In this episode, the hosts reflect on Michael Jordan's unparalleled basketball career and the transformative journey that led to his success. Jordan's relentless work ethic, competitive drive, and dedication to improvement are highlighted as key factors in his rise from a "country boy from Wilmington" to a global sports icon and successful businessman. The discussion delves into Jordan's early life, his father's influence, and pivotal moments that shaped his mindset, including his notorious practice intensity and ability to learn from past greats. The episode also touches on Jordan's foray into baseball, his return to basketball, and his eventual role as a team owner, illustrating the complexities of maintaining a winning team and the personal struggles that accompany fame and loss. Jordan's story is a testament to the power of perseverance, the importance of being coachable, and the impact of nurturing both mind and body for success.
"Two quick things before we jump into this podcast. Number one, this book changed my life." Speaker A testifies to the life-changing effect of a book, emphasizing its significance.
"This podcast almost two years ago." Speaker B provides context on the podcast's original release date.
"I'm reposting it today in case you missed it the first time." Speaker A explains the reason for reposting the podcast, aiming to reach new listeners.
"If you already heard it, it's worth listening to again." Speaker B suggests that the content has enduring value, meriting a second listen.
"And number two, I recommend you sign up for the private AMA feed that I have." Speaker A introduces the private AMA feed as a recommended resource for listeners.
"I've been making short episodes every week." Speaker B shares the frequency of content creation for the AMA feed.
"Based on questions that I get from other members. If you become a member, you'll be able to ask me questions directly." Speaker A outlines the interactive nature of the AMA feed, with direct questioning possible for members.
"There's actually a private email address that you get access to in the confirmation email. I read every single email that comes in myself." Speaker A emphasizes the personal attention given to member inquiries via a private email address.
"You'll also be able to learn from the questions of other members, and you can also add your name and a link to your website with your question so other members can check out what you're working on." Speaker A describes the collaborative learning environment and self-promotion opportunity within the membership.
"That feature alone is worth the investment." Speaker A asserts the value of the membership based on the features described.
"I've made 27 of these episodes so far." Speaker B provides a specific count of AMA episodes created, indicating ongoing commitment to the feed.
"It took the fewest of words to set him off, sometimes nothing more than the faintest trace of a smirk." The quote illustrates Jordan's acute sensitivity to even the smallest perceived insults.
"He would seize on apparently meaningless cracks or gestures and plunge them deep into his heart until they glowed radioactively, the nuclear fuel rods of his great fire." The quote metaphorically describes how Jordan internalized minor slights as major sources of motivation.
"Only much later would the public come to understand just how incapable he was of letting go of even the tiniest details." The quote suggests that Jordan's inability to dismiss small details was not initially understood by the public.
"Many observers mistakenly thought that these affronts were laughable things of Michael's own manufacture little devices to spur his competitive juices, and that he would jokingly toss them aside when he was done with them after he had rung another sweaty victory from the evening." The quote indicates a common misconception about Jordan's use of perceived slights as temporary motivational tools.
"But he could not let them go any more than he could shed his right arm. They were as organic to his being as his famous tongue." The quote emphasizes the deep-seated nature of Jordan's reaction to slights, comparing them to an inseparable part of his identity.
"Many of the things that deeply offended Michael Jordan were hardly the stuff of stinging rebuke, except perhaps the very first one, which, as it later turned out, was the most important of all. Just go in the house with the women." The quote identifies a particularly memorable insult from Jordan's father that had a profound impact on him.
"Of the millions of sentences that James Jordan uttered to his youngest son, this one was the one that glowed neon bright across the decades, his father's mean words had activated deep within some errant strain of dna, a mutation of competitive nature so strong as to almost seem titanium." The quote conveys the long-lasting and powerful effect of James Jordan's words on Michael's competitive drive.
"Years later, during the early days of his NBA career, he confessed that it was his father's early treatment of him and his dad's declaration of his worthlessness that became the driving force that motivated him." The quote reveals that Jordan attributed his motivation to succeed to his father's early negative assessment of his worth.
