The legendary player, Michael Jordan, has dominated the premise of basketball for a long time and continues to be one of the greatest NBA stars of all time. But when it comes to sports, talent does not take one far unless it’s nurtured on the proper hands. Jordan wasn’t born a star, he was made one.
There are always a few people who remain behind the curtain of every success. Dean Smith, Jordan’s college coach, tops the list of the names of such people in his life.
Michael is more than just a skillful player. His overall attitude and mental strength have made him what he is. These things were instilled into him early on in his basketball career when he was still a freshman at UNC. Dean Smith coached the future star back in that time and made sure that Jordan’s talent wasn’t wasted due to the lack of hard-work.
Michael Jordan and Dean Smith, circa 1980's #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/H0eDgv1tbE
— GQ Sports (@GQSports) March 16, 2022
In his book “Driven From Within,” Jordan acknowledged the great role Smith played in his life. He describes the types of challenges Smith would impose on the team as well as Jordan himself. He accepted that he was taken aback by Smith’s ferocity in practice, but he loved it since it humbled him, and that type of challenge was exactly what he needed to improve his game.
Jordan insisted, “He was the perfect guy for me. He kept me humble, but he challenged me. He gave me confidence by giving me compliments when he thought I needed them.”
It’s nice of Jordan to acknowledge people who initially made him see his worth as a rising star. He couldn’t pay homage to his college coach Dean Smith in any better way.
