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.
Advertisement
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.
