Kevin Durant Argues for Michael Jordan as One of the Best Shooters Ever and He's Wrong

The release of "The Last Dance" has put more fuel into the Michael Jordan hype machine, professing that nearly every aspect of his game was flawless.

Even Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant fell into that trap, as he boldly claimed that Jordan is one of the best pure shooters in the history of the game.

Let's get this out of the way. Jordan was the best mid-range scorer ever and either No. 1 or No. 1a in terms of his ranking among the best players ever. As a shooter, however, his reviews are mixed.

Jordan had eight seasons in which he shot less than 50% from the field, and he never totally embraced the 3-point shot. He never averaged more than 3.6 attempts per game, and the only year in which he shot greater than 37% from the field was 1995-96, a year in which the 3-point line was moved closer.

Jordan's game revolved around attacking the rim and face-up mid-range jumpers. He's the best natural scorer the game has ever seen, but shooters like Ray Allen and Steph Curry have lapped Jordan in that department.

Heck, KD himself is a better shooter.

The mythology of Jordan is a bit silly at times, and the release of ESPN's documentary is going to feed into that. He was amazing and a totally singular figure in basketball history, but he wasn't the greatest shooter ever, too.