If you haven't read Michael Jordan, ‘How to Be Like Mike: Life Lessons About Basketball’s Best’ by Pat Williams, it is an absolute must read for all players and coaches. If you don't have it, get it on amazon for pennies here.
Day 23 – What Made Michael the Greatest
Today’s plan is to read about Jordan and his traits, attitude and preparation; in hopes of understanding how Jordan approached the game. He is considered the greatest basketball player of all time. One of my favorite quotes is "The smart take from the strong". Why wouldn't you take things that helped make MJ so successful?
Williams interviews hundreds of people who know Jordan best. The quotes, stories and anecdotes are remarkable. Here’s some Jordan thoughts:
Fundamentals:
The minute you get away from them, the bottom can fall out. Understand the building blocks. There is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Don’t skip steps. If you take shortcuts, sooner or later they will be exposed.
Fears
Fear is an illusion. Don’t think of the consequences. You have to be aggressive. Get out there and go for it. You think something is standing in your way but there isn’t.
Leadership:
If you don’t back it up with performance and hard work, talking doesn’t mean a thing. Lead by example. A leader can’t make excuses. Stand for what you believe.
Commitment:
There are no shortcuts. Put in the work, the results will come. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it…Stick to your plan.
Teamwork:
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. It’s a selfless process.
Michael Jordan was always looking to become a smarter basketball player. He understood that this would give him an edge on the court.
“Michael had that rare capacity to be a genius who constantly wanted to upgrade his genius.”
