For all his legendary career, Michael Jordan wasn’t a 3-point marksman. His early years in basketball were defined by a versatile offensive arsenal. His disdain for the three wasn’t born out of inability. In fact, his long-range shooting wasn’t terrible — he was perfectly capable of draining the occasional three when necessary.
Yet, he believed it to be a distraction, a skill that threatened to overshadow the artistry of basketball. Looking back many years later, sense has been made of his dislike for long-range shooting.
Not a 3-point shooter
The 1990s saw the rise of 3-point shooting as an essential tool in the NBA, but MJ wasn’t swayed. In an era where shooters like Reggie Miller pushed the boundaries of long-range excellence, the Chicago Bulls star stayed true to his philosophy.
“My 3-point shooting is something that I don’t want to excel at because it takes away from all phases of my game,” Jordan said. “My game is a fake drive to the hole, penetrate, dish off, dunk, whatever. When you have that mentality, as I found out in the first game of making 3s, you don’t go to the hole as much.”
MJ wasn’t a terrible long-range shooter; he wasn’t the best, but he was not terrible. In Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals, No. 23 hit a career-high six 3-pointers in the first half. But instead of leaning into long-range shooting as a habit, he used it sparingly—he shot only 32.7 percent from beyond the arc in his career.
His game remained focused on slashing to the basket, creating opportunities for teammates, and, of course, his iconic mid-range jumpers. That shot — his bread and butter — culminated in one of the most memorable moments in NBA history. In Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, with the clock winding down, “His Airness” drilled a picture-perfect mid-range jumper over Utah’s Bryon Russell to secure his sixth championship and immortalize his Bulls legacy.
The modern game
Today, basketball looks like an entirely different game. The 3-point line has become the focal point of most offenses. Players like Stephen Curry and James Harden have revolutionized scoring, transforming the NBA into a long-range shooting showcase. But not everyone is thrilled with this evolution.
Critics argue that the over-reliance on 3-point shooting has made the game predictable. For every breathtaking highlight of a deep 3-point shot, there are long stretches where players simply stand beyond the arc, waiting for an open shot.
Viewership ratings have reflected some of this dissatisfaction, with fans lamenting the loss of variety and physicality that defined earlier eras. Mike’s decades-old warning about the risks of focusing too much on 3-point shooting has become eerily prophetic.
“You go to the 3-point line, and you start sitting there waiting for someone to find you,” said the Hall of Famer. “That’s not my mentality. I don’t want to create that because it takes away from other parts of my game.”
For the six-time champion, basketball was about balance and adaptability. His game had a balance, with each skill complementing the others. He could dunk over a seven-footer, bait a defender with a pump fake, or deliver a no-look pass to a cutting teammate. These elements made him unstoppable — and they were all made possible because he refused to limit himself to a single dimension.