Last Updated on August 9, 2024
The saying “fall down seven times, stand up eight” perfectly describes the life and career of basketball legend Michael Jordan. The world’s most influential athlete is not one to rest on his laurels, his passion extending beyond basketball.
Kids today may only know him as the man behind the iconic Nike Air Jordan sneaker line. For the kids of the ’90s, he was the only athlete to play ball with and for Looney Tunes. And for the kids of the ’80s, Michael Jordan was the player that boosted the NBA to the popularity it has now.
Over the years, Michael Jordan has given back to the community through several sizeable donations, supported many foundations, and pushed for the societal advancement of minorities. If you don’t know Michael Jordan that well, let us take a journey into his life.
Childhood and Growing Up
Michael Jeffrey Jordan was the middle child of James and Delores Jordan, who met at a basketball game when they were young. Delores was just 15 years old, and James promised her that he would come back for her after serving in the US Air Force.
During their marriage, James became an equipment supervisor at General Electric and Delores worked as a bank teller. The couple drilled discipline and a strong sense of hard work into their five children.
As the middle child and third son, Michael Jordan cultivated competitiveness and ingenuity early on. Their father encouraged them to become better in school and become dedicated athletes.
A healthy sibling rivalry was present among the Jordan boys. Even if Michael was not the smartest or the most mechanically inclined son, he did show a strong predisposition for basketball and other sports.
He attended Emsley A. Laney High School where he tried to join the varsity team but did not make the cut due to his height. To make up for what he lacked, he played his way into becoming the junior varsity team’s star player.
His talent at the court got him chosen as one of the high school boys to play at the McDonald’s All-American Game in 1981.
Even though the Jordan family never struggled for money, Michael found his ticket to college in the form of several recruitment offers.
Several universities, such as Duke, Syracuse, North Carolina, and South Carolina, each had enticing athletic scholarship packages. He chose to go to the University of North Carolina to study cultural geography.
College Career
Under the coaching of Dean Smith, Michael trained under a team-oriented system. It was no surprise when he nabbed the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year title.
For two seasons, he became part of the NCAA All-American First Team by consensus. In 1984, he won two College Player of the Year awards, the Naismith and the Wooden.
Michael left college temporarily, despite his mother’s protests, to enter the 1984 NBA Draft where he joined the Chicago Bulls as their third draft pick. Two years later, he returned to his university to complete his degree in geography.
NBA Career
Michael wore the number 23 for the most part of his career. He wanted to wear his favorite number, which was 45, his brother’s jersey number in high school. Since the years they were on the basketball team overlapped, Michael chose 23, the rounded up half of the number 45.
In one of his comebacks from retirement, Michael briefly wore the number 45. He played shooting guard but was versatile enough to play small forward and point forward. In his first year alone, he was already voted as a starter for the All-Star game.
This game would become a controversial moment in basketball history as his teammates refused to pass him the ball and participated in a boycott resulting from the massive attention he had been garnering.
Michael led the Chicago Bulls in 6 world championships, the first one being against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1990. Despite several roadblocks, such as injuries and losing to more experienced teams, nothing stopped Michael Jordan from bouncing back and playing even harder. He even made the Dream Team in 1992, the US Olympic men’s basketball team.
Michael retreated into retirement several times. His first retirement in 1993 was the result of several factors. His exhaustion and the loss of his passion for the game was further solidified by his father’s murder.
In an unexpected turn of events, Michael Jordan went to play baseball for the Minor Leagues. He would return to the NBA in 1995 with the famous words, “I’m back.”
His third comeback was with the Washington Wizards where he vowed to give his salary to the relief efforts for the 9/11 victims and their families. Michael Jordan also branched out to the business side of basketball as he became majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets.
Michael Jordan is not only a well-rounded person with a heart as big as his presence, he truly is an inspiration to everyone. Here are 100 quotes from Michael that will help you reignite the fire in your heart.