"Each accomplishment that he achieved was his battle cry for defeating his father's negative opinions of him. Michael paid him back again and again by achieving so much in a life that his father could never hope to grasp." The quote describes Jordan's accomplishments as a response to his father's criticism, suggesting a desire to surpass his father's expectations.
"That is what offspring of disapproving fathers often do. Without even realizing it, they lock in on an answer and deliver it over and over, confirming that they do not need to just go in the house." The quote generalizes the behavior of children with disapproving fathers, implying a subconscious drive to prove themselves.
"And they continue to confirm it even after the father has gone to dust, as if they are unconsciously yelling across time in an argument with the old man." The quote suggests that the drive to disprove a disapproving father's opinions can persist even after the father's death, as a timeless internal conflict.
"Today, which is Michael Jordan, the life. And it was written by Roland Lazenby." Speaker A names the book and author that are the focus of the podcast.
"Remember that part about his father for the end?" Speaker B hints at the importance of Michael Jordan's relationship with his father to the book's narrative.
"So before I jump into the book." Speaker A signals the transition to discussing the book's content.
"I'm going to tell you why I wanted to do this book. One, I would say I've looked up to Michael Jordan since I was a little kid." Speaker A expresses a long-standing admiration for Michael Jordan as a personal hero.
"If I look back, he's probably the first hero I ever had. And so I had a deep personal interest in learning more about him." Speaker A's interest in Michael Jordan is rooted in childhood and fueled by a desire for deeper understanding.
"Coco Chanel, she went from orphan to the richest woman in the world by the time she died." Speaker A cites Coco Chanel's remarkable transformation from an orphan to immense wealth.
"Part of her doing that is signing a deal where she got two and a half percent of gross sales, worldwide gross sales for all the Chanel perfumes, which is one of the most successful commercial, most commercially successful products ever created." Speaker B details the specifics of Coco Chanel's deal that contributed to her wealth.
"That gave her an income. If it was adjusted in today's dollars. She was getting paid this starting in the 1940s." Speaker A contextualizes Chanel's income in contemporary terms, emphasizing its magnitude.
"It'd be the equivalent of if you made $300 million a year in today's dollars, and the company had to pay for every single one of your living expenses." Speaker B illustrates the scale of Chanel's earnings and the lack of living expenses she had to cover.
"Another example of this is that's hard to believe, is that Steven Spielberg gets 2% of all ticket sales at Universal theme parks." Speaker A introduces another example of an extraordinary deal, this time involving filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
"So without having to do anything else, that's estimated to bring him about $50 to $75 million a year." Speaker B quantifies Spielberg's passive income from the theme parks, highlighting its substantial size.
"And then you have Jordan, which we'll talk about today. The Jordan brand, he gets 5% of gross sales for the Jordan brand." Speaker A brings the focus to Michael Jordan's financial arrangement with the Jordan brand.
"The most recent numbers I found was 3.6 billion a year in sales, which would mean he makes about 180,000,000." Speaker B provides figures on the Jordan brand's sales and Jordan's corresponding earnings.
"He made $180,000,000." Speaker A reiterates Jordan's earnings to emphasize the point.
"And so I just want to bring that to your attention, because it's just a reminder that life is unpredictable." Speaker B reflects on the unpredictability of life, as demonstrated by the examples given.
"Coco started out as an orphan. Steven Spielberg started out as a 17-year-old kid trying to get an internship on universal lot." Speaker A contrasts the humble beginnings of Chanel and Spielberg with their eventual success.
"And as Jordan says in the book and in interviews, he just started out as a poor country boy from Wilmington, North Carolina." Speaker B cites Jordan's self-description, aligning it with the theme of unpredictable success.
"And there's a sentence in the prologue that I think speaks to just how unbelievable life can be. And it's a quote from Jordan." Speaker A introduces a significant quote from the book's prologue that captures the essence of life's unpredictability.
