Michael Jordan to the Max Page #3

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That's for bringing me into this world.

After the third championship,

my father kept, kind of,

hinting towards me playing baseball.

"Stop playing basketball.

Why don't you give your baseball a shot?"

Because that's what he actually got me

started playing when l was six years old.

l played baseball.

And he felt that l could play baseball

and do it with the same

conviction and attitude

that l played basketball.

Every day, the first person there

before the sun

would be Jordan.

And he was there because he wasn't good.

He would work with a batting instructor

and work all day long

and be the last person to leave

every night also.

-Strike three! Money's no Stan Musial.

-But he's trying.

-Say, hey, he's no Willie Mays.

-But he's trying, man.

what it did teach me was,

don't be afraid to try.

The worst thing that can happen is

it doesn't pan out

the way that you envision it.

But at least you know that

by giving it a shot.

People were basically saying that l didn't

have no reason for being in the sport,

and l was degrading the sport.

When those negative things

started to happen, the only thing...

l wish my father was there to give me

the positive reinforcements that l needed.

l asked him what it was like

for him in the morning.

And Jordan said, "l get up

before the sun comes up,

"and l make myself

some breakfast, by myself."

He was down there alone.

"And l get in the car.

And Im driving to spring training,

"and there's no one, really,

out on the roads yet.

"And l look at the seat

next to me and l see my dad,

"and l talk to him.

"l think to myself, 'Pops, we're doing this.

"'We're doing this together."'

And the day would end,

and he would say to the batting instructor,

"Can we do a little more?

l think Im getting this.

"l think Im learning this,

l think Im getting this."

And that's when Sports Illustrated

put him on the cover,

saying that Michael Jordan

has embarrassed baseball.

And as l would watch him there every night

as the sun was going down

and the other ball players had left,

and l would see this guy

working to get better.

Michael Jordan working to get better.

l couldn't help thinking,

that if you ever have children,

you ought to pray

that they grow up someday

to embarrass you like this.

Michael Jordan... Its a fly ball.

l think that experience itself, kind of,

gave him a blessing

of coming back to basketball,

and understanding the gift that

he'd been given for this game

that was so special.

When Michael came back, and Jud and l

were driving down to the game,

and l said, "Jud, you know,

does Phil start Michael?

"l mean, he hasn't been here for,

you know, 60 games, 65 games."

And Jud looked at me and he said,

"Steve, as a general rule,

"when you have your own

statue outside the stadium,

"you don't come off the bench."

There'll be other great players,

there's no question about that.

But what he's done for the game,

l don't think anybody

will touch his greatness,

and that's why everybody's

holding on here in the finish

to just be a part of... lf this is the last run,

everybody wants to be a part of it

and witness it.

The Bulls had gone to the finals five times,

and five times they had won.

The fact that this might be

Michael's last chance

made these finals the most anticipated ever.

The Jazz had earned

the home court advantage

on the strength of their regular season.

And now, the world tuned in

to see if Michael could beat the odds

and win one last time.

Michael circles, spins, hangs, fires, scores.

In Game 1 , the Bulls took the Jazz

into overtime.

But in the end, fresher legs prevailed.

The previous year, although Utah had lost,

they had proven to themselves

that they could play with the Bulls,

and then they win Game 1 .

l thought Utah was going

to be the NBA champions.

When everybody, in some ways,

didn't expect me to win,

and the odds are stacked against you,

and for once in your life,

you are the underdog,

that was beautiful for me.

when he needed it most,

Michael didn't find comfort

in the championship banners

he helped raise,

but rather strength from the seven years

of defeat that came before.

It was a long road.

It kept me in the gyms in the summer,

working on my skills,

trying to be the best basketball player

l could become.

But at the same time,

to show players who were not

on the same level

with the same mental toughness

that if Im going to do this,

then you have to keep up with the pace.

And quietly, it started to turn.

He was your hardest worker.

He competed every day.

That filtered down through your team,

so as a coach,

you never had to talk about

the work ethic of your team

because your best player

always brought that.

Michael's standards were too high

for many of his early teammates,

but then came Scottie Pippen.

The influence of Michael on Scottie Pippen

was almost from day one.

Michael kind of helped him

get out there on the basketball court

and taught him some little things,

some of the small tricks that he'd use.

As a consequence, the two of them

really played well together.

It was The Lone Ranger and Tonto.

There's no doubt about it.

Pippen became a star in his own right.

And then there was the supporting cast

that Michael would challenge relentlessly,

knowing that they too had to be ready

when their moment came.

He understood the fact

that everybody had to share in the game,

and that he was willing to be part of this.

To sacrifice some of his own game for that

was the most important thing.

He comes off, Ill be ready.

Ive gotten a chance to play a lot,

and play a lot in big games.

And l felt the pressure, l think,

and didn't perform that well.

And l learned how to play with Michael

and how to hit big shots,

and how to relax myself

in situations like that.

Michael, in traffic, to Kerr.

-Fifteen footer.

-Yes!

What a great experience to go through,

not just for basketball,

but for the rest of my life,

to know that l can face something

that's pretty difficult and deal with it.

Back in Utah, the buzz was still

about the Jazz's series-opening victory.

But by the time Game 2 had begun,

Game 1 was history

to Michael and the Bulls.

lf Michael enjoyed being the underdog,

he never let his team feel like one,

by driving them forward

with the flair and confidence of a champion.

The Bulls won Game 2, and now the series

would move to Chicago, tied at one.

Id have to see someone beat

Michael Jordan four times,

because, l said, to do that,

you're going to have to dismember him.

You're going to have to take

an arm and a leg,

and you're going to have to drag him

off the floor. He's not going to go easily.

These would be Michael's last games

in Chicago,

and Game 3 played out

like a thank-you note to the fans.

Chicago's 96-54 win in Game 3

was the biggest rout in NBA Finals history.

The Bulls were two games away

from the title.

Pass the first time.

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