As odd looking as Michael Adams' "herky-jerky push shot" is, it's one of the most effective in NBA history.
A third-round pick in the 1985 draft -- where NBA greats Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, AC Green and Joe Dumars were called in the first round -- the 5'11" "Mighty Mike" played 11 years in the league and was first or second in made 3-point goals for four consecutive years. His best statistical season came in 1990, when he averaged an impressive 27 points and 11 assists a game for the Denver Nuggets. One of the highlights of that season was when the Boston College alumni racked up 31 points and 17 assists against the Boston Celtics.
Here are a few other monster games he put up that season, with that odd shot.
- 54pts 9ast vs Bucks
- 44pts 10ast vs Kings
- 45pts 12ast vs Nets
- 39pts 12ast vs Rockets
- 22pts 18ast vs Clippers
- 37pts 14ast vs Mavs
- 31pts 16ast vs Hawks
- 35pts 9ast 7stls 9 3p vs Clippers
Surprisingly, this season wasn't his All-Star season -- that came a year later as a member of the Washington Bullets, with averages of 18 points and 8 assists and an impressive debut of 23 points, 13 assists and 9 steals.
Adams' final season in the league was with the Charlotte Hornets in 1995/96. He only averaged 15 minutes in 21 games that year but did give fans one last great game on his birthday in 1996, when he scored a season-high 14 points and dished out 12 assists vs the Miami Heat.
He has been coaching everywhere from the WNBA to the NCAA to overseas since and was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
