Many of the NBA’s greatest players have made the transition from the court to the sidelines, and many have been relatively successful at it, too. Pat Riley, Wes Unseld, Kurt Rambis, and Elgin Baylor are just a few names who fit this mold.
Considering the amount of success Michael Jordan achieved over his career, many have wondered why he has (so far) refused the coaching mantle.
According to what the Bulls legend told Cigar Aficionado’s Marvin R. Shanken, he lacks patience.
“I have no patience for coaching. My biggest problem from a competitive standpoint is the focus of today’s athlete and the focus where I saw the game, how I pursued the game — it changes and it’s totally different,” Jordan said.
“For me to ask an individual to focus on the game the way I played the game, in some ways would be unfair for that kid that would have to endure that. If he didn’t do it, there is no telling where my emotions would be. I don’t think I would have the patience for it. So in essence, coaching is something that I’ve never really felt I could do from an emotional standpoint because I’m much different and I have a different perception about things than what the kids do today.”
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is still regarded today as basketball’s greatest player, and not only for what he was able to do on the court.
His drive, work ethic, and killer mentality often gave him a mental edge over his opponents — and brought the best out of his teammates, who fed off the energy.
To expect the same dedication of another player, in this day-and-age, seems too large of an ask for Jordan, who says he just wouldn’t have the patience to deal with it.
Instead, he has inserted himself into the ownership circle as the majority owner of the Hornets. For us NBA fans, that’s probably the most we’ll ever see from Jordan in regards to his involvement in the league at this point. But, hey, that’s better than nothing, right?
