If there is an embodiment of greatness in the NBA, it would be Michael Jordan. He was brutal, ruthless, and a lion on the court, but many forget that Jordan was also a fox when it came to business. In Netflix’s documentary “The Last Dance”, it was explicitly shown that he had a gambling problem. However, despite his issues with it, the six-time NBA champion never compromised with his on-court work ethic. Not many know that what fans saw on the court and what organizations saw in the practice facility all came from his parents. From 1984, when he was drafted, until his last game in 2003, when he played his last game, Jordan earned a total sum of $93,000,000. It was all due to what his parents had instilled in him since childhood.
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James Jordan was a baseball player and always wanted Michael to play baseball as well. It was one of the reasons that Michael went to play baseball after his first retirement. However, after finding that his son was good at basketball, he traveled with him and supported him during the course. However, we would have never known Jordan, had it not been for his mother, Deloris Jordan. When Jordan almost gave up on his basketball career after not being selected for the university team, it was his mother who told him to work better and harder rather than give up. In the end, she gave birth to the fierce competitor that we know Mike to be, in more ways than one.
Jordan Rules And His “Tyranny” In The Practice Facility
When asked about his work ethic, Jordan credited his parents for teaching him a lifestyle that helped him become great at what he did. For the Chicago Bulls legend, practice was as important as on-the-court work, and it was an opportunity to build on the game.
“I practiced like I played. So when I played, playing was fun. Practice is work…so when the game comes, you showcase it and you utilize it. You build your game on it. Practice wasn’t just a place to take time off. You work on things in practice,” Jordan said in Cigar Aficionado in 2005.
His seriousness in practice was so intense that the NBA writer for the Bulls, Sam Smith, wrote a book titled “The Jordan Rules”. The book also alluded to Jordan’s “tyrannical” behavior in order to push his teammates to be better.
Michael Jordan’s Parents Are The Reason We Have Nike Air Jordan
Michael Jordan dominates the signature basketball shoe market, and it isn’t close. But his ending up with Nike and having his signature shoe would have been a dream never realized, had it not been for his parents pushing him for the deal. During the time Jordan signed with Nike, Converse was the biggest shoe brand in basketball. It was impossible for Mike to be the face of the brand, which already had Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Jordan wanted Adidas, but the company didn’t want to give him his signature shoe.
Reportedly, his agent, David Falk, contacted his mother to push Michael to visit the Nike campus and hear what they had to say. Left with no choice, the Hall of Fame player visited the campus and was offered $250,000 and a signature shoe. “My father said, ‘You’d have to be a fool not taking this deal. This is the best deal,’” Jordan said in “The Last Dance”.
