I’m proud to say that Michael Jordan and I share the same birthday. I’m quick to share this fact every year on February 17th. Needless to say, I’ve loved every minute of coverage on Michael that’s been shown this past week to celebrate his 50th birthday. The other night I watched the NBA TV special on Jordan titled “One on One with Ahmad Rashad.” The interview gave tremendous insight into what drove Jordan, his competitiveness, his preparation, and his desire to excel. If you didn’t get a chance to see it, I highly recommend you do.
Here are a couple of quotes Jordan that really stood out to me.
Jordan on his last shot as a Chicago Bull. The game winner, pictured above, that clinched his sixth NBA title:
“I practice as if I’m playing a game, so when the moment comes in the game, its not new to me. That’s the beauty of the game of basketball, that’s the reason why you practice, thats the effort. So when you get to that moment you don’t have to think, instinctively things happen.”
Jordan on practice:
“I never feared about my skills because I put in the work. Work ethic eliminates fear. So if you put forth the work, what are you fearing? You know what you’re capable of doing and what you’re not.”
When I see people who are great at what they do, I don’t think about how talented they are. I think about how hard they must’ve worked to be great. Obviously Jordan was talented, but he did everything within his power to maximize his talents. His work ethic and competitiveness are what made him great, not his talent.
“If people knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” – Michelangelo