On the court and with his pen, Michael Jordan is one of a kind.
Sports enthusiasts have wonderful memories of professional basketball’s greatest star, Michael Jordan. Rewind your clock to February 2003. In his game against the New Jersey Nets, 40-year-old Michael Jordan set a new record, scoring 43 points.
https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=iGp71TMkYzc
Jordan has been an inspiration, on-the-court and -off. He led the Chicago Bulls to the NBA Finals multiple times, coming away with six championships and personal honors. He also won two Olympic gold medals for the USA.
What some people may not know is that Jordan is also well-known as a motivational speaker. The advice that follows is drawn from Jordan’s speeches. I’ve taken heart from these words and you may, too.
*You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.
*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.
*Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again.
* 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.
* 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.
*Sometimes you need to get hit in the head to realize that you’re in a fight.
*Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.
*Learning’s a gift, even when pain is your teacher.
*I’ve never lost a game, I just ran out of time.
*I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six 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.
In reflecting on his career, Michael Jordan shared this advice to athletes of all ages:
*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.
Courtesy: Biography.com
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Reed Markham is with the Olympic News Service and a faculty member at Daytona State College.
