Quote:
Originally Posted by link
Thanks for the links. I've never heard Jordan speak more than a minute before.
I didn’t see anything wrong or disparaging in Jordan’s comments. His context and his entire speech was about his competitive nature. He was reflecting on a wide range of events where he performed when sick or injured, or otherwise felt himself an underdog. And he cited those as examples of where he outperformed others, who he admired.
Part of his summary was that he wanted his competitors to know he was worthy of being inducted. And his speech was about the many many many world class teachers and athletes whose motivation he desperately needed.
I was in competitive sports while in school. You do learn a lot from your opponents and teachers and your fiercest competitors teach you the most. That is exactly what he was discussing and doing so in a laudatory way.
I think author cited at the top completely missed the intent of Jordan’s comments or otherwise has a chip on his shoulder.
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Having watched the speech, I do wonder if the author had a grudge. OTOH, it did seem like a long list of grievances.
One part that really struck me as petty was his flying the guy who kept a spot on the varsity in high school ahead of him. Jordan was a sophomore at the time, not sure about the other guy, Leroy Smith, he was an upperclassman is all I could find, but if he was a senior, oh golly, a sophomore playing second fiddle to a senior. How tragic.
Who knows, maybe playing against the guy did him some good, but Jordan's recollection is apparently only that he was slighted and he was going to show them.
Another part of the original piece that struck me was this:
When Jordan should’ve thanked the Bulls’ ex-GM, Jerry Krause, for surrounding him with championship coaches and talent, he ridiculed him. It was me, Jordan was saying. Not him. “The organization didn’t play with the flu in Utah,” Jordan grumbled.
For Jordan to let someone else share in the Bulls’ dynasty never will diminish his greatness. Just enhance it. Only, he’s 46 years old and he still doesn’t get it. Yes, Jordan did gush over Scottie Pippen, but he failed to confess that he had wanted Krause to draft North Carolina’s Joe Wolf. Sometimes, no one is better with half a story, half a truth, than Jordan. All his life, no one’s ever called him on it.
A remark saying that 'the organization wins games, not the players' was attributed to Krause though he claims he never said it. I dunno, just seemed a bit petty. That someone could make a fortune playing a game they enjoy seems like quite a deal, and it couldn't happen w/o a front office, an owner, etc. But to Jordan, they're a bunch of punks.
I found this site about the guy Leroy Smith, the guy who beat him out for the spot in high school. The guy is apparently trying hard to make a buck off of his association with Jordan, who knows, maybe Jordan is a bit put off by it.
http://www.getyourbasketballon.com/home/index.html#/smith