"And he says, sometimes I wonder what it will be like to look back on all of this, whether it will even seem real." Speaker B quotes Jordan, who expresses wonder about the reality of his experiences when reflecting on them in the future.
"And so I want to stay in the prologue." Speaker A signals a continued focus on the book's prologue.
"There's a bunch of just one liners that I think will prompt a lot of thoughts." Speaker B suggests that the prologue contains thought-provoking one-liners.
"The note left myself on this one is this is a one sentence summary of Michael Jordan: His competence was exceeded only by his confidence." Speaker A shares a personal note summarizing Jordan's defining traits: exceptional competence and even greater confidence.
"And what's interesting is we'll see that the confidence he had later in his career was very real." Speaker B acknowledges the authenticity of Jordan's confidence during the later stages of his career.
"The confidence he had when he was in high school, maybe even early days of college, a lot of that was just him hyping himself up to convince himself to some degree." Speaker A contrasts Jordan's mature confidence with his earlier self-hype, suggesting it was partly a facade.
"You could say it's a false confidence to convince himself that he can compete with the very best." Speaker B characterizes Jordan's early confidence as somewhat artificial, aimed at self-persuasion of his abilities.
"So he had this fake external confidence that acted as fuel and covered up internal doubts." Speaker A explains that Jordan's outward confidence served as a motivational tool while concealing his uncertainties.
"Another line for you. And then I left myself, is this is something I want to copy." Speaker A expresses a desire to emulate a particular trait or practice mentioned in the book.
"I was on the phone with a friend of mine having a conversation about what I was learning in this book, because he's a huge Jordan fan as well." Speaker B shares a personal anecdote about discussing the book's insights with a fellow Jordan enthusiast.
"And when I talked about Jordan having this trait that I'm about to reach you, he's like, this is something that I'm extremely interested in hearing about." Speaker A recounts a friend's keen interest in learning about a specific aspect of Jordan's character.
"This is something I'm extremely interested in copying. He says he worked at his game, and if he wasn't good at something, he had the motivation to be the best at it." Speaker B quotes a passage that highlights Jordan's drive to excel, particularly in areas where he initially lacked proficiency.
"The method he used for improvement was a complete and utter dedication to practice." Speaker A identifies Jordan's method for improvement as an unwavering commitment to practice.
"Which is another main theme of the book that I'm going to talk about a lot about, because I think there's so many parallels between how Jordan prepared for his basketball career that we can use in our work." Speaker B draws parallels between Jordan's preparation for basketball and applicable lessons for listeners' professional endeavors.
"In fact, I started reading another book on him and he talks about that in the prologue of this other book I have, where it's just like, it's the same approach I used for basketball, I used to approach to building the Jordan brand." Speaker A cites another book on Jordan, reinforcing the consistency of his approach across different areas of his life.
"It's the same thing." Speaker B affirms the uniformity of Jordan's strategy in basketball and business.
"Another trait that he had was the fact that he was very interested in seeing what is the limits of my potential." Speaker A points out Jordan's curiosity about the extent of his own abilities.
"And so it says, mostly, he tested himself. It seemed that he discovered the secret quite early in his competitive life." Speaker B quotes a passage that describes Jordan's self-testing as an integral part of his competitive nature.
"The more pressure he heaped on himself, the greater his ability to rise to the occasion." Speaker A highlights the positive correlation between the pressure Jordan placed on himself and his performance in high-stakes situations.
"Tex winner, who worked with Jordan longer than any other coach, said he had never encountered a more complicated figure." Speaker A quotes Tex Winter's assessment of Jordan as an exceptionally complex individual.
"He is a mystery man in an awful lot of ways, and I think he will always be, maybe even to himself." Speaker B relays Winter's view of Jordan as a perpetual enigma, potentially even to Jordan himself.
"And so the note I left myself on this page is, after reading 700 pages about him, I feel this way, too." Speaker A shares a personal note acknowledging the persistent mystery surrounding Jordan despite extensive research.
