Michael Jordan did not become a global icon by just having an athletic body and a matching skillset. It was his competitive nature and commitment to winning that made him the greatest player of all time. While others slacked off during practice, his drive never allowed him to do remotely the same. In an interview dated 1997, Michael Jordan talked to a post-game reporter about the need to practice his craft and how much he adored his time doing so.
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As is a well-known fact by now, Michael Jordan has adored gambling for a long time. The Chicago Bulls superstar once even bet 100 dollars with his teammates during practice to throw them off their shooting rhythm. One player, who felt the brunt of his competitiveness, was Rodney McCray. It got bad enough for McCray that he was never the same player after the session. He eventually faded out of the league.
Michael Jordan loved his practice sessions
In 1997, Michael Jordan started yet another campaign to claim the NBA championship. He still had the hunger and the fiery competitiveness that made him an NBA legend. To achieve the level of success he desired, he was willing to pay the price. So, when a reporter asked him about skipping practice in a post-game interview, Michael was having none of it. Here is Michael’s response posted by ‘Hoops’ on Twitter:
“I love practice. I need to practice. How can I skip practice? I need it. Today really showed me, I need to get back into practice.”
Michael Jordan on Practice 💯
Can’t skip practice on the weekends
“I love practice. I need to practice.
How can I skip practice? I need it.” pic.twitter.com/WDJ8cIo1Yr— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) September 1, 2023
The sheer dedication and focus put into perspective his stature as a sports personality. As the saying goes – ‘Championships are won in the gym’. And Jordan embodied that as strongly as anyone. Being the captain of the team, he led by example and was not afraid to speak his mind if his teammates weren’t putting in the same effort.
Ty Lue, NBA player and former head coach of the 2016 NBA champions – Cleveland Cavaliers, talked about Jordan and Kobe Bryant being cut from a different cloth. In the podcast – ‘Old Man and the Three’, he talked about a 40-year-old Jordan relentlessly practicing every single day. According to Ty, the superstar had to be dragged off the floor by his coach.
Jordan used practice sessions to eliminate fear
For Michael Jordan, practice was not only about getting yourself ready for the game. It was so much more than that. Every practice session he participated in was played with the same intensity as an NBA game. In an interview, he explained how he used practice to eliminate any fear through a disciplined work ethic.
He talked about his coach – Kevin Loughery, switching him from the first team to the second team during practice sessions to test his ability to make a comeback. This training regime prepared him for in-game scenarios and made him one of the most clutch players of all time.
