Michael Jordan being motivated by slights is well-documented, and the Chicago Bulls legend responded to any form of challenge by ruthlessly decimating his opponent.
One of them was his former Bulls mate BJ Armstrong, who later squared off against him as a Charlotte Hornet in the second round of the 1998 playoffs. All he had to do was fire up Jordan with a celebration, and he did just that, setting the former off.
Netflix and ESPN’s ‘The Last Dance’ showed ample instances of Jordan taking things personally, and while it may have become a meme since it doesn’t change the fact that MJ used those slights as motivation to become a notch better than what he was.
Armstrong, who was with the Hornets after stints with the Bulls and the Golden State Warriors, had a good Game 2 against Chicago in the playoffs, and to show that he still had a bit of fight in him, screamed at the Bulls bench after sinking a game-winning three.
That was all that Jordan needed. The episode also sees him explain why it was important for him to shut Armstrong down.
“I felt like B.J. should know better,” present-day Jordan says in the documentary. “If you’re going to high-five, talk trash, now I had a bone to pick with you. I’m supposed to kill this guy. I’m supposed to dominate this guy and from that point on, I did.”
Jordan finished that series notching up 27, 31, and 33 points in the final three games. He had put his former teammate in the rear-view mirror.
Michael Jordan Didn’t Shy Away From Pushing His Teammates Either
It wasn’t just his competition that would feel his wrath. Jordan’s teammates were in the firing zone if they failed to live up to his expectations, and he made his feelings very clear to them, especially after he was looked at as the natural leader.
The final moments of Episode 7 of ‘The Last Dance’ provided an incredible insight into his leadership tactics.
“When people see this, they gonna say, he wasn’t really a nice guy. he may have been a tyrant. Well, that’s you, because you never won anything. I wanted to win, but I wanted them to win and be a part of that as well. Look, I don’t have to do this. I’m only doing it because it is who I am. That’s how I played the game. That was my mentality. If you don’t wanna play that way… don’t play that way.”
The episode might have hurtled towards an emotional finish, ending with MJ in tears. However, the bigger takeaway was how he was one of the mentally tougher athletes who used anything at his disposal to become a better version of himself on the hardwood.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
