Michael Jordan would use any and every action from his opponents as motivation to outperform them. Jordan was an incredible competitor, and would not tolerate anyone trying to outperform them on the court.
Building around Jordan, the Bulls were able to establish a dynasty during the 1990s, winning 6 of the possible 10 championships that decade.
Jordan was without a doubt the most pivotal figure during those championships, winning all 6 Finals MVPs. In fact, Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal are the only players to win 3 consecutive NBA championships and Finals MVPs in history.
But what happened when an opposition player tried to outdo Jordan? Well more often than not, they would feel his wrath. MJ, as the running joke goes, took everything personally, and would make it his mission to embarrass those who tried to get the better of him on the court.
This is what former NBA player and coach Mark Jackson experienced. During a game against the Bulls and the Knicks, Jackson stole the ball from MJ and got fouled, but still proceeded to make a run to the hoop while sticking his tongue out, something Jordan was known to do.
Jackson admitted that it was the biggest mistake he had ever made in his career, and attributed it to him being ‘young and dumb’, and the Knicks beating the Bulls at that point of the game.
“Just young and dumb. I had a moment”
“I thought we had every answer because we were rolling… It was a mistake. Like MJ said in the documentary, he takes all of that and uses it as fuel. He did that and took over the game.”
For Jordan, his ultimate aim each time he took to the court was to be the best player on the court. And he made sure that he was with incredible performances on both the offensive and the defensive end of the court.
Jordan’s competitive nature allowed him to establish himself as the greatest player of all time. He could perform better than any other player on the court. And sometimes, he would even try to outperform entire teams by himself. Such was the greatness of ‘His Airness’.
