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Michael Jordan is quite possibly the most popular basketball player in history. Jordan helped the sport become global in the 1990s as a member of the Chicago Bulls and leader of Team USA for the 1992 Olympics. However, a former teammate believes MJ never wanted the spotlight.
In the final piece of his three-part series of articles about "His Airness" on Sky Sports, B.J. Armstrong shifted his focus to Jordan's superstardom and his "Air Jordan" persona that made him famous. Armstrong strongly thinks that Mike never wanted the attention, but had no other choice.
"The character, the 'Air Jordan' figure that he created, was something that I think he did because, truthfully, he wasn't fully comfortable being a star... I think he recognised that persona and he understood the business of what that person meant to the league, to the team, to the fans, to nearly everyone except those of us working closest to him," Armstrong wrote.
"On a deep level I don't think he ever wanted to be a star. I don't ever think it's occurred to him to say, 'I'm playing the game so I can be this transcendent superstar'. It was more like something that he knew he had to tolerate and put up with," Armstrong added.
All Michael Jordan wanted was to win, and he did win a lot. After hardships in the 1980s, he completely dominated the 1990s. He won six NBA championships in eight years. It's amazing to think that Jordan and the Bulls could have won more if he hadn't retired in 1993 and 1998.
Fast forward to the present day, the Air Jordan brand is one of the most popular shoes in the world. MJ has become a billionaire, owning the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA and 23XI Racing Team in NASCAR.
B.J. Armstrong praises Michael Jordan's discipline
There's no denying that Michael Jordan is one of the most talented players in the history of the NBA. However, it was his discipline that set him apart from his contemporaries, as well as other legends of the game, as per B.J. Armstrong.
"People would immediately think about the ridiculous level of talent he has but I think his main gift is his discipline. He has an incredible amount of discipline, more discipline than I've ever seen, and there's nothing - I repeat, nothing - that was ever going to get in his way," Armstrong said.
Jordan's talent and discipline catapulted him to superstardom. Talent alone can make players successful, but additional discipline is needed to reach legendary status. It was one of the reasons why other players such as Kobe Bryant tried to emulate his work ethic.
In the end, Jordan accomplished a lot in his playing career, including six rings, six NBA Finals MVPs, five NBA MVPs, 14-time All-Star appearances, one Rookie of the Year, one Defensive Player of the Year, two Olympic gold medals and ten scoring titles.
