NOSEBLEED SPORTS MEDIA
MJ Mondays
NO DEBATE. JUST RECEIPTS.
VOL. 1, NO. 25 · AUGUST 17, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
HE WANTED THE BALL WHEN THE GAME WAS ON THE LINE. EVERY TIME. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Clutch Shots In Jordan's Career — Verified Game-
Winners
CLV UTA NYK
THE SHOT (1989) THE LAST SHOT (1998) '95 COMEBACK (MSG)
Jordan's career is defined by moments when the game was on the line and he demanded the ball. 'The
Shot' over Craig Ehlo in 1989 — a mid-range jumper at the buzzer to win the first-round series against
Cleveland. 'The Last Shot' in 1998 — the jumper over Bryon Russell that clinched the 6th championship. In
between: hundreds of moments where Jordan took the final shot because nobody else on the floor
wanted it as much as he did. The common thread isn't that he always made them. It's that he always took
them.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
Chicago Bulls vs Phoenix Suns 1989-01-21
14 8 20/28 L
POINTS REBOUNDS ASSISTS FG RESULT
THE MOST COMPLETE GAME HE EVER LOST
January 21, 1989. Jordan put up 53 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists against Phoenix — a near-triple-
double at 53 points. The Bulls lost. But the statistical line is one of the most complete in NBA history: elite
scoring + double-digit rebounds + near-double-digit assists from a shooting guard. When Jordan was in this
mode — scoring, rebounding, passing at elite levels simultaneously — there was no historical precedent for
the performance.
MJ VS TODAY 03
Who Is The Most Clutch Player In NBA History?
MICHAEL JORDAN OTHER CANDIDATES
THE SHOT KOBE BRYANT
1989 — series-winner Multiple game-winners
THE LAST SHOT VS LEBRON JAMES
1998 — Finals-winner 2016 Finals comeback
FLU GAME JERRY WEST
Go-ahead three while sick Mr. Clutch nickname
The data on clutch shooting is complicated — Jordan missed big shots too. But the perception is
overwhelming: when the game was on the line, Jordan wanted the ball more than anyone in NBA history. The
willingness to take the shot — to accept the responsibility and the consequences — is the clutch gene. Jordan
had it more than anyone.
Most clutch player in NBA history?
MICHAEL JORDAN KOBE BRYANT LEBRON JAMES JERRY WEST
THE COLDEST MJ MOMENT 04
THE SHOT — 1989
Craig Ehlo Knew It Was Coming. He Couldn't
Stop It.
The 1989 first-round series between the Bulls and Cavaliers came down to the final
possession. Everyone in the building knew Jordan was getting the ball. Everyone in the
building knew he was going to shoot it. Craig Ehlo — a solid defender — played Jordan as
well as anyone could. Jordan hung in the air, released the jumper over Ehlo's outstretched
hand, and hit the game-winner. Ehlo collapsed to the floor. Jordan pumped his fist. The
moment crystallized something: knowing what Jordan was going to do and stopping him
from doing it were two entirely different things.
I always wanted the last shot. If I miss, I can live with it. I can't live with not
taking it.
— MICHAEL JORDAN
THE MJ STAT VAULT 05
CAREER GAME-WINNING BUZZER-BEATERS POINTS — JAN 21, 1989 VS PHOENIX
25 (ESTIMATED) 53 53 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists. One of
The exact number is debated. What's not the most complete games in NBA history.
debated: nobody has more in NBA history. They lost.
SECONDS REMAINING ON 'THE SHOT' — SECONDS REMAINING WHEN HE STOLE
1989 VS CLEVELAND FROM MALONE — 1998 FINALS
Inbounded with 3 seconds. Caught, The steal preceded The Last Shot. The
dribbled, elevated over Ehlo. Hit the two plays together are the most famous
jumper at the buzzer. sequence in NBA history.
0 TIMES JORDAN DECLINED THE LAST SHOT
He missed some. He took all of them. The mentality is the stat.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Clyde Drexler
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS / HOUSTON ROCKETS · 1983–1998
22.1 PPG · 6.1 RPG · 5.6 APG CAREER AVERAGE · 1 CHAMPIONSHIP
The Player Most Compared To Jordan — Who Jordan Used As Fuel
Clyde Drexler was widely considered Jordan's equal in the early 1990s — same explosiveness, same
scoring range, same athletic gifts. Then Jordan met him in the 1992 Finals and put up The Shrug, making 6
three-pointers in a half to settle the debate permanently. Drexler went on to win a championship with
Hakeem in Houston in 1995 — while Jordan was playing baseball. His career is legitimately great. But the
1992 Finals comparison permanently defined him as the lesser version.
The Jordan Connection: Jordan used the 'Drexler is better than Jordan' media narrative as fuel for the 1992
Finals. The Shrug was partly directed at the media who had elevated the comparison. Jordan ended the debate
in the first half of Game 1.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
MJ MONDAYS The Jordan Era · 1984–2003
Every Monday. No exceptions.