Michael Jordan was a competitor the likes of which we rarely see in the NBA. Jordan was driven by the idea of winning more than any other aspect of basketball. Many argue that most, if not all of Jordan’s success is because of his unmatched desire to win.
Jordan has put up astronomical numbers throughout the course of his career. He was a statistical anomaly, having achieved so much in his legendary career. In fact, he led the NBA in scoring 10 times between 1986 and 1998, showing to the world why he was arguably the greatest scorer in the history of the game.
But despite his statistical war chest, Jordan was never too concerned with stats. In fact, there were only two statistical categories that mattered to him. In an interview that has recently resurfaced, MJ explained why the only stats that mattered to him were wins and championship rings.
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“Well, that never drove me. Stats only add up. When you put in the effort, you don’t worry about it. Good things happen if people work hard. If I’d play for the stats, I’d never retire in 1993? Or I’d still be chasing all-time Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring lead. That doesn’t drive me. Sure, it defines to some extent for people who don’t know me. 20 years from now, we never know who Michael Jordan really is. But based on the stats, he must’ve been pretty decent. Those are the only ways that I look at stats. It’s all about winning championships and winning. The stats that matter to me is games that we win and rings that you collect.”
Jordan knew that numbers did not define his legacy. This is why he could walk away from the game on three different occasions, and be satisfied with his career. The only reason he did return was in the hunt for more championship glory and in order to help the Wizards during his final run in the league.
Jordan’s stats are unbelievable. So much so, that MJ has even outscored 268 of his 269 playoff opponents.
But even he would argue that those stats would be empty if they didn’t lead to any tangible success. Jordan won 6 NBA championships, including 2 three-peats in his career, and was undefeated in the NBA Finals. While his numbers were great, it is his championship pedigree that defines his legacy.
