Diehard basketball fans love debating how Michael Jordan would fare in today’s game. They want to see how MJ would tweak his offensive arsenal to accommodate modern playbooks and new rules.
Apart from on-court action, some are curious how “His Airness” would react to the everyday vitriol players get from social media. Would the harsh criticisms thrown at him adversely affect his game? Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his former teammate would’ve been even more dominant if he had played in the social media age.
“There would have been so many more slights. He might have won more titles,” Kerr told Marc Stein in 2016.
Fuel to the fire
Was Kerr being biased, or was he speaking the truth? If a fan had sent Jordan a DM calling him a selfish ball hog, would he have responded by delivering a passing masterclass? Most likely. After all, this was one of the main criticisms aimed at Mike early in his career.
This penchant for taking over games rather than passing the rock led to premature playoff exits in his first years in the NBA. When the “Black Cat” finally learned to trust his teammates and won his first NBA Championship in 1991, he gave his critics a shoutout.
“This has been a seven-year struggle for me,” Jordan said, per the New York Times. “It should get rid of the stigma of being a one-man team. We have players surrounding myself that make us an effective basketball team. Now, my teammates have stepped up, and the stigma is removed. I don’t know if I’ll ever have this same feeling again.”
It became personal to me
In the sports documentary “The Last Dance,” fans were treated to how the mind of an ultimate competitor works. A harmless encounter with coach George Karl at a restaurant transformed into personal vengeance. When Michael learned that Jerry Krause loved Dan Majerle’s defensive capabilities, he went out to prove that “Thunder Dan” was just a subpar defender.
According to MJ’s trainer, Tim Grover, the GOAT used different unorthodox tactics to motivate himself. When the Chicago Bulls legend told his opponent he’d drop 50 on him, it wasn’t to intimidate them. Since Jordan verbally vowed to put on a scoring show, he had to prove it through actions.
Kerr might be a little biased, but evidence backs up his claim. Even when not provoked, the North Carolina standout found ways to fuel his fire. And if he was poked, the more hungrier and ferocious he became.