If you watched NBA basketball in the mid-2010s, you remember it. You probably winced a little. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the number two overall pick in the 2012 draft, would rise up for a jumper, and for a split second, time seemed to break. His elbow tucked in so far it almost touched his opposite ribs. His wrist contorted at an angle that defied human anatomy.
The Michael Kidd-Gilchrist shot wasn't just "unorthodox." It was a viral sensation for all the wrong reasons.
In an era where every young wing is expected to be a "3-and-D" specialist, Kidd-Gilchrist (MKG) was a defensive savant who happened to have a broken jumper. He was a 6'6" lightning bolt of energy, a kid who played like his hair was on fire, but he couldn't shoot a lick. Honestly, looking back at it now from 2026, his career serves as a fascinatng case study on muscle memory, the "bust" label, and what happens when a player’s biggest weakness is the only thing the world wants to talk about.
The Mechanics of a "Broken" Jumper
Most basketball fans think a bad shot is just a lack of practice. That’s usually wrong. MKG worked harder than almost anyone in the league, but he was fighting a decade of ingrained habits.
To understand why the Michael Kidd-Gilchrist shot looked the way it did, you have to look at his alignment. Most shooters try to keep their shooting elbow tucked and aligned with the rim. MKG’s elbow didn't just flare; it folded inward across his chest. This forced him to turn his entire body mid-air to face the hoop.
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Why did he shoot like that?
- The Guide Hand Problem: His left hand often sat on top of the ball rather than the side, creating a "catapult" effect.
- The Mid-Air Twist: Because his feet were often pointed toward the sideline at takeoff, he had to rotate his hips 90 degrees while in the air.
- The Release Point: He often released the ball on the way down from his jump, losing all the power from his legs.
By the time he got to the Charlotte Bobcats, the hitch was a monster. It was a physical manifestation of overthinking. You could almost see the gears turning in his head as he rose up. Elbow in. Square the feet. Don't miss. When you're thinking about your mechanics during a live game, you've already lost.
The Mark Price "Reconstructive Surgery"
In 2013, the Bobcats (soon to be Hornets) got serious. They hired Mark Price, one of the greatest shooters in the history of the sport, specifically to fix MKG. Price didn't call it a "tweak." He called it "major reconstructive surgery."
They started from zero. No jumping. No three-pointers. Just one-handed shots from two feet away. For a while, it actually seemed to work. During the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, there were flashes of a "new" Michael Kidd-Gilchrist shot. The elbow was straighter. The hitch was smoother. In a tiny seven-game sample in 2015 before a shoulder injury, he actually shot 42.9% from three.
But then, the wheels fell off.
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Injuries are the silent killer of shooting form. MKG tore his labrum—twice. When you spend months in a sling, you can't practice the new mechanics Price taught you. You fall back on what feels safe. For MKG, "safe" was that old, twisted, crossbody catapult. By the time he bounced to the Mavericks and then the Knicks, the "fixed" shot was mostly gone.
The Numbers Nobody Tells You
We talk about his shot being "ugly," but was it effective? Not really. But it wasn't a total disaster inside the arc.
| Statistic | Career Average | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 47.4% | Actually decent because he was elite at finishing in transition. |
| 3-Point % | 27.2% | This is the number that ultimately ended his NBA career. |
| Free Throw % | 71.5% | This proves he had some touch; he wasn't a "non-shooter" like Shaq. |
The tragedy of the Michael Kidd-Gilchrist shot is that it masked how good he actually was at everything else. He was a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate if you just looked at the advanced metrics. He guarded LeBron, Kobe, and KD with a ferocity that few others could match. But in a league that was rapidly pivoting to "Space and Pace," a wing who couldn't hit a corner three was a liability.
Beyond the Court: Finding a Different Voice
It’s easy to joke about a "broken jumper," but there’s a human side to this. MKG spent his entire career being scrutinized for how he spoke and how he shot. He has dealt with a significant stutter since childhood, something he was incredibly self-conscious about during his early years in the spotlight.
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Since leaving the NBA, he hasn't just faded away. He’s become a massive advocate for the stuttering community. He founded "Change & Impact," a non-profit that helps people access speech therapy. Honestly, it's a bit poetic. The man who was mocked for a "hitch" in his shot is now the leading voice for people with a "hitch" in their speech. He’s helping pass legislation in states like Kentucky and Pennsylvania to ensure insurance covers speech therapy.
Actionable Insights: What We Can Learn
If you're a player or a coach looking at the MKG story, there are some real takeaways here.
- Muscle Memory is a Fortress: If you don't fix a "hitch" by age 15, it's likely there for life. MKG proved that even with the best coaching in the world (Mark Price), the brain reverts to its oldest habits under pressure.
- The "Results-Oriented" Trap: MKG was so good in high school that he could dominate despite the shot. Coaches often don't fix form if the ball goes in. That’s a mistake. If your form is broken, the NBA will find you out.
- Value Beyond the Arc: Don't let a "bust" label fool you. MKG played 446 NBA games. You don't do that if you're a "bad" player. He was an elite defender and a high-level rebounder.
The Michael Kidd-Gilchrist shot will always be a YouTube highlight of what not to do, but the man himself is much more than a weird shooting motion. He’s a reminder that you can be "broken" in one specific way and still be an elite, impactful human being.
If you're trying to fix your own jumper, start with your feet. Like Mark Price said, a bad shot starts in the basement, not the attic. Get your toes pointed at the rim before you even worry about your elbow. Consistency is the only thing that survives the pressure of a real game.