He wasn't a good basketball player as a teenager
In 1982, Michael Jordan was just a regular teenager who wrote to his mother to ask for stamps and money. Michael wasn't even an exceptional player at his basketball team from the University of North Carolina just yet. Despite his mediocre performance, Michael made it known to his friends and family that he had a lofty ambition of becoming the greatest basketball player of all time, and that working hard to get better each day was the key. Jordan would play three seasons at UNC first, before being selected by the Bulls with the third overall pick of the 1984 NBA Draft.
He was driven to become better each day
When Michael Jordan went to UNC, the impression of people around him was far from that of a player who would reach the Hall of Fame and someday earn a $2.1 billion net worth. In an interview, UNC head coach Dean Smith even commented that Michael was inconsistent as a freshman, but was one of the most competitive player they've had in their drills. He further added that Jordan's work ethic always stood out, wanted to get better and had that driving passion to achieve that goal. The freshman Michael told then assistant coach Roy Williams who is now UNC's head basketball coach, that he wanted to become the greatest player at UNC at that time.
He couldn't turn it off
Assistant coach Roy Williams was amazed at how Jordan got better and better in the next three years, and was astonished at his ability to keep up an insane work ethic coupled with the desire to become a better player. Williams said, "He never freaking turned it off". Michael's teammates at UNC were also shocked at his performance and motivation, as they watched him continue to practice after school, when the rest of his team have already headed home. According to a former UNC teammate, they would all have 2.5 hours of intense practice and would be exhausted, and Michael would be pushing them to get back on the floor to play a one-on-one game with anyone.
He was a sponge, he listened a lot and learned a lot
Jordan on a regular basis kept on challenging James Worthy, his UNC teammate to an extra practice work in the court, as the latter was UNC's best player in 1982, and wanted to learn a lot from him. Worthy said that Jordan was soaking up information from every game that they've had, consistently upgrading the raw talent that he already had. Worthy also mentioned that even though he was the better player and even went to have a Hall of Fame career, Jordan eventually surpassed him in the following years. Another UNC teammate commented that Jordan got the respect of the team because he was like a sponge, he listened a lot, learned a lot and competed a lot.
He remains calm and focused under pressure
By the end of Michael Jordan's freshman season, he had gained enough knowledge and skills to the point that he started becoming comfortable stepping into the national spotlight. In 1982, UNC won in the NCAA national championship against powerhouse Georgetown when Jordan calmly sank the game-winning shot, as the time expired on the game clock. Jordan was calm all throughout the game, and even told ESPN that he was young and had no time to be nervous. Despite the success he's achieved, Jordan didn't stop training to become better, resulting in a considerable improvement of his skills between his freshman and sophomore year at UNC.
He has a legendary work ethic
Michael once said that from the first day of practice, his mentality has always been going after the team leader. I'm going to be going after him and I'm not going to do it with my voice. Because I had no voice, I had no status, and I had to do it with the way that I played. Jordan's intense work ethic has been hailed as legendary, as the former teammates often recount how he competed hard in practice, just as he did in actual games.
He is one of the biggest brand influencers
Jordan's greatest accomplishments included six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, ten scoring titles with both having all time-records, and five MVP Awards to name a few. Nike also paid him an estimated $1.3 billion since 1984 and at the end of 2019, the Nike Air Jordan brand was worth $3 billion, with Michael or "His Airness" earning over $1.3 billion of that sum. Jordan's laser-like focus and immense work ethic has painted his life with a movie-like quality of a career story. Larry Schwartz from ESPN, wrote that Michael's fame and skill were intertwined, and that he had the rarest of gifts, which was the ability to transcend the sport.
His day started and ended with basketball training
On a daily basis, Michael would start his day by going to the court and taking 40 minutes of conditioning in the dome, which included stretching, running and a few hoops. After this morning exercise, he would go to a movie set to shoot a film or attend a business meeting, and by lunch time, he'd be working out with weights for about an hour and a half. After working out, Jordan would go back to the movie set to continue shooting films, which finishes at 7 pm. From 7:30 pm to 10 pm, he would play basketball non-stop in the dome.
The Legendary Breakfast Club
When Jordan's teammates started a 30-day solo strength and conditioning project, Michael transformed this into a legendary breakfast club where he and his crew gathered and worked out at his Highland Park, Illinois mansion between 5-7 am in the morning. The gig which was made up of himself, Scottie Pippen, Ron Harper, Randy Brown and a few other friends, lasted for 15 years without fail, whether it was a practice day or game day. Grover said in an interview that Jordan was gathering everyone every single morning with the purpose of getting them on the same page, and getting them always prepared. Michael said that the breakfast club was a mindset more than a workout, and that he wanted his team to be prepared more than anyone else.
His diet and training was phenomenal
To fuel his insane training routine, Jordan was extra cautious about what he puts in his body, and only ate when he felt hungry. In a 1996 Chicago Tribute Profile, it was revealed that Jordan mostly ate a good-sized breakfast, which was his biggest meal of the day, followed by drinking a fitness shake mid-morning mostly comprised of Gatorade and protein, a light sandwich for lunch, another fitness shake in the afternoon comprised of blended meat, and a very light dinner comprised of pasta or vegetables paired with meat. Jordan said that his whole life has always been about being the best basketball player he could ever be, and had absolute tunnel vision where everything was channelled toward that goal. Michael also received additional workout training to increase his strength and power, when Grover noticed he was getting pushed around on the courts by the Detroit Pistons.
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