“I’m Competing With What I’m Capable Of”: Michael Jordan, Who Would Even Compete in Drinking Water, Once Said He Only Competes With Himself

The stories about how Michael Jordan did what he did are numerous, but when you ask the GOAT, he would have it pretty simple – competing with his own self.

The 6ft 6” Bulls legend played in the NBA for 15 years and arguably has the best resume in the game. And when he called it a day in 2003, one of the top life coaches in the United States, Tony Robbins asked him something that everyone wanted to know.

“What sets you apart, Michael…. Is it God-given talent, ability, or skill? What is it?”

Also read: DJ Khaled’s $225 Jordan 5 sneaker accused of taking Michael Jordan’s sneaker brand through the mud

When Tonny Robbins interviewed Michael Jordan after his final game in the NBA

If you listen to his friends, kids, or anybody who has hung out with him, even celebrities, everyone will tell you how tough it is to beat Mike in anything, be it drinking water (ask Will Smith).

But when it came to basketball, there was no beating Michael Jordan. So, the 6-time Finals MVP who had a 6-0 record in the championship series said this in response to Tony’s question.

“I have a lot of talent, a lot of God-given talent, a lot of skill. I worked really hard,” Tony once revealed.

“But really, it is my standards. Every day, I demand more from myself than anybody else could humanly expect. I’m not competing with somebody else. I’m competing with what I’m capable of.”

How to compete with TEN Scoring titles and NINE All-Defensive First-Team selections?

It is one thing to top the NBA in points per game, both in the regular season (30.1) as well as Playoffs (33.4), and have the most scoring titles. Its something else to also have a Defensive Player of the Year award with 9 All-Defensive First Team honors.

That man did it all in 15 years with a total of 3 retirements, including two 2-3 year breaks. He even won three of his six championships after his first retirement from the sport in 1993 after 3-peating for the first time.

He retired again in 1998 after the second 3-peat. A great example of how the man was always achieving what he expected from himself and needed some time off to set his future expectations. Maybe that’s how he became a multi-billionaire.

Also read: When Kobe Bryant Dropped Truth Bomb About Michael Jordan Coming Out of 2nd Retirement in Wizards Uniform

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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