Jackson Explains Parting Shot

Phil Jackson called Michael Jordan “the greatest scorer we’ve ever seen in the NBA” but said the final basket of his career, the already legendary jump shot that clinched last season’s NBA championship for the Chicago Bulls, testified as much to his extraordinary ability to concentrate as to his extraordinary ability to score.

Jackson, the only coach for whom Jordan said he would play, declined the chance to return to the Bulls after the season and again last week, after an agreement was reached to end the NBA lockout. Jackson spoke Tuesday in Anaheim as one of several motivational speakers at a seminar at the Arrowhead Pond, but declined to discuss Jordan’s retirement with the media.

As part of his presentation, however, Jackson recalled the sixth and final game of last season’s NBA finals against the Utah Jazz. As the game wound down, so too did Jordan.

“All of a sudden, his jump shot starts falling short. Everything is going off the front rim,” Jackson said. “I told him, ‘You have to take it to the basket. Your legs are too tired to hit the jump shot.’ ”

Jordan readily agreed. After John Stockton made a three-pointer to give the Jazz its last lead, 86-83, Jordan responded with a layup with 37.1 seconds left.

Jordan then stole the ball from Karl Malone with 19 seconds remaining and, with 5.2 seconds left, faked out Bryon Russell and nailed the jump shot that won the game and the championship. The shot of Jordan extending his arm for an extra second, a moment in still life as emotions erupted around him, appears destined to live forever.

But that portrait of a champion, Jackson insisted, was no pose.

“Everybody says, what a cocky show, he threw his hand up there and held it while it [the ball] was falling through,” Jackson said. “He knew he’d been short on his last five shots.”

And then the celebration of the sixth and final title of the Jordan era began.

“We celebrated because we knew this was our last game,” Jackson said, “our last chance together to show the sports world what we do best.”