What Position Did Michael Jordan Play Throughout His Career?

Michael Jordan is the GOAT, the symbol of the whole basketball game. His powerful dunks are the things that leave his mark in the hearts of fans. However, not everyone knows that he has played in many positions other than shooting guard throughout his career.

So, What position did Michael Jordan play during his career? Let’s find out more about him with Scott Fujita in this article.

What Position Did Michael Jordan Play In Basketball During His Career?

The legendary basketball player Michael Jordan shone as a shooting guard during his prime. In addition, he also competed in two other positions, small forward and point guard. While not as impressive as the former position, they still show Michael Jordan’s versatility in basketball.

Jordan played as a shooting guard in Chicago Bulls and became a legend

1. Shooting Guard (SG)

In College

Along with the shooting guard position, Michael Jordan had a promising college career. As a freshman, he won the ACC Freshman of the Year award.

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While playing on the team under coach Dean Smith, Michael Jordan played as a shooting guard. His stats at the time were outstanding, with an average of 13.4 ppg on 53.4% ​​shooting (field goal percentage).

In the 1982 NCAA Championship game, he made a decisive jump against rival team Georgetown. The head of this team was Patrick Ewing, who later became an opponent of his in the NBA. This shot was for Jordan as a significant turning point in his career.

For the next three seasons, he continued to play at Tar Heels. His performance continued to soar with 17.7 ppg on 54.0% shoot and added a 5.0 RPG.

Because of that excellent performance, many people paid attention to Michael Jordan. He continued to be in the NCAA All-American Team of the Year. What’s more impressive is that he was in this squad two years in a row (1983-1984).

1984 was also a memorable year in his career. He won the Wood College Naismith and Player of the Year award. Not long after that, Michael Jordan played in the NBA.

In NBA League

Shooting guard is Michael Jordan’s main position. The time he held this position at the Chicago Bulls was his heyday. With it, Michael Jordan entered the legendary temple of basketball players.

The shooting guard position is the most explosive and unexpected position in a match. For an enthusiastic player like Jordan, this is a perfect position. The extraordinary physical strength of “His Airness” brought him to the top at this position.

First and foremost, Michael Jordan is definitely a deadly shooter. He is the example for the shooting guard must do – to score points.

The average number of 30.12 points in a match until now is still a ridiculously high number. It is not easy to keep up with this achievement of Jordan. That’s also why the Chicago Bulls have had impressive seasons when owning Michael Jordan.

Additionally, his teammate Scottie Pippen is also an excellent small forward position player. Thanks to the smooth coordination of Jordan and Pippen, the scoring phase became more intense and powerful than ever.

Michael Jordan also presents himself as the king of creation. With an average of five assists per game. That demonstrates Jordan’s flexibility and tactical expansion. All the more showing him as a monster on the football field.

One of Jordan’s historic scoring hits came in the 1989 season. Here he hit that shot on Craig Elho in a dramatic victory between the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

2. Small Forward (SF)

Jordan played as a small forward for Washington Wizards after his short retirement.

After parting ways with the Chicago Bulls after the 1996-98 seasons, Michael Jordan made his comeback as small forward in 2001. This time, he played for the Washington Wizards.

Despite having a break as well as advanced age, it seems that Michael Jordan still does not want to stop. Of course, he no longer has the stamina and strength of his body like when he was still a young man. So the small forward position is a very suitable choice for him.

However, at nearly 40 years old, he has averaged 21 points a game and more than rebounds in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. 

All picked him for the all-star game in both of those seasons. After two years with the Wizards, he will retire once again. This time’s for real.

Jordan’s performance in the mid-range proved the coach’s decision to be completely correct. MJ is already an incredible mid-range shooter. The small striker position allows him more freedom to take those shots. His results are superb considering his age, new position, multiple injuries and a long time out.

3. Point Guard (PG)

As a point guard, he had the memorable triple-double shot.

Although many people may not know about it, Michael Jordan actually played point guard. The height standard for a point guard player at that time was around 6’1. The height of Michael Jordan is 6’6. With such a height, many people will wonder how he can play in that position.

The reason is simply because of the decline in the performance of Sam Vincent, the former point guard of the Bulls. At that time, the team was also under a lot of pressure in the tournament. That’s when coach Doug Collins had to make an important decision. It’s hard to believe because it was one of the best decisions this coach made.

Mike participated in the last 24 games of the season as a point guard and averaged 30.4 points, 10.7 assists, 9.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. This player also scored 12 triple-doubles. To be more precise, Jordan has scored twice in the last 11 matches.

While these stats are impressive, NBA fans barely recall Jordan’s journey at point guard.

However, his versatility and dedication also show why he is a living legend. In every position that Jordan took, he fought with all his might and left an unforgettable mark.

Final Thoughts

Along with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, Michael Jordan is the GOAT of basketball. His contribution during the 15 seasons with Windy City is undeniable.

Yet, we will have to admit that Jordan did not change positions too much during his career. Starting as a shooting guard, he proved that he was born to be in this position. Other positions such as small forward or point guard were to add to his career.

After this article, if someone asks you: “What positions did Michael Jordan play?” or “what position does Michael Jordan play” don’t fear the question. Feel free to answer Michael Jordan position with all the knowledge you already know!