"I've talked to you about this in the past, that one of the great things about reading biographies is you're spending, in some cases, 15. I mean, I spent 30 hours reading this book." Speaker B discusses the time investment in reading biographies and the expectation of understanding the subject.
"This is a gigantic book. I wish you could see how many notes I have. It's insane." Speaker A emphasizes the book's size and the extensive note-taking involved in the reading process.
"But normally, when you get to the end of that kind of experience, you feel you know the person or you have an idea of who they are." Speaker B expresses the typical outcome of feeling acquainted with a biography's subject after reading.
"I don't feel I know who Jordan is. I know about his drive, his competitive spirit. I know about the traits that I want to emulate and use in my own career." Speaker A acknowledges understanding aspects of Jordan's character but not grasping his essence as a person.
"But Jordan the person is still very misunderstood, even to me, and an enigma." Speaker B concludes that Jordan remains a misunderstood and enigmatic figure despite extensive study.
"So not only did I read. So let me tell you how I prepared for this podcast, too." Speaker A begins to explain the comprehensive preparation process for the podcast episode.
"Before I sat down to speak to you, I read close to 700 pages, took probably over 100 notes on the book." Speaker A describes the substantial amount of reading and note-taking done in preparation.
"I also rewatched the ten part series, the documentaries on Netflix called the Last Dance, which covers mainly Jordan's last year." Speaker B mentions rewatching a documentary series that provides an overview of Jordan's career and personal life.
"But it also gives an entire overview of his career and his early life. It's a ten hour documentary." Speaker A adds detail about the documentary's comprehensive coverage of Jordan's life.
"And then what I did is because a lot of people talk about his retirement or, excuse me, his induction into the hall of Fame, his speech." Speaker B brings up another aspect of the research, focusing on Jordan's Hall of Fame induction speech.
"I watched that speech twice,
"What is Jordan's varsity coach or potential coach telling him? You're not good enough to be on my team. So Sam Walton, Kanye, Michael Jordan all." "How they reacted made all the difference, and it was very similar."
The quote highlights the common experience of rejection faced by Walton, Kanye, and Jordan and emphasizes the importance of their reactions to this rejection in shaping their successful futures.
"Or I could use my arrogance as the steam to power my dreams. I use it as my gas. So they say that I'm gassed, but without it, I'd be last. So I ought to laugh."
The quote conveys the idea that arrogance, often criticized, can be a positive force when channeled into ambition and the pursuit of success.
"My motto is very personal, land said, and may not fit with anyone else, don't do anything that someone else can do."
This quote from Edwin Land resonated with Jordan, who also strived to accomplish feats that others could not, further driving his motivation and success.
"The best description of this that I've ever found came from the first autobiography James Dyson read, or excuse me, wrote against the odds."
The quote refers to James Dyson's approach to using challenges as a source of motivation, similar to how other successful figures have leveraged their difficult experiences.
"The greatest reason Jordan was successful in those first months at Chapel Hill was his ability to listen to his coaches."
This quote emphasizes Jordan's willingness to learn and be coached, which was even more impressive than his physical talents.
"Give it all to the kid. Give it all to Jordan."
Vicaro's advice to Nike to put their entire endorsement budget into Michael Jordan was a pivotal moment that led to the creation of the Jordan brand.
"He came to practice every day like it was game seven of the NBA Finals."
This quote highlights Jordan's unparalleled work ethic and his approach to practice with the same seriousness as the most crucial games.
"Talent renders the whole idea of rehearsal meaningless. When you find something which you're talented, you do it, whatever it is, until your fingers bleed or your eyes are ready to fall out of your head."
This quote by Stephen King suggests that when a person has a natural talent for something, they will engage in it intensely and passionately, to the point of exhaustion, without the need for traditional rehearsal.
"I'm showing up to practice 45 minutes early. When I'm in practice, I'm practicing like it's game seven in the NBA Finals. And then when it's over, I'm pulling in coaches and teammates and saying, teach me more, teach me more, teach me more."
