When talking about Michael Jordan, most think about his time with the Chicago Bulls, where he dominated the league and won a plethora of accolades. But before MJ’s journey started in the NBA, he left a great impression during his NCAA days.
Michael Jordan, alongside his coach Dean Smith, carried the North Carolina Tar Heels to success. The duo is regarded as one of the best ever in NCAA history, and there are a plethora of reasons for it.
But MJ once admitted that when he met Smith for the first time, he felt scared and intimidated by the coach.
Via SLAM:
SLAM: What was your reaction to meeting Dean Smith for the first time?
MJ: Scared. Intimidated. I mean, his reputation preceded him. I was pretty nervous about it, but he was easy to talk to. Very knowledgeable. Very caring coach.
While Jordan was scared of Smith due to his reputation, he ended up having a great relationship with the legendary coach.
How Important Was Dean Smith To Michael Jordan?
For most, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. But Jordan didn’t become such a fantastic player overnight. Instead, he improved his game step-by-step during his college days.
It’s easier to get a better idea of it by seeing the legendary letter that was written by Dean Smith to Jordan. The letter had several pointers about what Mike could do to improve his game and become a phenomenal basketball player.
Letter from Dean Smith to Jordan on ways to improve his game. He wasn’t born the best. He became the best. pic.twitter.com/MQoT3whg6z
— Richie Lomurro LOMURRO LAW (@RichLomurro) December 1, 2022
Jordan once claimed that his biggest skill wasn’t his scoring or defense, but it was his ability to learn from different coaches and absorb the knowledge like a sponge. Mike certainly learned a lot from Dean Smith, and when the legendary coach passed away, he thanked him for everything.
Michael Jordan statement on the passing of Dean Smith. pic.twitter.com/zvNgIniu30
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 8, 2015
“Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith. He was more than a coach – he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father. Coach was always there for me whenever I needed him and I loved him for it. In teaching me the game of basketball, he taught me about life. My heart goes out to Linnea and their kids. We’ve lost a great man who had an incredible impact on his players, his staff and the entire UNC family.”
Jordan may have retired from the NBA, but he is still connected to the league. He is currently the controlling owner of the Charlotte Hornets and will one day hope to win an NBA title with the team.
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.
