Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest soccer coaches in the history of the sport. The current Manchester City boss opened up on how he idolized Michael Jordan, revealing the lengths he went to to ensure he watched Jordan and the Bulls play live while he lived in Spain.
“When he was playing in the 90s, I would wake up at 3-4 AM in Barcelona. My wife was sleeping and I was watching the TV because I had the feeling that never again would I see this charisma, this competitor, this talent, and skill all in one person. To lead to win many championships.
Guardiola compared watching Jordan to watching greats from other sports, as these players were all-in-one packages.
“I had the feeling like Tiger Woods, Nadal, Federer, Djokovic. All this package in one person, to do what they do, I don’t know if we’re going to see it again so I didn’t want to miss it, miss one game of his.”
Guardiola was playing soccer in the ’90s for the European superpower FC Barcelona during this time, channeling that winning mentality as a role-playing midfielder. He became a legend of the sport as a coach, winning 38 trophies over his career as a manager, and 16 trophy wins with his current club, Manchester City.
He could add a 39th this season if the City won the English Premier League, his fourth consecutive title win. He might go down as the greatest coach in the history of sports, not just soccer. To be great at that level and demand nothing short of excellence from your team is very Jordan-esque, and the GOAT’s influence is clear on Guardiola.
Jordan’s resume of six titles, six Finals MVPs, a 6-0 Finals record, 10 scoring titles, five regular-season MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year 14 All-Star teams, and 11 All-NBA teams is a true testament to his greatness.
Pep Guardiola Inspired Joe Mazzulla’s Coaching Philosophy
We’ve seen one team rise above the 30 teams in the NBA throughout the season, the Boston Celtics. Joe Mazzulla maximized the talent of his group all season long, demanding the same kind of excellence that Pep Guardiola does from his players as a coach. Mazzulla has called Guardiola one of his major tactical influences, despite their differing sports.
“That is what the game of basketball is about, to me, and what counterattacking in soccer is about. So I study a lot of Man City. I study Pep (Guardiola) a lot. I think he’s the best coach at any level, in any sport. It’s had a huge influence (on me).”
Mazzulla, like Guardiola, recognizes that there are inherent similarities between basketball and soccer that can be applied to both sports.
“I think where basketball and soccer are the same is the transition is happening so fast. You can be on offense and two seconds later, you can be on defense. So the game is constantly changing… To me, regardless of the sport, it could be lacrosse, soccer, or basketball; those one-on-one situations, all fundamentals are the same.”
The best coaches are always willing to look around the world for inspiration. Mazzulla looked at Guardiola, who formed the basis of his competitive nature by being inspired by Jordan. Sports always come full circle, and we’re seeing it this season with the Celtics, who are massive favorites to advance to the NBA Finals.
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