100 Points? You Bet

Recently, Michael Jordan grabbed headlines by saying that if he were to play in the NBA today, under current league rules, he could score 100 points in a single game. Such an event has happened only once in the history of professional basketball. Wilt Chamberlain scored exactly 100 points in 1962. And Michael Jordan thinks he can do the same now.

And you know what? He can. He absolutely can. Why? Because he is Michael Freaking Jordan. Air Jordan. His Airness. Point guard, six foot six, from the University of North Carolina. Number 23. One of the NBA's Fifty Greatest Players. Also the NBA's greatest player of all time.

Now am I a little biased? Without a doubt. I grew up in Chicago and have been a lifelong Bulls fan. In fact, they won the NBA Championship six times in the first eight years I was alive. Even at three I knew Michael Jordan was spectacular. So forgive me if my opinion of Michael Jordan is a little biased.

Back to the question at hand. Can he score 100 points is he were playing with today's rules, in the prime of his career? Yes. One thousand percent yes. A bajillion percent yes. Again, why? Because he is Michael Jordan, who once scored 38 points with the flu during the NBA Finals. Who once scored 69 points in a playoff game with rules that were a lot less friendly than today. Who would do anything to win.

How exactly would he get 100 points? With today's rules, it is much easier to draw a foul when driving to the basket. No one was better at that Michael Jordan. So in one game he could easily draw 10-15 fouls. That is 20 to 30 free throws. With a career 83% free-throw line, he could grab 20 points alone from the averaged 25 free throws. Kobe Bryant only drew 10 fouls in his 81 point game a few years ago.

And what about the other 80 points? Lay-ups, dunks, jump shots, three-pointers. No one was better at hitting everything when they were in a zone than Michael Jordan. And if he were going up against one of the worst defensive teams in the league, he could easily get off 50-60 field goals, only needing to land 4 three-pointers and 33 two-pointers. Wilt Chamberlain hit 36 field goals while Kobe Bryant made 28.

So Jordan could certainly pull it off. 100 points? You bet.

Until next time, Orange Hat Guy