By Mary Anne Winslow
Basketball is one of the most famous games of today. It has a significant audience of fans and players. Especially it is popular in the United States of America. In the following article I am going to discuss the most outstanding and prominent players of basketball.
In recreation centers all across America, young aspiring basketball players are trying desperately to “be like Mike.” Mike, of course, is the great Michael Jordan of the NBA’s (National Basketball Association’s) Chicago Bulls. Every boy who plays basketball dreams of achieving the greatness of Jordan. Considered the greatest player who ever stepped onto a basketball court, Michael Jordan is the measuring stick for all basketball players, and at this time no one has come close to equaling his greatness. From his incredible hangtime exploits on his way to the basket, to near perfect shooting in critical games, Jordan has left numerous NBA opponents in shock. Jaws drop and championship dreams are shattered largely as a result of the amazing prime-time efforts of one Michael Jeffrey Jordan. But what makes Jordan so great? Is it his awesome jumping ability or the uncanny accuracy of his patented jump shot?
As I investigate his unbelievable exploits, I am convinced that the success of Mr. Jordan comes, not from his lean, muscular legs or his fantastic shooting skills, but from a passion buried deep inside his heart. Jordan’s greatness comes from an unequaled desire for success, a relentless will that refuses failure, a commitment to excellence that is unparalleled, a belief that a player must do what it takes to win, and a mystique that often has his opponents defeated before the referee tosses up the ball to begin a contest.
Although the NBA is filled with players who can run faster, jump higher, and shoot better than him, no player can equal his success on the court, primarily, because according to Jordan, “heart is probably the biggest key to success in basketball at the NBA level. There are a lot of players who pass through the league with the ability, but they don’t have the heart or the intelligence to get the job done” (I’m Back 39). Despite his uncanny ability, Jordan has always possessed a strong desire for perfection. According to Phil Taylor, “When you’re around Michael a lot, you start to believe that he will always find a way to beat an opponent. If not with his skills then with his desire”. Phoenix Sun forward Charles Barkley, a superstar in his own right, believes Jordan’s desire is almost supernatural, “I knew the moment I looked into his eyes that we were in trouble. Michael was pissed, and when Michael is pissed you can forget it” (interviewed on Above and Beyond video). Jordan’s desire has enabled him to reach a pinnacle that only a select few in the world of sports have attained. He believes that his type of success comes primarily due to desire. “Look at Larry Bird. He’s a prime example.
He was slow. He couldn’t jump that well. He had good hands, good ball handling and shooting skills, and he was smart. But more importantly, he had a big heart” (Jordan, I’m Back 40). Perhaps this is why Jordan can continue to dominate his sport at 33 years of age, even after missing almost two seasons while pursuing a career in baseball.
A lack of desire is probably the reason Jordan decided to retire just two days before the start of training camp prior to the 1993-94 season. Jordan, because of the death of his father and feeling he had nothing else to prove, shocked the sports world when he decided to hang up his “Air Jordans.” However, Jordan did not retire from sports. Instead he sought to accomplish his father’s dream of a career in baseball.
