Anderson’s iconic steal against Jordan still resonates
Nick Anderson had one goal: deliver the best 16 seconds of defense he could against Michael Jordan.
Anderson only needed about eight seconds.
The hustling Anderson poked the ball away from an unsuspecting Jordan, leading to a fast-break basket by Horace Grant that gave the Orlando Magic a lead they wouldn’t relinquish as they went on to beat the Bulls 94-91 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on this date in 1995.
If you walk up to a Magic fan and say, “Anderson stole the ball,” chances are good they’ll know what you’re talking about.
Anderson’s steal against Jordan stands as arguably the most iconic basketball moment in Magic history.
Anderson told Fox Sports Florida’s Dante Marchitelli during a recent episode of “Inside the Magic” he often thinks about that moment and the 1994-95 season.
For a Chicago kid, stealing the ball from Chicago’s greatest professional athlete to help his team win made the play all the more special for Anderson.
“These are things that you’ll never, ever forget,” he told Marchitelli. “You can talk about for a lifetime.”
After Jordan took an in-bounds pass in the backcourt with 16 seconds left and began to dribble, Anderson reached and got a hand on the ball. Jordan recovered it quickly, then spun to his left to create space from Anderson. Jordan pushed the ball into the middle of the floor, then veered to