“Michael Jordan Was 40, and Was Working Out at 6 a.m.”: When Jamal Crawford Was Blown Away by Bulls Legend’s Desire to Comeback

Michael Jordan played in the NBA from 1994 to 2003 with three separate retirements. The first one came after ‘His Airness’ had just three-peated with the Bulls in 1993.

The man was just 30 years of age at the time and shocked the world with his announcement. There are several stories to why he did that, boredom from the game of basketball and his desire to try Baseball out was the most reasonable one.

The 10x scoring champ and 9x All-Defensive First Team member had proven it all on the hardwood and did in the presence of the greats like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Isiah Thomas. Most of that generation had retired after the 1992 Olympics. So, we can understand why Jordan felt that way.

However, he did come back in 1995, three-peated again, and then retired again in 1998. And with the desire to own a franchise, he came back again in 2001 at 38 years of ripe age.

Also read: “Michael Jordan’s Situation in Chicago Was Different Than Mine!”: Giannis Antetokounmpo Channels Kobe Bryant Amidst Recent Struggles

But even then, the man was apparently waking up at 6 a.m. to work out.

Michael Jordan used to work out at 6 a.m. at 40 years of age

Probably the greatest off-the-bench player of all time, Jamal Crawford, once came to The Herd with Colin Cowherd and remembered the time when he first met Michael Jordan.

He went back in time and revealed how MJ’s personal trainer Tim Grover had set him up with a 7 a.m. meeting with the 6x MVP, who was then coming back to the league. When Jamal arrived at MJ’s place at 7 in the morning, he was surprised to see him already sweating it out for an hour.

“I get down there about 7 in the morning, he’s (MJ) been there already for an hour. He was 40 years old,” reminisced Crawford, who was playing for MJ’s former team at the time.

Also read: “Someday, Others Would Be Compared to Me”: LeBron James at 17, Spoke Valiantly on Being Compared to Michael Jordan

How his work ethic and winning mentality made him a winner on and off the court

Jordan exactly knew what he was throughout his life and dictated it as he wanted. He completely retired from the league in 2003 with accolades, far too many for one individual’s career.

It didn’t take him long to take his Jordan brand to all-new heights and become an NBA franchise owner within 3-years. He became a part-owner of the then-Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) in 2006 and took over the sole control in 2010.

By 2016, he was the first billionaire athlete from the NBA and is now worth well over $2.2 billion. It is all because of his discipline and desire to be the best in everything he does.

Also read: Michael Jordan Once Took This TNT Host to Meet Jay-Z After a Single Prompt! 

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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