Michael Jordan is arguably the highest-profile basketball player to have ever lived. Jordan has enjoyed mythic status from fans and casuals alike for his incredible accomplishments on the basketball court.
Jordan never sought to be such a defining pop culture figure. He once told writer Sam Smith as a youngster that he didn’t want to use the public spotlight for his gain and wanted to be reserved and private instead of a public figure. Smith narrated this to Colin Cowherd.
“He never wanted to be a public figure. He used to talk way early and actually he would tell us, ‘once I’m gone, you’ll never see me again.’ He’s probably the most famous person in the world, maybe the most beloved. But he doesn’t take advantage of that and he never has. For whatever reason, at a young age, in his 20s, he talked about that. ‘This is something I’ll never do, something I’ll never be a part of, I’m not gonna sell myself as a commodity as a product.”
Though Jordan lent his name to a company that made him a billionaire, he has ensured the company runs under an ethos that he fully subscribes to. Jordan rarely gives interviews and tries to enjoy life as privately as he can. The thing is, when you’re Michael Jordan, there is no such thing as privacy. Everyone hounds him whenever possible and tries to get him to open up. He has very few trusted media members that get the honor of sharing his words with the rest of the world. Otherwise, MJ stays under the radar.
His involvement in the NBA may reduce even further, given his recent talk to possibly sell a majority ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets. If MJ becomes a minority owner, we may not even see him courtside as often as we have become used to. If it was in his power, we really might have never heard from him again after retirement. He just went on to become arguably the greatest player ever seen.
The Works By Sam Smith On Michael Jordan
Sam Smith had the inside track to everything that was related to Michael Jordan. Smith wrote one of the best books related to Jordan, the ‘Jordan Rules’, which was published in November 1991. The book chronicles Jordan’s first championship season, where he got past the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons that had invented the ‘Jordan Rules’ to beat MJ down. He persevered and still won, making Smith’s book extremely valuable, given MJ had finally won a ring. Smith claims 90% of publishers declined to take a chance on the book because MJ hadn’t won a ring until 1991.
The book has a controversial past, with many Bulls players not liking how Smith depicted the team and Jordan in particular. Smith defended himself in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.
“This book is about basketball and what happens within a team and a league that draws the attention of millions. It’s an attempt to allow people to look behind those closed curtains of sport. And find what? Human beings with everyday emotions try to do their highly visible jobs as well as they can and confront the obstacles of their relationships and their very lucrative, very public profession. (h/t The Chicago Tribune)
Smith also wrote a book in 1995 titled ‘Second Coming: The Strange Odyssey of Michael Jordan – From Courtside to Home Plate and Back Again,’ discussing Jordan’s decision to leave the NBA and try making a career as a baseball pro.MJ would return to the NBA for the 1994-95 season, making this book another compelling look into the life of the greatest basketball player to have ever lived.
In recent years, Smith has shared multiple insights from Jordan’s perspective. He revealed that MJ’s relationship with Scottie Pippen is not good. He also has repeatedly spoken about LeBron James being behind MJ when it comes to the GOAT conversation.
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.