Michael Jordan Quotes
“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan
“To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don’t isolate.” – Michael Jordan
“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” – Michael Jordan
“If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.” – Michael Jordan
“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” – Michael Jordan
“The good part about being famous is being able to help people. The hard part is every day you have to be in a good mood, because that is what people expect. You learn to get good at it.” – Michael Jordan
“I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.” – Michael Jordan
“There is no ‘i’ in team but there is in win.” – Michael Jordan
“Sometimes, things may not go your way, but the effort should be there every single night.” – Michael Jordan
“If you quit once it becomes a habit. Never quit!” – Michael Jordan
“Sometimes you need to get hit in the head to realize that you’re in a fight.” – Michael Jordan
“I built my talents on the shoulders of someone else’s talent.” – Michael Jordan
“I believe greatness is an evolutionary process that changes and evolves era to era.” – Michael Jordan
“In any investment, you expect to have fun and make money.” – Michael Jordan
“My heroes are and were my parents. I can’t see having anyone else as my heroes.” – Michael Jordan
“I wasn’t really a work-conscious type of person. I was a player. I loved to play sports.” – Michael Jordan
“There’s only one Michael Jordan.” – Michael Jordan
“I know the signs of scaredness.” – Michael Jordan
“Being Michael Jordan means acting the same as I always have.” – Michael Jordan
“I realized that if I was going to achieve anything in life I had to be aggressive. I had to get out there and go for it.” – Michael Jordan
“I realize that I’m black, but I like to be viewed as a person, and this is everybody’s wish.” – Michael Jordan
“If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. 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.” – Michael Jordan
“My father used to say that it’s never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said, ‘You never know what you can accomplish until you try.” – Michael Jordan
“To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don’t isolate.” – Michael Jordan
“To learn to succeed, you must first learn to fail.” – Michael Jordan
“I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot… when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.” – Michael Jordan
“The game has its ups and downs, but you can never lose focus of your individual goals and you can’t let yourself be beat because of lack of effort.” – Michael Jordan
“You have competition every day because you set such high standards for yourself that you have to go out every day and live up to that.” – Michael Jordan
“I want to wake up every day and do whatever comes in my mind, and not feel pressure or obligations to do anything else in my life.” – Michael Jordan
“Live the moment for the moment.” – Michael Jordan
“I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.” – Michael Jordan
“My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.” – Michael Jordan
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
“It’s absolutely wrong that I don’t want guys to challenge me. And the people who say that aren’t in the room.” – Michael Jordan
“Winning isn’t always championships.” – Michael Jordan
“Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you. If you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you. If you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed upon you. That’s truly about the game, and in some ways that’s about life too.” – Michael Jordan
“You’re a loser. You’ve always been a loser.” – Michael Jordan
“You’re going to play from the little girls’ tees?” – Michael Jordan
“They don’t need a ticket to watch you sitting on the bench. They can go to your house for that.” – Michael Jordan
“I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results.” – Michael Jordan
“Don’t let them drag you down by rumors just go with what you believe in.” – Michael Jordan
“Gambling is legal and betting is legal, for what I bet.” – Michael Jordan
“I can’t speak for the future. I have no crystal ball.” – Michael Jordan
“Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again.” – Michael Jordan
“It is easy to choose a path of anonymity and lead an empty life. But to strive hard and lead an impactful life, one needs a burning desire to realize dreams. “ – Michael Jordan
“What is love? Love is playing every game as if it’s your last!” – Michael Jordan
“The basketball court for me, during a game, is the most peaceful place I can imagine. On the basketball court, I worry about nothing. When I’m out there, no one can bother me.” – Michael Jordan
“If I had been playing for money I would have complained a long time ago that I was underpaid.” – Michael Jordan
“I won’t have any competitive instincts in any sports, other than golf. I can’t see being competitive in sports any more.” – Michael Jordan
“Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.” – Michael Jordan
“It is nerve-wracking watching my kids’ games.” – Michael Jordan
“The minute you get away from fundamentals – whether it’s proper technique, work ethic or mental preparation – the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you’re doing.” – Michael Jordan
“I think the players win the championship, and the organization has something to do with it, don’t get me wrong. But don’t try to put the organization above the players.” – Michael Jordan
“It’s hard to say if the NBA is hurt by the influx of younger players, but it’s definitely impacted the league.” – Michael Jordan
