Michael Jordan’s lesson of not giving up
The American basketball legend always remembers that it was his failures that made him the person and success he is today.
Even though he is just a basketball player, Michael Jordan’s influence has reached across the globe and covers the sports world in general.
In April 2019, ESPN and Netflix released a documentary about Michael Jordan titled “The Last Dance”. The episodes revolve around his career with the Chicago Bulls team, clearly showing every drop of “blood and tears” that fell on the journey when he and his teammates won 6 American Professional Basketball championships ( NBA).
Michael Jordan in the NBA finals in Chicago on June 12, 1998
For many years, Jordan has been honored as the greatest basketball player of all time, but things could be completely different if this star did not know how to accept failure as part of his success.
Michael Jordan was born without a natural talent for basketball. But he really has something that makes the difference between a champion and an ordinary player. Jordan always keeps trying and never gives up once he has made up his mind.
Whenever they fail, most people often feel discouraged and afraid to try again. This is common behavior, but not with Michael Jordan. In high school, he was eliminated from the school’s basketball team because he was not tall enough and was not good at it.
Normally, this would destroy any teenager’s dream of becoming a professional basketball player. But Jordan wiped away his tears and continued to practice. He did not let the coach decide the future of his career. From a very early age, Jordan understood that failure does not define a person, but that our value lies in the strength to stand up and try.
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been given the winning shot and messed up. I’ve failed over and over again in the game.” my life. And that’s why I’m successful,” Jordan once said.
Jordan’s former head coach at the University of North Carolina once shared a story about how determined he was to be the best. He still remembers Jordan saying “I’ll show you, no one works as hard as you”. And Jordan kept his promise.
“If you are trying to achieve a certain goal, there will definitely be obstacles on the way. I have them too, everyone has them. But those obstacles should not be allowed to stop you. If you Run into a wall, don’t turn back and give up. Find a way to climb over it, overcome it or improve it,” Jordan said.
In 1993, everyone felt regretful and confused when Michael Jordan retired from basketball and switched to baseball. You and the Chicago Bulls just won your third NBA championship, so why did you suddenly change direction?
Jordan wanted something different and wanted to test his limits once again. He was a great basketball player and becoming good at baseball was the challenge Jordan set for himself.
At first, he had difficulty hitting the ball but continued to practice diligently and got better over time. His philosophy is very simple, if you want to get better, you have to practice, you have to commit to upgrading yourself.
“I can accept failure, everyone will fail sometimes. But I cannot accept not trying,” he emphasized.
The documentary “The Last Dance” shows Michael Jordan celebrating a championship and a reporter asking if he “will continue to play another year?”. Jordan replied: “This is a memorable moment, man. Seize the moment and enjoy it. Let’s just live in this moment until next October and we’ll see what comes next.”
The American basketball legend’s message is clear: Live in the present and allow yourself to celebrate your achievements. Don’t dwell too much on the past or worry too much about the future. You need to set goals but enjoy what you have right now. Don’t worry about missing out on an opportunity when you haven’t even seen it yet.
In 1995, the Chicago Bulls were eliminated from the NBA playoffs and this defeat broke Michael Jordan’s heart. But instead of resting for a while after the season, he returned to the training field the next day.
“Sometimes you fail but that doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. It just means next time, you should try harder. There’s always room for improvement and there are always other ways to reach your goals. If I try my best and I’m still not good enough, at least I won’t have to look back and see that I was afraid,” Jordan said.