9/11/2009: Michael Jordan inducted into the Hall of Fame
And the reality of everything hit me like a ton of bricks. I was born a year before Mike got drafted in to the league from North Carolina as a Junior – all I have to remember of his shock-and-awe entrance are highlights, videos and his records. Wish I could have witnessed the infamous 63 vs. the mighty Celtics that had Larry Legend admitting:
“I think he’s God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
But I did see the man in his prime. Saw him completely change the flow of a game single handily. Saw him compete with such a ferocity that you could almost see the fear in the eyes of his defenders – even distinctly remember him crying after winning his fourth championship the same year his father was brutally murdered.
At such a young age I couldn’t help but to be captivated by his brilliance. Basketball became an obsession of mine, my safe haven when the rest of my world was collapsing around me. There didn’t even have to be more than just me – a basketball – and my dreams. Long as there was a rim and a street light (sometimes moonlight had to do) – I was there. What I now realize was a “healthy” coping mechanism.
The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace. -MJ
There will never be another Michael Jordan
I was inspired. Passionately. To say he was my Hero didn’t even come close to describing the level of admiration I had. It wasn’t the accolades or the attention he received – it was his absolute domination and mastery of the game of basketball. He did things that will never be done again.
He is a once in a lifetime piece of work, like Ali, like Woods, like Ruth. I predict LeBron to surpass his accolades, but never his swagger or style – he’s much more built like Magic, with a ridiculous vertical.
I learned a lot of life lessons from Mike and basketball. The only books I rented from our library in middle school had “Jordan” in their title.
“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.” -MJ
Quotes like this fueled my obsession – I felt like Mike was leaving me a blueprint to follow. By no means did this translate in to other areas of my life besides basketball – I’ve been a long, long work in progress.
The reality of the induction
I almost forgot about him. It’s been quite a few years since my last college basketball game. At 5’10″ (with shoes) my dreams of NBA stardom vanquished at my first tryout for the University of Hawaii squad as a walk on.
But I made the squad, was part of a WAC Championship team, and more importantly – I proved to myself that hard work, dedication and a desire to improve can help those of us without extraordinary physical gifts excel.
The reality was – as I was watching him cry – I could sense him longing for those days. I’m sure he’s accepted his retirement by now – but you could just feel it. Everyone in the room was wishing he could lace them up still.
Then I realized it’s been ten years since he retired – and what have I done with myself since then?
The final lesson
I’ll forever be one of his most loyal consumers – don’t even get me started about the shoe collection. He transcended even Nike – becoming his own brand.
Why?
Because he won. People love winners – he was a Hero in ever sense of the word to my generation. Clutch shot after clutch shot, amazing acrobatic finishes after gravity defying dunks.
He delivered results. He worked harder than anybody else because all he cared about was winning – nicknamed ‘the assassin’ for his insanely competitive nature – he’d even get in fights with his own teammates during practice.
“There is no ‘I’ in team, but there is in win” -Micheal Jordan in response to the Bulls GM Jerry Krause attributing the Bulls success to the ‘organization’.
Someone once said winning isn’t everything – it’s the only thing. While this isn’t the best thing to tell an 9-year old kid who’s crying because he missed the last shot to win the game – the reality of this aspect of life is what it is.
We have to win to overcome our own limitations. We have to win to conquer our fears. We have to win to get the promotion, win to make the sale, win to become a respected member of the community.
Hard work. A lot of hard work. Translating this in to things we’re not passionate about is the hard part. It comes down to the understanding that the sacrifices and effort we put in to get the most out of our days today are what will give us the life we want tomorrow.
After seeing MJ in his final farewell, I was literally sad, compassionate and relieved all at the same time. Even the greatest of all time has to come to grips with the reality of father time.
All I could think about were the simpler times I took for granted in my youth: just me – my basketball – and the starry eyed dream of becoming just like Mike.
For the most ridiculous set of MJ wallpapers you’ll ever see, check out this site.
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