“I’ve never been afraid to fail.” – Michael Jordan
“If it turns out that my best wasn’t good enough, at least I won’t look back and say I was afraid to try.” – Michael Jordan
“It’s heavy duty to try to do everything and please everybody. My job was to go out there and play the game of basketball as best I can. People may not agree with that. I can’t live with what everyone’s impression of what I should or what I shouldn’t do.” – Michael Jordan
“As athletes, we’re used to reacting quickly. Here, it’s ‘come, stop, come, stop.’ There’s a lot of downtime. That’s the toughest part of the day.” – Michael Jordan
“The game of basketball has been everything to me. My place of refuge, place I’ve always gone where I needed comfort and peace. It’s been the site of intense pain and the most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction. It’s a relationship that has evolved over time, given me the greatest respect and love for the game.” – Michael Jordan
“Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” – Michael Jordan
“In reality, I never want to grow up.” – Michael Jordan
“There is no such thing as a perfect basketball player, and I don’t believe there is only one greatest player either.” – Michael Jordan
“I never thought a role model should be negative.” – Michael Jordan
“The key to success is failure.” – Michael Jordan
“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” – Michael Jordan
“I want to be the bridge to the next generation.” – Michael Jordan
“I own the guy guarding me.” – Michael Jordan
“How many times have your parents told you not to do things, and the next thing you know, you go do it? And you realized you shouldn’t have done it.” – Michael Jordan
“I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me. Failure always made me try harder the next time.” – Michael Jordan
“If you do the work you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.” – Michael Jordan
“I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.” – Michael Jordan
“You can practice shooting 8 hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” – Michael Jordan
“My challenge when I came back was to face the young talent, to dissect their games, and show them maybe that they needed to learn more about the game than just the money aspect.” – Michael Jordan
“Failure is acceptable. but not trying is a whole different ball park.” – Michael Jordan
“Everybody has talent, but ability takes hard work.” – Michael Jordan
“Best evaluation I can make of a player is to look in his eyes and see how scared they are.” – Michael Jordan
“My mother is my root, my foundation. She planted the seed that I base my life on, and that is the belief that the ability to achieve starts in your mind.” – Michael Jordan
“The best come from the worst.” – Michael Jordan
“Champions do not become champions when they win an event, but in the hours, weeks, and months, and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely a demonstration of their championship character.” – Michael Jordan
“Enjoy every minute of life. Never second-guess life.” – Michael Jordan
“I mean we all fly. Once you leave the ground, you fly. Some people fly longer than others.” – Michael Jordan
“When I will lose the sense of motivation and the sense to prove something as a basketball player, it’s time for me to move away from the game.” – Michael Jordan
“Learning’s a gift, even when pain is your teacher.” – Michael Jordan
“People ask me if I could fly, I said, “yeah…. for a little while.” – Michael Jordan
“Heart is what separates the good from the great.” – Michael Jordan
“The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.” – Michael Jordan
“Do I need my number retired throughout the course of the league to acknowledge what I’ve done? No.” – Michael Jordan
“I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.” – Michael Jordan
“My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn’t stand the sideline.” – Michael Jordan
“Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.” – Michael Jordan
“In college I never realized the opportunities available to a pro athlete. I’ve been given the chance to meet all kinds of people, to travel and expand my financial capabilities, to get ideas and learn about life, to create a world apart from basketball.” – Michael Jordan
“I hope the millions of people I’ve touched have the optimism and desire to share their goals and hard work and perseverance with a positive attitude.” – Michael Jordan
“Even when I’m old and gray, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.” – Michael Jordan
“I’d like to be settled into somewhat of a normal life. Somewhat. I know it’s never going to be completely normal.” – Michael Jordan
“Every time I feel tired while I am exercising and training, I close my eyes to see that picture, to see that list with my name. This usually motivates me to work again.” – Michael Jordan
“When I was young, I had to learn the fundamentals of basketball. You can have all the physical ability in the world, but you still have to know the fundamentals.” – Michael Jordan
“Not every flying hero has a cape.” – Michael Jordan
“For a competitive junkie like me, golf is a great solution because it smacks you in the face every time you think you’ve accomplished something. That to me has taken over a lot of the energy and competitiveness for basketball.” – Michael Jordan
“I will not quit this game because of what the media has done to me.” – Michael Jordan
“Playing sick. That is so hard to do. It has to be a total mental challenge, as well as the physical challenge.” – Michael Jordan
