Breaking Down “His Airness”: Michael Jordan’s Scoring Skills Workout

It would be complete basketball blasphemy for The Locker Room to not wish the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, a happy 50th birthday with a post on what made him so great and how modern day players can add his scoring abilities to their skill set.

The Michael Jordan Scoring Skills Workout is built on how “His Airness” became third all-time in total points scored in NBA history. Jordan was a spectacular player whose unbelievable moments and highlights were all created from his mastery of the fundamentals. Nobody has been able to mesh elite athleticism and unlimited skill level like Jordan did.

His 40+ inch vertical allowed him to hang, double clutch, jump over defenders all in an effort to get his perfect jumpshot off anytime he wanted. His mobility, flexibility and body control not only helped him contort his body in mid-air and get low to the ground, but gave him the ability to play in his 40s. His soft touch and ball control (stemming from unusually large hands) combined with his explosive and powerful pivoting let him fake defenders out of their shoes.  He decelerated, then accelerated, then decelerated again all with perfect foot placement every time, leaving the defender one step behind and on their heels the entire time. He had a laser like focus on the rim no matter how many hands, how many bodies he encountered on his way to the rim exhibited in his ability to finish with the utmost creativity. When you look behind the jaw dropping finishes, you realize that Jordan mastered every combination of one dribble, two dribble scoring moves, owning the midrange.

LeBron James Finishing Ability: The In and Out Dribble – Eurostep Combo

Being able to finish around the basket in various ways is one of the most important skills to have as a basketball player. The Eurostep, made popular by Manu Ginobli and Dwayne Wade, is a new and rather unorthodox way of finishing a drive in the paint. During Game 3 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James executed the Eurostep perfectly, finishing a key fast break with an AND 1 layup. The reason why LeBron James’ Eurostep worked so well was the way he preceded the move with a quick and decisive in and out dribble.

NBA Signature Moves – Chris Paul Pick and Roll Move

At The “Locker Room” we are students of the game. We watch games intently always trying to learn soemthing new that can be added to our own games or we can teach someone else to add to theirs. In this new feature on the blog, we will look at some of the signature moves used by the best NBA Players in hopes that we can one day mimic their greatness.

Chris Paul, AKA CP3, is up there with Steve Nash and John Stockton as one of the greatest pick and roll decision makers of all time. Paul uses the PNR game so much he has developed his own signature move. His signature PNR move simply causes defenses to become disorganized. Paul uses his body to take an angle that leaves his defender out of the picture and his screener’s defender at his mercy.