In 1989, Michael Jordan shared a story about almost chopping off his toe as a five-year-old child in North Carolina. Joining David Letterman on Late Night, the then-Chicago Bulls star shared the intricate details of the incident involving an axe. Upon listening to it, the host pondered about the consequences, raising concerns over his enviable basketball career.
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At first, Jordan admitted his mistake as a preschooler, mentioning, “Well, I was being bad first of all. My parents told me not to mess with the axe”. “I don’t have any shoes on. So I’m chopping little bits and pieces of wood and being hard-headed and I accidentally missed the wood and cut half of my big toe,” he added.
MJ then recalled the aftermath of the event, stating, “I ran home and my mother and my father said, ‘Well, let’s go down to see this lady who is supposed to be the neighborhood doctor’“. Upon visiting, the relief of the young child became the priority as the 5x MVP revealed, “She pulled kerosene over my toe. It took away the pain”.
While the story filled the heart of the audience with remorse, Letterman put forward a possibility for the NBA star. “So, it’s amazing as a young kid, if this had been a worse accident, you might not have even been able to walk and now you’re like the greatest basketball player,” the television host highlighted.
Upon listening to it, the spectators cheered together as Letterman jokingly mentioned, “The crowd loves a good inspirational story, don’t they?”. “They love it,” Jordan promptly responded to agree to the statement. In the end, the 6x champion also mentioned how the incident stayed with him, stating, “Every time I fall now, my father keeps telling me, ‘You shouldn’t have played with that axe'”.
Alongside shedding light on the presence of mind from Letterman, it provided a glimpse into the character of Jordan. Despite an early setback in the 1960s, the preschooler bore with the pain and the consequences. Yet, he never let it limit his abilities, reaching the pinnacle while dealing with the repercussions.
This theme has been repeated several times in the journey of Michael Jordan
Early into Jordan’s NBA career, the injuries stalled his sustained progress a couple of times. One such instance occurred in his second season when he broke his foot, resulting in a 64-game absence. Yet, the 6ft 6″ star returned near the playoffs to set a post-season record. MJ scored 63 points against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the first round. It shattered Elgin Baylor’s record for single-game playoff scoring.
In the following campaign, the shooting guard received yet another injury soon after the start. He broke his little toe on his right foot just after 10 matches in the regular season. Despite that, he recorded his career-high points per game of 37.1 and a free throw percentage of 85.7% in that season.
These further showcased his ability to embrace obstacles and endure the pain. Eventually, his efforts became fruitful as the 60-year-old won two three-peats in his NBA career. That’s why instances such as these remain in the league’s folklore as valuable lessons for the aspirants.
