Michael Jordan is perhaps the best NBA player of all time and was dominant in ways that challenged every team’s defensive schemes.
He ruled the league in the 1980s and 90s, and his legacy lives on to this day.
But how well would he do if he were competing in this era’s NBA?
Speaking with Shannon Sharpe, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue made a bold claim: Jordan would be dropping 45 points a night if he were playing in 2025.
“Today? 45,” Lue said confidently. “You can’t touch nobody. It’s a foul. He averaged 37 one year. Yeah, add eight to that. There wouldn’t be a year he wouldn’t average 45. The physicality’s pretty much gone. Anything, you’re going to the free throw line, and just how smart he was. Especially nowadays, you can take advantage of these guys just as far as IQ alone.”
Ty Lue says Michael Jordan would average 45 points in today’s NBA, per @ClubShayShay
What other proof do you need
(h/t @ApexJones22)
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 28, 2025
Jordan’s career average was 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.
As mentioned by Lue and Sharpe, there was a time when he was producing 37.1 points per game toward the beginning of his career.
He had multiple seasons when he was putting up more than 30 a night, but could he really get to 45 during every game?
Lue noted that the league is quick to call fouls these days.
Jordan was a master of maneuvering his body and forcing refs to blow a whistle, and he would have even more success with that approach now.
He didn’t just play the game well; he played his opponents.
This is the sort of conversation that will never have a definitive answer, but that doesn’t mean people will stop talking about what-ifs.
NBA fans, players, and coaches love to think about hypothetical scenarios related to Jordan and what he could do in this day and age.
The post Tyronn Lue Turns Heads With Surprising Michael Jordan Claim appeared first on The Cold Wire.