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Jordan Opens Up
Michael Jordan wanted to make it clear that he could do without the fuss. He followed fellow 2009 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Sloan as the face of the Bulls franchise in Chicago. He got to know C. Vivian Stringer very early in his career, and the two have stayed friends ever since. And he played with David Robinson and John Stockton on the greatest team ever assembled -- the 1992 U.S. Olympic Basketball team, aka The Dream Team.
He walked into the Basketball Hall of Fame reminding people he wasn't the only person being enshrined here in Springfield, Mass., on Friday. He wanted to talk, not surprisingly, about the others in his induction class.
But everybody else wanted to hear from him, about him. And try as he might to turn the conversation, Jordan ended up talking more introspectively about himself than we've heard -- and perhaps ever -- first to me during an interview for ESPN in the morning, and then to the largest media gathering in Hall of Fame history.
On the topic of his father, whose violent death in 1993 preceded a brief retirement: "He'd probably like to be standing here answering all your questions. He loved to speak for me. ... I've learned from him. He taught me well. If he was here today, I'm pretty sure he'd be living it up. And I think he'd be very proud of what I've done over my career and the choices that I've made, good and bad. It's like any father: He would probably have a face of elation and joy about things I've achieved in my career. He is here in spirit; I know that."
On whether he covets the label of "Greatest Player Ever": "People say I was the greatest ever to play to the game. I cringe a little bit. I receive it as an opinion. But for me personally, I never played against Jerry West. I never played against Elgin Baylor. I never played against Wilt Chamberlain. Yeah, I would've loved to. But to say I'm better than those people is not for me to decide. I'm happy for the accomplishments and what people might say. But just to be a part of that debate is a privilege. But I would never give myself that type of accolade because I never competed against everybody in this Hall of Fame."
On comparisons between him and Kobe Bryant and LeBron James: "I see some resemblance. That's the evolution of basketball. When I was coming up, it was always comparisons to Dr. J. I was a big Walter Davis fan. Obviously you guys know my relationship with David Thompson. How can you not see a resemblance of yourself in Kobe Bryant and LeBron James? They're going to be fun.
"But don't be a rush to try to find the next Michael Jordan. There's not going to be another Michael Jordan. I say that in a way that times are different, the games are different, the desire to have that type of player is different. People are constantly trying to find the next Michael Jordan. First of all, you didn't find me. I just happened to come along. And the next thing you know, here I am. So you didn't have to find me. And you won't have to find that next person. It's going to happen. And I'm pretty sure you guys are going to recognize it. If you haven't already, in due time you'll know. And I think those guys have strong potential to be better than Michael Jordan down the road. They're going to create their own name, their own persona. So just give it time."
On Phil Jackson: "You never know what to expect from Phil. He challenged me. He challenged me at times I needed to be challenged. Mentally, he made me expand my outlook about the game, my perception of my teammates and what to expect from them. He put me in difficult positions in dealing with other players such as Dennis Rodman, but I was able to come around. That was a great learning experience for me. He's very deserving to be in the Hall of Fame.
"It doesn't surprise me that he's still successful with the Lakers. Because I think his makeup is taking personalities and blending those personalities together. The basketball talent was already there. I think you guys realize that before Phil got to the Lakers, they had the same personnel. It's amazing when he got there how successful that personnel became because he was able to blend those personalities together. That's his strong point. He did it for us. I would imagine he's going to continue doing it until he gets tired. He impacted my career. He helped me improve as a player and person."
I told Jordan my favorite "Michael Jordan moments" were the shot over Craig Ehlo to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the deciding game of a 1989 first-round playoff series, and the "sick game" against Utah during the 1997 NBA Finals. Jordan said he can't choose.
"It would be like saying, "Which of your children do you love more? ... They're all part of my career."
But Jordan did say the best game he ever played in was a Dream Team scrimmage in Monte Carlo, where Jordan led a team that included Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen in a game of epic effort, intensity and artistry against Magic Johnson's team, which included Charles Barkley, David Robinson and Karl Malone.
"That's the best game I've played in ... The best."
Editors Note: View Wilbon's interview with Jordan for ESPN.
Michael Wilbon
| September 11, 2009; 2:42 PM ET | Category: Hall of Fame , Michael Jordan , NBA Save & Share:
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Posted by: kenzoan13 | September 16, 2009 9:40 AM
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Jordan by all accounts acted like a total douche during his HOF speach, funny that Wilbon was the only columnist to give him a pass, what a starf*****.
Posted by: PowerBoater69 | September 12, 2009 7:00 PM
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I guess my reaction has been to feel sorry for Jordan after reading his remarks. His attitude seems to be "me against the world," which has been explained by Wilbon and other Jordan defenders as his motivation, his competitive spirit. That's fine for basketball or the golf course, but if you view life itself as a competition, then that's all it will ever be - a struggle to be number one. He really doesn't have to prove anything to anyone except himself, and if - after all this time - he's still hanging on to all the animosity, all that anger then that's just sad. It's one thing to use anger as motivation, but it seems like it might also use you if you're not careful.