Michael Jordan is one of the most aggressive competitors the world of sports has ever seen. Jordan’s competitive will carried him to six NBA Championships and six Finals MVPs, cementing his status as the greatest player in the history of that sport. You can’t achieve at a level like Jordan if you don’t approach everything in life with the same competitiveness you’d approach a basketball game.
Jordan having this mindset was evident when he was once shot on video as part of a card trick executed by world-famous magician David Blaine. Jordan instantly tries to trick the magician by pretending to shuffle the deck, showing how competitive Jordan is when it comes to getting one over on someone.
Michael Jordan even wanted to win at a card trick
He tried to trick David Blaine 😂 pic.twitter.com/i9pG6JdwcR
— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@DieHardCBfans) April 3, 2025
The fake shuffling didn’t confuse anyone, as Blaine introduced some incredible real-life twists, which completely suspended any belief. Jordan knew he was heading into a battle of wits that was rigged against him against a magician, so he tried not to play into his expectations to see if he could control the outcome. Unfortunately, he couldn’t.
The outcomes he could control or at least influence were ones he usually managed to cash out on. His will was good enough to make him the best at anything he was skilled at, as evidenced by what he achieved on the basketball court.
Alongside his six championships and Finals MVPs, he also had five MVP trophies, 14 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA appearances, nine All-Defensive selections, the 1998 Defensive Player of the Year award, and 10 scoring titles. These are just scratching the accolades of Jordan’s career, who is still heralded as the greatest of all time.
His unmatchable competitive spirit clearly aided his conquests on the court, and it wasn’t a switch he could turn off and on. That was who he was, as he averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals over a wonderful career.
Michael Jordan Had Supreme Competitiveness Since College
What we saw over his career and what we saw in the clip with David Blaine is a man who was always the most competitive person in the room. The first time that started to become clear to him was in college at the University of North Carolina.
His then-teammate Kenny Smith revealed how his competitive streak was just as alive in college as it was in the NBA and beyond.
“Every time we win and we go get water, I watch Mike, and he’s standing in the middle of center court. I walk up to him and, ‘What you doin?’ He’s like, ‘I want the mother*****rs to know that I’m never leaving the court. Imma be the first to stand here and the last.’”
“He was the first dude that I met that could back up his trash, like every day. Every day! Always the talker and always backed it up, though.”
His competitive spirit opened up doors that basketball players never knew existed before he opened them. His impact on the game is indelible on and off the court, and all that success can be boiled down to one thing. His relentlessly competitive spirit.
