The Last Dance – Part III The Price of Fame

The All-Star of All-Stars. The MVP.

Another week, another two fantastic episodes. The whole world is talking about this show. And rightly so. It’s simply wonderful. The story, the progress of the player and team, the mentality and the drama. It’s all excellently told. And it has a great soundtrack too! These episodes pointed to the progression of Jordan into the best player in the league and to the issues around fame and his apparent problems with gambling. It was fascinating. And here’s some of my takeaways from it. 

Self-confidence

“Michael, game on the line, who would take the last shot?

“Me, me…that’s a dumb question!”

There are many discussions to be had about self-belief and confidence. Some believe it’s essential for a player to succeed, some don’t believe it’s importance, others think it’s "natural" and others believe it’s developed, worked on and comes through practice and honing skills. I’ll let you decide which side I come down on. But what Jordan showcases continually is a belief and trust in his abilities. He knows he can trust himself to take that final shot. He has the bravery as well as trust in himself. Yet don’t think he scores everytime! This quote is iconic;

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300
games. Twenty-six 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."

He believes in himself because he is brave to keep trying. He works on his craft to perfect his shooting and dribbling. He has made mistakes and has learnt from them. But he has never quit or shirked responsibility. 

Resilience is a word used by many. What does it mean? When you get knocked down, you come back fighting. You don’t quit. Jordan, like many of the top athletes and sportspeople in the world have suffered setbacks, made mistakes and missed shots. But they had the mentality to come back stronger next time. Ask yourself how many times you threw the towel in when you suffered a setback or when you made a mistake. 

Three in a row

This Bulls team ultimately won 6 championships. We saw the emotion of the first win, the release of emotion which got Jordan to the top. The second one felt easier, like they now believed they were champions. But that separator for greatness, the three-in-a-row, well that would prove to be even harder to achieve. And perhaps that’s why so few had achieved it, why it was so iconic an achievement. When they won the third for Jordan it was more relief than joy. A hard and trying time, a tough year. And yet through adversity they still succeeded. What a team!

As a team you’ve got to go again, to maintain and push your standards, to keep your focus, mentality and dedication. Many winners can get complacent when they finally win, as though they can now relax and enjoy the moment. And in that moment another challenger comes along and pushes you out the way. Jordan kept that team focused and driven. This was his biggest strength. As well as dealing with the increased media pressure, the social pressures and fame. To keep focused during all this? Wow! Three in a row simply isn’t easy. 

And then you have to deal with new challengers, new threats and teams on the up. There’s always someone who is coming along to knock you off. And so it proved. The Knicks series was fascinating. 2-0 down and it looked like Jordan couldn't pull his team through this time. The Knicks came with the energy and determination to beat a team perhaps tired of doing this each of the past several seasons. They brought what the Pistons brought the Bulls before. 

Importance of hardness

“It wasn’t really a foul until you drew blood!” Love that! The game at this time, the culture and intensity of that era is fantastic. The brutality and physicality of the game. The rivalries, the hatred between players and teams. It was a game you could feel was physically tough and mentally hard. You had to deal with the physicality, it simply wasn’t going to be nice. 

Compared to the present day this was a savage battle. Like football, it was tougher and more brutal. Better players got less protection and had to deal and overcome the over-physical style, which today would be dealt with quicker by officials. A real show of their greatness to deal with it and still thrive. It was a game which required and expected toughness and hardness. And the Bulls brought this to the table. It wasn’t just about skill and great attacking play. This team defended and played hard. Many neglect or forget the importance of defending, as an individual and a team, of the importance of being tough and resilient in sports. These are the keys to success. 

Take the story of Toni Kukoc. A player courted by Jerry Krause and seen as the future of the Bulls. Well Jordan and Pippen didn’t appreciate this apparent neglect of the present for the future. And took exception to Kukoc. So in the Olympics they decided to take their anger out on Kukoc. He hadn’t done anything to them, exepct being a good player wanted and signed by the Bulls. But their resentment of him because of Krause made them bully this young kid in their first game. It was a brutal example of two experienced professionals, saying to a newcomer, you aren’t going to take my jersey and money. This happens a lot. People don’t often want someone coming in to take their job. Now Jordan didn’t need much to motivate and get him going, but this situation, well “it drove my energy”. They brought intensity and superiority and embarrassed Kukoc. 

But the respect and the hardness we are discussing is evident in Kukoc’s reaction. He came back and proved himself in the final for the Gold Medal. Kukoc showed he could play. This was a man who was from a country in the midst of a war, his toughness should not have been questioned. This was a hardened individual. The Americans underestimated how tough he was, and he returned with a show of character and resilience that earned their respect. “He’s tougher than we thought”

This is a great lesson for young players in Academy and professional game. A bad game or training session doesn’t define you. How you react and come back matters most. When people question you, doubt you or seek to intimidate you, how will you react? The world of sports is a tough sport, it can be ruthless, harsh and cutthroat. How you deal and react to what happens within it will determine how far you will go. This applies to coaches too. 

