When you ask any NBA fan or a person who loves basketball about their favorite player, mostly one name will frequently be taken, i.e. Michael Jordan. The icon is recognized by the association and the fans as the greatest basketball player of all time. He is a living legend in the world of basketball. Even after being rejected for his height, he continued to fight for his dream.
During his childhood, Michael had a very close relationship with his father, as both of them had a mutual love for sports. They played baseball together, however, basketball had a special place in Michael’s hearts, and he followed the footsteps of his elder brother, Larry, to accomplish his dream.
Ever since Michael has been competitive in the field. He never quit anything and was addicted to winning. He didn’t like the idea of losing. Subsequently, he took it on his heart when he couldn’t qualify for his high school’s varsity team.
In his sophomore year at Emsley A. Laney High School, Michael tried out for an open position in the basketball varsity team. However, he didn’t have the required height and skill that could let him in. As a result, he couldn’t qualify for the position that year. Instead, the team took someone taller and bigger and it broke his confidence as he thought of himself as a less competent player.
Since then, Michael started going to school earlier than everyone and spent his mornings practicing alone, shooting hoops in the gym. His desire to be the best player made him unstoppable. He became so passionate about his dream that his physical education teachers had to drag him out of the gym when the first-period bell rang.
After being rejected once, he again tried his luck when another spot opened for the basketball varsity team, and because of his determination, he was accepted as a team member. However, it turned into disappointment when he realized that he was barely allowed to play in the interschool games. He was mostly on the bench, handing out water and towels to the tired players.
In 1983, Jordan was selected by consensus to the NCAA All-American First Team in both his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984) seasons. During his playing career, he proved himself by becoming an exceptionally talented shooter and passer, and a tenacious defender. Soon, he was listed among the 50 greatest players of all time by the NBA, and in 2009 he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Michael has missed nearly 9,000 shots in his profession, he has flopped many times, but he says that just because of these failures, he learned to succeed. His prosperity mantra in life was to acknowledge disappointments, but leaving something without attempting was never in his dictionary.
“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”- Michael Jordan
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