Michael Jordan
Retired professional basketball player who played 11 season for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and 2 seasons for the Washington Wizards.
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I was in Chicago in 1994 and at this time I had no thoughts of coming back and playing the game of basketball, Bryon Russell came over to me and said, "Why'd you quit? You know I could guard you." When I did come back in 1995 and we played Utah in '96, I'm at the center circle and Bryon Russell is standing next to me. I said, "You remember what you said in 1994 about, 'I think I can guard you, I can shut you down, I would love to play against you?' Well, you're about to get your chance."
Once Michael gets up there he says, "Well, maybe I’ll just hang up here in the air for a while, just sit back." Then all of a sudden, he says, "Well, maybe I’ll 360. No, I changed my mind. I’ll go up on the other side." He’s just incredible.
Number 45 doesn't explode like Number 23 used to.
I can remember a game, we were down with about 5 to 10 points, I go off about 25 points, we come back and win the game, we're walking off the floor. Tex (Winter) looks at me and says "There's no "I" in team!" I looked at Tex and say, "There's not, but there's an 'I' in win!"
This is a day that I had hoped would never come. It has to be the toughest day in the history of the Chicago Bulls. It's a tough day for Chicago.
To me, Jordan is the god of Basketball, and I think he will always be.
(In 1985, Jordan broke his foot and the team wanted to limit his return for fear of worsening the injury) The [Bulls] came up with this whole theory you can play seven minutes a game when I'm practicing two hours a day... I didn’t agree with that math. I wanted to play. I wanted to make the playoffs. [...] Jerry [Reinsdorf] said, "Let me ask if you had a headache and" - there was a 10 percent chance then I’d reinjure my ankle - "and you've got 10 tablets and one of them is coated with cyanide, would you take it?" I looked at him and said, "How bad is the headache?" Jerry looked at me and said, "I guess that's a good answer, you can go back and play."
I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.
Michael Jordan is sort of...the hip-hop version of Dr. J
I'm retired 99.9%. Of course, there always is that .1%.
You don't hesitate with Michael, or you'll end up on some poster in a gift shop someplace.
I set another goal … a reasonable, manageable goal that I could realistically achieve if I worked hard enough. I approached everything step by step.
I've reached the pinnacle of my career. I just feel that I don't have anything else to prove.
[Jerry Krause] said organizations win championships. I said, "I didn't see organizations playing with the flu in Utah."
Can I still dunk... Are you stupid?
There will be a player greater than me.
That play was “Give the ball to Michael and everyone else get the fuck out of the way.”
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