Motivation 

On the topic of motivation, Jordan didn’t need much to get motivated. He would sometimes invent things to motivate himself. But as we saw, there were some key moments which didn’t need to be created. When he was being doubted for his choices of gambling and late nights during the Knicks series, he grew in his motivation to produce. People asked questions of him, wondered if he had lost his focus. And he reacted. 2-0 down and they won 4-2. It was a show from Jordan not to question or doubt him. 

But this was a lesson not to rattle the cage of the beast, because he will show his anger and ferocity. It’s what I love about Jordan – he had the ability to take on teams and win games almost single handily, due to his tenacity and desire of work rate and drive to win. As Jackson says, in game 3, “Michael had to respond – and respond he did”

The motivational element just sums up Jordan. When playing Drexler in the finals against Portland and being compared to him, he says; “Me being compared to him – I took offence to that”. And what did he do? Dominated him. Bullied him. Just took his game to a new level. His mindset and ability to go to that next level when he needed to. That’s greatness right there. 

As Magic said “Michael didn’t want nobody to have nothing on him”.

And when Jordan says this, he backs it up on the court. I see and hear many good talkers, but not many are able to back it up with their actions. 

In the finals vs Suns he generated his motivation to win because Charles Barkley had won the MVP.  “I was little bit upset I didn’t the MVP that year, that Charles did. But ok fine, you can have that, I’ll just get this instead”

As Barkley says, “I played as great a game I could play. And Jordan just outplayed me.”

Jordan had the ability to just outplay and do what was needed to win in any moment. 

What about in the game against Dan Majerle? More fuel on the fire for Jordan. 

Jerry Krause constantly motivated Jordan by liking or wanting anyone outside of the Bulls. If Krause liked a player Jordan would step up and almost embarrass that player. Krause liked Majerle – and just because Krause liked him was enough for me. “You think he’s a great defensive player. Okay, fine. I’mma show you that he’s not.” Ruthless. 

"I put it in my mindset that if I don’t do this, they’re going to consider him the same level as me. And that motivated me to attack." 

Mindset. Ruthless. A competitive animal. I’m sure many will have stories of Jordan which are negative, that he was a bad teammate, too critical, too harsh, too aggressive. But he was a great winner. A great player. You don’t succeed like he did without this mentality. If it was all nice and friendly you think that gets success? 

The look at the Jordan Rules book highlgiths that Jordan wasn’t perfect. But it was foolish to think that he was. People saw a side they didn’t see before. His attitude in training. Not liked by teammates. But he wasn’t there to be liked. He was there to win. And drove his team to the top. 

A Competitiveness Problem

Jordan admits that he didn’t have a problem with gambling, But instead with competition. 

There’s an argument to say that he needed to do these things off the court to release the pressures and strain of the wolrd he lived in within basketball. The most famous sportsman in the world. Gambling and golf were his release. A chance to offload. 

His problem, as much as his strength, was that he had a competition problem. And not just to win, but to dominate and destroy. As Magic says; “He never wants to just beat you, he wants to put his foot on your neck.” Ruthless!

It wasn't about money, not a gambling addiction. But about competition. It was about winning. And this what it was about. To be the best. 

Every game matters.

I just loved the story of the famous practice game at the Olympics.

“The greatest basketball we’ve all been involved with”.

Going back at each other, taunting each other, all wanting to win. And he’s losing. And they decide to stoke him. And he comes back with a flurry of force. And wins the game. “How you like that ass kicking we gave y’all?!”

Against this team of All-Stars, the best assembled group of basketball players. He just turns it on. Changes the game.  Proved he was the best amongst the best. 

This level of intensity and drive within a practice game highlights why this team was so good, why Jordan drove so much from his teams. Every day mattered, every practice mattered. And if everyone on the team is playing like this in practice, well the games will be a lot easier. 

This reminds of what Roy Keane said recently about training at Man Utd. He said the hardest game for him was the games at training. Why? Because here was this great side of players who were all pushing to play, to compete and to win. They brought the energy and determination of champions in their training, they were preparing themselves to be winners. This is why training and playing games at training matters so much. Why competition and playing the game can develop the objectives you want to achieve in terms of intensity, competitiveness and teamwork which will be the difference come Saturday. 

Learning how to win

I loved what BJ Armstrong said about Jordan mastering the game. It was poetic. 

It was like he was playing a different game...Jordan ascended to that point of being a player who could control games. “He could steer momentum, get guys going, was effective in offence and defence. He was playing to win the game. And once he figured that out – you couldn’t beat him.”

This idea of game intelligence is often thrown about yet very little detail to it. This is it for me. An emotional IQ which can feel the game, read the flow of the game, know how to manipulate it, know what emotion is needed, know what kind of impact is needed from the star; does he facilitate, conduct or take the game on himself. All with the intention and end of winning. This for me is the ‘experience’ of knowing and playing the game. 

Living up and managing the image 

The Be Like Mike struggle. With his growing fame the world of Jordan became even harder. He had created a persona, a perfect individual, a great player and a role model for all. Now that’s hard to maintain. You need to be spotless. The pressure of this alone is too much for many to take. 