This quote illustrates Michael Jordan's exceptional work ethic, as he would arrive early, practice with the intensity of a final game, and constantly seek additional knowledge from coaches and teammates.
"In 91, I was young, full of energy, and hungry. In 1998... that's where the craftsmanship came in. I think 98 was much better than any of the other years because of how I was able to use my mind as well as my body."
Jordan reflects on his career progression, indicating that while his early years were driven by physicality, his later success was due to a combination of mental and physical skills, with an emphasis on craftsmanship.
"All you needed was one little match to start that whole fire."
This quote metaphorically describes how Jordan's presence and influence were the catalysts that ignited the Bulls' transformation into a highly successful team.
"Nike would ring up an astounding $150,000,000 in Air Jordan sales over the first three years, which in turn brought Jordan the first wave of profound personal wealth."
This quote highlights the financial success of the Air Jordan brand, which thrived even amidst the NBA's ban, leading to significant earnings for Michael Jordan and Nike.
"I earned Larry Bird's respect. To me, that showed me I was on the right track. That was the biggest compliment I had at that particular time."
Jordan values the respect of an esteemed peer like Larry Bird as a significant form of validation for his performance and trajectory in the NBA.
"I'm going to turn the offense over to Tex and I'm going to run the triangle."
This quote signifies Phil Jackson's strategic decision to focus on defense and allow Tex Winter to teach the triangle offense, setting the stage for the Bulls' future championships.
"It's the moment, man. It's the moment that Zen Buddhism shit. Get in the moment and stay there."
Jordan's quote underscores the importance of being present and focused, a principle of Zen Buddhism that Phil Jackson introduced to the team, which contributed to their success.
"The more he learned about it, the more he saw how steadfastly Tex believed in it... And it was like a gold mine."
This quote reflects on the initial skepticism and eventual realization of the value in the triangle offense, which required patience and a willingness to embrace a new philosophy for greater long-term success.
"I was crying and screaming, he recalled. There's that pain. Excellence is often the capacity for taking pain. I made up my mind right then and there, and it would never happen again."
This quote captures a pivotal moment of frustration and resolve in Jordan's career, where he commits to overcoming obstacles and achieving excellence through enduring and learning from pain.
"So this is where he learns to trust John Paxton." "Paxton would make five long buckets in the final four minutes as time and time again, Jordan penetrated, drew the defense."
These quotes emphasize how Jordan's trust in his teammate Paxton, developed through practice, allowed the Bulls to secure a championship win. It illustrates the payoff of teamwork and diligent practice.
"They didn't realize how hard they were working and the dedication they had to their craft that others didn't."
This quote illustrates the moment of realization for Jordan and Pippen that their work ethic set them apart from their peers, which was a key factor in their success.
"Clyde was a threat. I'm not saying he wasn't a threat, but me being compared to him, I took offense to that."
This quote shows how Jordan used the comparison to Drexler as a personal challenge to prove himself superior, highlighting his competitive drive.
"Jordan had been surprised to learn how lazy many of his Olympic teammates were about practice, how they were deceiving themselves about what the game required."
This quote captures Jordan's realization that not all players shared his commitment to practice, which he believed was essential for success.
"Kerr was stunned by the way Jordan seized control of the entire team's mental state, for better or worse."
This quote reflects on Jordan's dominant influence on the team's psyche and his uncompromising approach to leadership.
"I have always been a practice player. I believe in it."
This quote underlines Jordan's belief in the power of practice and its role in his success both on and off the court.
"There were certain days where you're exhausted and Michael doesn't need rest. He doesn't sleep even today."
This quote illustrates Jordan's exceptional drive and determination, which he maintained throughout his career and beyond.
"It is also not hard to imagine on those nights that Jordan's thoughts veered toward fantasy, or at least visualization, settling on the best thing that he could ever hope to find as an owner."
This quote reflects on Jordan's continued aspirations and the emotional weight of his father's influence on his life and career.