The similarity in the mannerisms of Michael Jordan and Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has been a hot topic in NBA circles for a long time now. The discussion has received further fuel this year because of the T-Wolves’ successful campaign under the leadership of Edwards. Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson recently brought up the similarities between Michael Jordan and Anthony Edwards once again. The two agreed that the 22-year-old versions of both the athletes are similar in terms of both “movements” and “mannerisms”. However, Sharpe then pointed out the size difference between the two at the age of 22.
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While Anthony Edwards has a lot of muscle mass, Sharpe termed a lean rookie Jordan as a “stick figure”. He then highlighted how legendary trainer Tim Grover helped fill up Jordan’s muscles. In 1989, Grover, who was ahead of the curve, had sent a letter to every Bulls player offering to be their trainer. But only MJ replied to his message. Once the two combined forces, it was over for the rest of the league.
“If you look at Jordan early on in his career, man, you don’t realize how thin he was. I said, ‘Man, damn, Jordan like a stick figure!’ But you talk about athleticism and he messed around and got with Tim Grover, it was good night Irene,” Sharpe told Ocho on the recent episode of the Nightcap show.
Then Unc Sharpe mentioned that Jordan was “not a great shooter” when he came out of the University of North Carolina. It was in his NBA years that he developed a deadly mid-range game. The pull-ups and fadeaway jumpers ultimately became his “money shot”. The 55-year-old ESPN host further highlighted how MJ’s “fallaway J” was adopted by many NBA players, with Kobe Bryant being one of the prime examples.
During his NBA journey, Jordan indeed showcased tremendous ability to adjust, and played with a never-back-down mentality. Tim Grover had seen his fiery nature first-hand.
Michael Jordan was different mentally
In his 2021 book Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness, Tim Grover detailed what set Michael Jordan apart from his peers. Grover revealed how Jordan used to talk to himself before games. He felt the nerves like the rest of the athletes. However, the veteran trainer argued that while the 6x Finals MVP displayed nervousness, he never let the fear of failure take over him.
“Before every game, you’d see MJ alone, head down, chewing his gum, having a private conversation with himself. He felt the same nerves you might feel before you’re about to face a challenge. But he never doubted that he would perform at his best,” Grover wrote in his 2021 book.
Apart from that, the celebrated trainer also pointed out how everything the 10x scoring champion did was “rooted in confidence”. This confident demeanor, coupled with his relentless drive to improve the different facets of his game, lifted Jordan to new heights.
