Brian Shaw played many extraordinary players during his 14-year NBA stint.
As the 24th overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft, Brian Shaw entered the league when Michael Jordan was at his astronomical rise.
The Chicago Bulls legend continued to win six NBA championships in the 1990s with six tries. Obviously, the show played against MJ several times during that era.
Jordan’s insane scoring skills have become a match-up nightmare for most NBA stars of that era. In fact, many believe that Jordan was the hardest player to protect hardwoods.
When he recently appeared on Byron Scott’s Fast Break Podcast, Shaw made the same admission in Jordan. But he also named a rather underrated player who made life difficult for him.
“The most difficult person I had to protect is Michael Jordan, the obvious choice, but a guy no one knows. It was a guy named Steve Colter,” Shaw said.
He added:
For context, Steve Colter played in the NBA for just eight seasons, including a stint with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Given Colter’s average of 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists for his career, you might wonder why he’s become such a difficult player to defend him on the court.
The three times the NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers detailed Colter’s dribbling techniques that he never grasps.
“You’re going to look at him and be like, ‘Oh, yeah, I got him.’ And he came down and he went through his legs, and he seemed to be doubled or something.
“I dropped his knees and then threw the ball behind his back. He’s here and I’m there,” Shaw continued.
“So, for some reason, he was someone who couldn’t catch his cadence and had a hard time defending it,” Shaw concluded.
The show’s revelation proves that statistics don’t always tell the perfect story. It also highlights the skill gap between NBA players and the average person.