‘Mike tried to warn us’ – Unearthed Michael Jordan footage shows NBA icon predict dangers of shooting too many 3s

Steph Curry has revolutionized the game of basketball.

The 3-point line was first adopted by the NBA for the 1979-80 season, but the last 10 years has seen a dramatic rise

Most of that is down to Golden State Warriors marksman Curry, whose limitless range and efficiency from beyond the arc has caused a fundamental shift in the way the sport is played.

With 3s counting more than 2s, teams have figured out the easy math and are now shooting 3 after 3.

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The Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors recently set an NBA record by combining for 48 made 3-pointers, a stat some fans think is proof the game has become unwatchable.

In 1992, basketball icon Michael Jordan was asked about the 3-point shot after hitting six 3s in the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Most of that is down to Golden State Warriors marksman Curry, whose limitless range and efficiency from beyond the arc has caused a fundamental shift in the way the sport is played.

With 3s counting more than 2s, teams have figured out the easy math and are now shooting 3 after 3.

The Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors recently set an NBA record by combining for 48 made 3-pointers, a stat some fans think is proof the game has become unwatchable.

In 1992, basketball icon Michael Jordan was asked about the 3-point shot after hitting six 3s in the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Rather than celebrate his hot streak, the Chicago Bulls’ No.23 highlighted the problem of shooting too many 3s.

He warned about becoming lazy and too over-reliant on the shot at the detriment of other aspects of his game.

“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.

“You go to the 3-point line and you start sitting there waiting for someone to find you.

“That’s not my mentality. I don’t want to create that because it takes away my other parts of my game.”

Fans caught wind of the throwback footage and shared their thoughts online.

“In other words you become one-dimensional and you stop working on fundamentals. So it’s best to practice all facets of the game, hit em 3s when you need to, and remain a constant threat,” one fan said.

“All facts,” added another.

“Mike tried to warn us,” commented a third.

“Steph Curry ruined the game of basketball and I’ve said it since 2015,” a fourth added.

One only has to look at the individual numbers to see how the 3-point shot has evolved in terms of importance.

Jordan made 581 three-pointers during his career. He attempted 1,778 three-pointers (1.7 per game) and had a career average of 32.7 percent.

Curry has made 3,998 three-pointers in his NBA career so far.

Jordan wasn’t known as a deadly 3-point shooter simply because he didn’t need to be.

The ten-time scoring champion instead dominated by being unstoppable at the rim and having a virtually un-guardable mid-range game.

Curry has dominated in his own unique way, splashing in logo 3s to catapult himself and the Warriors to basketball greatness.

Where the issue lies, however, is that not every player has the shooting touch or range of a ‘Chef Curry’.

Michael Jordan dunks past John Stockton, Jazz owner Larry H. Miller yells, ‘Pick on someone your own size!’
Unfortunately, the NBA being the copy cat league that it is means certain teams and players think they can replicate what the ‘Splash Brother’ does with the same devastating impact.

They can’t, but that hasn’t stopped them continuing to jack up 3s and take ill-advised deep shots just because Curry does.

The Hornets and Bulls recently combined to miss a staggering 75 three-pointers, the most in a regulation-length game in NBA history.

That’s a huge part of why TV viewership for the entire NBA is down almost 50 percent since 2012, and why the league as a product has a big problem on its hands.

“I’m listening to the critics,” commissioner Adam Silver admitted in January. “I don’t want to overreact, but I think there potentially are some adjustments we can make.”

Or, teams could do what MJ advised over 30 years ago and focus on improving other fundamentals to find a different path to success.