Michael Jordan rarely divulges details about his personal life or preaches anything outside basketball. However, at a basketball camp in 2005, the six-time NBA champion used basketball as an example to dish terrific advice to the parents in attendance at the camp.
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Speaking with a ball in his hands, Jordan said:
“People put too much seriousness to success and failure, especially on the basketball court. If you take a shot, you can only do two things. Make it or miss. That how simple it is.”
Jordan claimed it’s important for parents to help their kids understand this so they can play with freedom and not feel pressured. He explained that he never thought he would miss a shot, but if he did it didn’t bother him. He’d dust himself, hit the court the following day, practice hard, and make sure he took the next shot with the same confidence.
Jordan advised the parents in attendance to help their kids understand that one shot won’t define their entire lives. He said:
“As a parent, you have to simplify it as much as possible. To show them that, ‘Either way, I still love you if you missed that shot and I still think you are a great basketball player if you missed that shot.'”
Jordan was using a basketball shot as a figurative example. He explained to the parents that kids shouldn’t feel pressured about one exam, test, or any singular event. One mistake or miss or failure won’t haunt them their entire life. It is more important to learn from failures rather than let them destroy their confidence.
Jordan has practiced what he preaches. He has five kids – sons Marcus and Jeffrey, and daughter Jasmine with his first wife, Juanito Vanoy, and twin daughters, Victoria and Ysabel, with his current wife, Yvette Prieto. He has never pressured his kids into following him and playing basketball or wanted them to live by his morals and philosophy.
Son Jeffrey revealed in an interview with CNN that his father’s reputation of being unable to turn off his competitiveness was a misconception. He said:
“He definitely could turn it off and be a dad.”
Daughter Jasmine revealed in an interview with Andscape that her father supported her decision to give up basketball. She said:
“I had that conversation with my dad, and he was like, ‘Hey, you tried it, boo, and that’s all that matters. Do what you want to do.’ There was no pressure to continue. He even knew as much as I did that it wasn’t meant for me and I could just love the game as a fan.”
Son Marcus is currently dating Larsa Pippen, the ex-wife of Jordan’s teammate Scottie Pippen. When asked if his father intervened and asked him to stop dating his teammate’s ex-wife, Marcus told the New York Post:
“The main thing from my dad was ‘you’re a grown man, you can make your own decisions’. Ultimately, as long as I’m happy, he’s happy. “He’s never intervened in my dating life prior to Larsa, and he’s not going to start now.”
Jordan has proven with his treatment of his kids that he believes in letting them lead their lives as they wish. Despite the very off-beat upbringing that comes with being the kids of an NBA superstar, Jordan seems to have faith in the morals he has instilled in his children. And now, he is simply continuing to be the same supportive father he always has been.
Michael Jordan wasn’t bothered by failure
On and off the court, Michael Jordan has achieved insurmountable success. A six-time NBA champion and a billionaire businessman, the Hall of Famer has built a legacy on winning. However, he only succeeded because he embraced failure and learned from it.
In an iconic advertisement for Nike, Jordan says:
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career, I’ve lost almost 300 games, 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”
Jordan showcased his ability to accept defeat and learn early in his career. The Detroit Pistons ended the Bulls’ season for the third straight season in 1990, beating them 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the post-game interview, he congratulated the opposition team and spoke highly of them. However, in the biography Michael Jordan: The Life, the Bulls star revealed:
“I made up my mind right then and there it would never happen again. That was the summer that I first started lifting weights. If I was going to take some of this beating, I was also going to start dishing out some of it. I got tired of them dominating me physically.”
The following year, the Bulls swept the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals en route to their first NBA title.
Jordan’s ability to introspect and act is second to none. It explains why he’s arguably the greatest player in NBA history. His ability to accept something others would be frozen in fear by is almost astonishing. Perhaps that is the reason why, despite missing countless shots throughout his NBA career, he made the ones that counted the most in the end.
