15 - Richard Hsia: An Athlete's Worst

 

An Athlete's Worst 

"The mark of a great athlete is not how good they are at their best, but how good they are at their worst."

    Unfortunately this quote is wrong.

    Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players ever, and has ascended so high into sports greatness to be considered one of the greatest athletes ever, regardless of the sport. It's been about 20 years since he stopped playing basketball, and this narrative still stands and is proof that his greatness will always outweigh his worst. 

    Many desperate Jordan haters will try to point to his years with the Washington Wizards towards the end of his career, where he was old and washed up. He was far from the player he used to be, and of course, didn't play like the elite player we remember him as. Many agree, however, that these years 'don't count' and really have no impact on his legacy. 

    Let's dismiss that, though. The worst Jordan played in his prime was in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997. He missed all 11 shots attempted in the first half and missed 14 shots before making his first shot in this particular game. If you are not a basketball fan, take it from me that this is awful shooting, regardless of the player, and he holds the 2nd place spot for most shots attempted in a half without a made shot in a playoff game, ever. He ended the game with an awful shooting percentage and choked in an important playoff game. 

    But this is almost never, ever mentioned or taken seriously when someone tries to argue against Jordan's legacy. Nobody remembers his worst, because his best completely outweighs it. People only remember that he won that series in the end. They only remember that he won the scoring title that year, won finals MVP, and got his 5th out of his eventual 6th championship title. 

    In short, his absolute worst has been forgotten. It doesn't matter when compared to everything he's done at his absolute best. The mark of a great athlete will always be how they performed at their very peak, and a bad performance shouldn't and doesn't define them, regardless of how bad it is. 

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