Jordan at 50

Michael Jordan is now 50 years old. The retired guard considered the greatest basketball player of all time has left a mark on the sport more through his sheer force of will than his incomparable athletic ability. Though once again, questions are starting to arise whether or not Jordan would have fared as spectacularly almost two decades removed from the game given greater athletic ability of his basketball descendants, his status remains unquestioned.

Instead of going over the volumes of stats and seemingly endless highlight reel that studded his career, this writer pored over the big picture: what lessons did Michael Jordan leave behind for other athletes and even ordinary people to follow? What really made him the enduring figure he still is today? How did he continue to evolve to become even more of an awe-inspiring exemplar?

Facing down rejection. Remember that Jordan was cut from his Laney High School basketball team? Though it would have been devastating to any teenager, Jordan persisted in pursuing his dream. He practiced incessantly that summer, and went through a growth spurt that saw half a foot added to his height. For young people trying to find their way in the world, that sends a very strong message: don’t give up. Keep plugging away at your goals.

Keep getting better. Sadly, there are many elite athletes who are just content to be where they are, earning seven-figure salaries and playing the game they enjoy. But for Michael Jordan, winning an NBA title was the ultimate prize, and his competitiveness drove him in that direction. Unfortunately, the Detroit Pistons kept preventing him from leading the Bulls even just out of the East. Athletic enhancement specialist Tim Grover (who now trains Kobe Bryant) approached Jordan with a unique new training program designed to make him stronger while adding only about five pounds of muscle a year, keeping him airborne. Jordan bought into it, and with his buddies Scottie Pippen and Ron Harper, had a “Breakfast Club” where they trained in secret and all improved dramatically. The results are obvious.

Trusting the system. Through seven years of frustration and even injury beginning his rookie season in 1984, Jordan’s efforts proved fruitless. Truth be told, he was selfish and took too many shots. In some of the games he would win for the Bulls, he would even tease assistant coach Tex Winter that he “forgot” to follow the triangle offense they had spent a long time inculcating into the team. His smugness probably cost the team a couple of championships early on. But when he realized he had hit a well, Jordan grudgingly acknowledged that he needed a system to enhance his magnificent gifts. Consider the fact that only Jordan and Pippen were on all those six Bulls title teams. The system worked.

Working with others. Early in his career, he constantly got into conflict with teammates he didn’t believe in. Center Bill Cartwright got so incensed with Jordan’s comments that he threatened to seriously injure him at one point before he was traded. Passing the ball was not Jordan’s strong suit. He simply didn’t think his teammates were good enough to win games in the clutch. But some of his most memorable victories eventually come when he gave up the ball to Steve Kerr and later John Paxson for winning shots. When he opened up to the gifts of others, he made it easier on himself. When he learned to trust that they would deliver, they did. They proved they were ready.

Practice makes perfect. Jordan was such a tough taskmaster in practice. He simply savaged any teammate who didn’t perform up to par in drills and scrimmages. He would humiliate them relentlessly, thinking it would make them tougher, to the point of being cruel. This made playing games a relief for the Bulls, because the games were sometimes easier than practice, and because during games Jordan was on their side.

Finding new ways. Jordan came up with several new tricks to improve his chances of winning. The most obvious was developing a trademark fallaway shot later in his career. Most coaches wouldn’t teach that because it supposedly took you out of rebounding position and was not fundamentally sound. But for Jordan, it separated him from taller defenders and gave him a clearer shot. He also mastered blocking shots from behind, which gave him a headstart in fastbreaking in the other direction. He also realized that free throw shooters didn’t box out, so he could swoop in for rebounds from behind them.

Being an ambassador. Jordan’s ascension paralleled the explosion in media and the Internet. He wore the badge of brand ambassador very well, and enjoyed the attention. When the Dream Team was formed, he was still the most sought-after among all of them. He became the most-recognized athlete on the planet, in some place supplanting even Muhammad Ali. He inspired people to play the game, sold videos and sneakers, and led the way in creating his own Jordan brand. In terms of endorsements, he became the benchmark for all succeeding athletes, thanks in large part to his agent, David Falk.

Fighting time. His constant comebacks ultimately became his downfall, effectively dividing his career into the golden moments with the Bulls and his mediocrity with the Washington Wizards. He was also the top executive with the Wizards, but had to surrender his position to play again. His snide comments against respected Wizards owner Abe Pollin closed the door on his days as an executive in Washington. His pride did him in, but it also provides lessons for us today, lessons about humility and respect.

Thankfully, Michael Jordan will be remembered for his excellence on the basketball court and his success in business. He was, after all, also human, and had his own share of controversies (gambling), tragedies (the murder of his father) and family issues (repeated news of divorce over the years). But even that reminds us that being the greatest in one part of our life does not guarantee success in other areas. You still have to work at that, too.