“Alcohol and Cocaine Abuse”: Unfazed by Teammates’ Addiction, Michael Jordan Stayed Away from Drugs Owing to His Competitive Nature

Michael Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984 with the third overall pick. This historic decision would lead to the Bulls dominating the NBA in the 90s with two three-peats. However, the Chicago Bulls weren’t a good NBA team by any means at the time. The team had players who were addicts, who consumed cocaine and alcohol on the regular. Unsurprisingly, Jordan wasn’t interested in drinking and doing drugs like his teammates. Roland Lazenby notes the reason in the book Michael Jordan: The Life.

The Chicago Bulls, during the early 80s, had accrued a not-so-respectable reputation around the NBA. The team was infamously called the “the Traveling Cocaine Circus” before Jordan’s entry into the league. The name was a comment on the pathetic state the Bulls players found themselves in during that time frame. Their terrible showing on the court eventually brought them the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft.

Jordan stayed away from “Alcohol and Cocaine” during his rookie days in Chicago

Many young Chicago Bulls stars, during the early to mid 80s, fell prey to alcohol and substance abuse issues. The team’s young star Orlando Woolridge was among the players who were affected by addiction. Woolridge was a bright second-year forward out of Notre Dame, who had shown promise early on.

But by his second year in the league, he started following a path of steep decline fueled by his bad habits. A significant part of the Bulls roster at the time was filled with alcohol and drug addicts. But Jordan remained unfazed by the team’s antics after his entry into the league. In the book Michael Jordan: The Life, Roland Lazenby detailed MJ’s motivation behind doing so:

“Also beginning his descent into alcohol and cocaine abuse was the team’s other immensely talented player, Orlando Woolridge, a second-year forward out of Notre Dame…following a sad trail to an early grave. The roster was full of troubled souls. As Bulls PR man Tim Hallam explained, Jordan was much too competitive to pay mind to either drugs or alcohol. That would have meant exposing a weakness to an opponent, something Jordan would never do.“

Fans are well-aware of Jordan’s competitive drive that fueled him to go the extra mile to win. However, it is truly incredible to note how far he took the Bulls side with his leadership.

A rookie Jordan wanted the Bulls to be respected like the Lakers and the Celtics

Being drafted by the Bulls back in the early 80s wasn’t the best situation be in for Jordan. Unlike the Lakers and the Celtics, Chicago wasn’t necessarily one of the premiere teams in the NBA. Leaving aside winning, the Bulls had a poor reputation-drugs and partying being a big part of the culture there.

But after being drafted in 1984, Jordan turned the franchise around. In 1984, during his draft speech, Jordan told the media that, “I just want the franchise and the Chicago Bulls to be respected as a team like the Lakers or the Philadelphia 76ers or the Boston Celtics. It’s very hard for something like that to happen, but it’s not impossible. Hopefully, I and this team and this whole organization can build a program like that.”

And Jordan, just like all the other times in his career, kept his word. This truly defines his legacy in basketball.