And as one of the guys said, “I wouldn’t want to be like Mike. It’s an impossible task”

Leaving the game – the price of fame

Jordan the basketball player had more to give, but the pressures off the court, the demands, the constant scrutiny, this was too much. He was a global icon. It’s one of the areas which young athletes are often not ready for, why many lose their way, lose focus or simply can’t handle it and quit. Jordan was able to take a lot of it in his stride for several years, but even for him it became too much. 

Those sportsmen who can provide such longevity and maintain their greatness, are truly incredible! Through the pressures, demands and riches they accrue, and they keep going, keep working on being the best, wow! Some can reach the top for a year or two, but people like LeBron, Messi, Ronaldo, Federerr, Nadal and Djokovic and even Woods (until his world came crashing down), showed their ability to be great over a long period. It’s not easy and not for everyone. The price of fame has it’s advantages and also it’s serious difficulties and limitations. 

“My fame is it was good at the beginning. Any time people talk about you in a positive way it’s good, yeah it’s great to hear those comments, but now that you are on a pedestal it’s not just positive talking that you hear.  You hear some points and some people taking shots at you, and that really changes the whole idea of being out there for people to see you. You wanna get behind closed doors so people don’t know you as much. So I’m at that stage of my career in my life. I’d rather be behind closed doors than be out there in the spotlight.

“From the moment MJ leaves his hotel room, the spotlight is on him. Everybody in the world wanted to see, talk, wanted a piece of him in someway or another. He had the pressure of being on with people all the time. On top of that, he had to perform. He knew that everybody from every game was there to see him.”

The pressure of success and fame. People build you up to watch you fall. It happens all the time. People get sick of you being successful. They want to see you fail, lose or suffer. It’s a shame really. Jordan was loved yet the scrutiny of him had grown. He was bombarded everywhere he went. The pressure, the constant focus, the lack of freedom. He was a slave to the world which had given him so much. 

“Many people say they want to be Michael Jordan for a day. I don’t think they understand it’s no fun.”

The expectation of being a role model, of standing up as an activist, of fighting for black rights and issues. A lot of pressure on him to be what every person wanted and expected. 

The insight into the African American individual who becomes a success was an interesting part. Society will embrace as long as they don’t interfere with aspects outside of their area. Jordan played it 'safe'. Didn’t get involved in politics. Never thought of myself as an activist. 

He lost credibility. What did he stand for? Should his status had allowed him to have a greater voice?  He didn’t feel it was his place to do this. He was a basketball player.

For him it was about what he did on the court, he was a role model as a basketball player,  

“I set examples, if it inspires you, great. If it doesn’t. Then maybe I’m not the one you should be following?”

He makes a compelling point yet there is a feeling that he could have done more with the profile and platform he had. It’s why I love LeBron James – the present version of Jordan, a world of social media, he has embraced his role as someone who will stand up and speak out about issues in America. With young black boys being shot mercilessly, with the treatment of communities due to their race. LeBron James has decided that he shoud be a voice and use his standing to draw attention and hold others to account. He should be commended for his bravery. 

Air Jordan
My game was my biggest endorsement. 

My one takeaway from the Nike deal was in being open to opportunities. Don’t say no and listen to what people are willing to offer you. Don’t be fixated on one way and neglect all other options. Because it may just be that a great opportunity is there for you, but in your stubbornness you opted against listening. Seize the opportunity and make the most of it.

As for Nike, they saw the value in Jordan and the potential market, they took a risk in a young talented rookie, and reaped the rewards greatly. Be brave and take risks in life and business and you could strike gold.

A great comment from Jordan was that it wasn’t about the shoes, or the fame which was surrounding him. His mentality was that all this was because of what he did on the court. He never lost sight of what was the most important part of all this. My game was my biggest endorsement. 

How many who get a little bit of success, fame or even a 'new boot deal' and start to lose focus and get carried away. Focus on being the best you can be and the rewards will come from there. If you lose focus, stop working hard, cut corners, don’t be surprised to see your ‘taelnt’ stunt and the offers and adulation fall away. 

Kobe

It was sad to see Kobe appear in this documentary after what happened recently.  What was great was how much Kobe looked up to Jordan and how much Jordan looked out for Kobe like a big brother. Kobe adored Jordan and modelled himself on him. As well his mentality. Kobe like Jordan set the bar on what working on your craft meant. The commitment and dedication every day to improve.  

A lesson for young players and coaches. Jordan provided guidance to Kobe, he saw in him similarities and his quality and helped him. But what was important was that Kobe asked questions of him, sought his advice and wanted to learn. How many don’t ask for advice, think they know it all and don’t want to reach out to people who have been there before, who have succeeded?! Trust me, reach out and ask questions, learn and enhance your knowledge. Make new friends who you can call on!

“What you get from me, is from him. He guided me. He gave me such great advice”

Ask and learn. 

Loved it in the All-Star game when Jordan says “That little Laker boy gonna take everbody on one-on-one. He don’t let the game come to him. He just go out there and take it. “

A lesson for young players in sports, a great in Jordan talking of a yoing player and commending this approach, 

‘He don’t let the game come to him. He just go out there and take it.” 

Go and take it, don’t wait. A great lesson from two of the best ever. 

The Whitehouse Address @TheWAddress