Michael Jordan dunking on people

If you have fun with the game of baseball long enough, you’ll inevitably go into a conundrum while playing defense underneath the rim. You could feasibly get dunked on at any time. While folks will usually stress over exactly what might be worse, getting entered up or getting dunked on, one could occur whenever you perform security on the border, whilst other is more circumstantial according to your defensive area. Yes, Brandon Knight proved that a person’s ambition (and bad luck) could net a burial baptism within rim, but when a multitude of NBA people come out and state which you got to escape the way, I started to believe if a few of the all-time greats previously got dunked on…

It is simply to identify a couple of stars who caught it. But….what about Jordan? Did he previously get a dunk in face?

*****

Derek Smith’s tale is the one many an over looked second-round choose will effortlessly recognize. Smith, among Louisville’s top players from their particular 1980 NCAA Championship squad, was possibly the 4th many recognizable player regarding the roster. There was clearly Dr. Dunkenstein a.k.a. Darrell Griffith which 48-inch straight of their, and there were the McCray brothers (Scooter and Rodney) which additionally got shine. Yet, there clearly was Smith, a solid 6’6″ and 220-pound ahead who had been used the 2nd-round by the Golden State Warriors. A position switch to energy forward and 154 moments later, he had been cut.

The la Clippers provided Smith an olive branch, and Smith delivered on an additional chance with the opportunity to today play shield. A 22.1 scoring in the 1984-85 season received the admiration of a certain novice playing in Chicago, that becoming Michael Jordan. Numerous remember MJ’s first encounter with Smith when he made perhaps one of the most absurd made layups of all-time, but Jordan was cognizant of the battle that has been had between Smith and himself, when MJ gone back to deal with the Clippers on the highway Air Jordan decided to make an individual point:

“Derek Smith is one of underrated player when you look at the NBA. I predict he’ll result in the All-Star staff in 2010. He’s got all of the resources to-be an excellent player, aside from one.”

“Which one?” some one requested.

“He does not have news interest, ” Jordan stated.

Tall compliments for Smith, and also the news interest would come a bit more, thanks to the rising prince of NBA. But Jordan’s praise for Smith wouldn’t save your self him from that uncomfortable minute that people spoke about previous, becoming caught underneath the rim at an inopportune minute, with all the possibility of having dunked on staring you dead inside face. Derek Smith had his minute, and then he completed that minute in epic style.

Many folks know of Derek Smith because he’s also the father of former Duke All-American and current Portland Trail Blazers shield Nolan Smith. Other people remember Smith because he died of a heart assault at age 34 while the Smith household ended up being on a cruise ship near Bermuda. However few remember this minute which seemed to be the possibility springboard the elder Smith, which in following season would average 23.5 points/game in the 1985-86 season before struggling a devastating knee damage that he’d never ever totally cure.