Playing alongside Michael Jordan ensured championships but it came at a big cost. As a teammate, MJ would say mean words and try to break one’s confidence at every turn. In 2007, during a GQ interview, MJ defended this approach and argued that it is what made his squads a winner. He wouldn’t expect anyone to slack off for a single moment and would lead them by example.
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During the interview, he was asked, “You[Jordan] had a reputation as a guy who’d chastise, ridicule, and ride his teammates. Were you purposefully a demanding teammate?”
“That was leadership,” replied the basketball icon to GQ.
Before he arrived at the Chicago Bulls, the administration was having trouble gathering sellout crowds. However, Air Jordan’s mesmerizing skills made him the biggest attraction in Chicago since 1984. Therefore, his arrival filled the seats marking the anticipation among the Bulls’ faithful that something big was about to happen. Therefore, to continue “the transformation of a city that’s never had a championship”, a prideful MJ had to resort to impudent methods.
“I used my criticism, my aggressive language, my aggressive behavior, to make you conform,” expressed Jordan. During the interview, he also touched upon Sam Smith’s book “The Jordan Rules”, which portrayed his downright physical actions against teammates in a negative light. For him, it was because “people don’t understand our journey[Bulls’ championship journey]”.
The guard also claimed that if he weren’t stringent with his teammates, they would have never achieved the success they had. He believed that many of them must “have a greater appreciation for what we achieved as opposed to the method we went by to achieve what we achieved.” The 6x Finals MVP had to lead by example for his two three-peats.
Michael Jordan could go to any extent to win
Setting an example by his work ethic, Jordan believed that he and his teammates couldn’t have a day off if they wanted to be on the top of the game. In case he had slacked for a day, his teammates would have followed the suit, which would have broken the system. In this vein, MJ stated to GQ, “I never took a shortcut, and I never wanted anyone else to take a shortcut.”
The GOAT wasn’t afraid of undertaking an authoritarian approach. To win, he didn’t care if people put harsh labels. Jordan added, “If that meant someone interprets me as a tyrant, I’m pretty sure they’re appreciative now.”
He battle-hardened individuals by humiliating them to no end. This approach resulted in nasty incidents like him punching Steve Kerr for missing a defensive rotation in a practice.
He made Wing Rodney McCray retire through the nonstop flow of mean actions. Therefore, the asking price for winning titles with Jordan was indeed huge. While Kerr remains grateful for the rough treatment, his most prized teammate Scottie Pippen has blasted his method, going as far as calling Jordan a “horrible teammate“.
Even though his approach left a sour impression, MJ did what most of the athletes only dream of achieving. At this stage as well, he is a successful billionaire, who has made a legacy or rather has made his name a legacy.
