the Chicago Bulls and was once named the league's Defensive Player of the Year (1988). Some say Jordan was feared as a defender the same way he was on offense. 

Years after his retirement, there are few saying his defensive prowess may have been overrated. Two former NBA players took Jordan to task last week. First, it was Rasheed Wallace. While speaking on a podcast, Wallace shut down the notion of Jordan being a strong defender. 

"Mike wasn’t all that good of a defender,” Wallace said in a recent interview. “I’ve seen this mother****** get his a** bust where he couldn’t stop a mother****** – against JR Rider, probably against Clyde Drexler, s*** don’t forget the early Joe Dumars. And I’m not saying that he didn’t play defense. I’m just saying that his defense wasn’t as high as most other cats at that time. I couldn’t put him on like 10 or 11 consecutive First Team All-Defense joints.”

That opened an opportunity for fellow podcaster Gilbert Arenas to chime in. After Wallace's claim, Arenas made a similar suggestion. He said Jordan's teammate Scottie Pippen was a much more solid defender. In Arenas' eyes, Jordan benefitted from the circumstances. 

"Sometimes we're judging people on the individual matchups where it's not the entire picture," Arenas said on his podcast. "When we're thinking about Michael Jordan, when there's a key stop to be made, he's making it. Snapping back on Karl Malone to get the steal to go win the game, making the block. He was the actual net guy. As an individual guard, Pippen was a better defender on the ball. But Michael Jordan's awareness on defense was great."

Jordan's greatness can never been questioned. He is often considered the greatest player in league history. His offense may have been his best defense but it's hard to argue with his talents and accomplishments. 

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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day NBA. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com