Although he has been retired for several years now, Michael Jordan is still widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. His influence was felt not only in the way the game was played, but also in how it was perceived around the world. Ultimately, his excellence at his sport was instrumental in catapulting the popularity of basketball and the National Basketball Association all over the world during the eighties and nineties. Beyond all this, Jordan was also a marketing force and was hands-down the most successfully marketed athlete of his generation and, possibly, all time. In 1999, Jordan was named by ESPN as "the greatest athlete of the 20th century."
Jordan retired from the NBA after 15 seasons, during which he established a number of prestigious records. His 30.12 points per game average is the highest ever in NBA history. He also won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls and was the MVP of the NBA Finals every time they claimed the championship. In addition, Jordan has been the NBA's leading scorer for 10 straight seasons and was the league's Most Valuable Player five times. He was also selected to the All-NBA First Team 10 times, the All-Defensive First Team nine times aside from leading the NBA in steals in three years. The Associated Press also ranked him as second only to Babe Ruth as top athlete of the century.
Jordan's wizardry on the basketball court was evident from the very first time he stepped onto an NBA court as a rookie in 1985. He unveiled the full package - a dazzling array of dunks, ferocious defense and the amazing ability to score any time he wanted to. His leaping ability was off the charts and quickly earned him such colorful nicknames as "Air Jordan" and "His Airness." In one playoffs game against the Boston Celtics in 1986, Jordan scored a record 63 points, which prompted the league's then-reigning MVP Larry Bird to proclaim that he was "God disguised as Michael Jordan."
The media has portrayed a number of players as "the next Michael Jordan" upon entering the NBA, including such renowned hoopsters as Grant Hill, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, who have all fallen short of their lofty billing. The latest to earn the sobriquet are LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but they have a long way to go before they can earn the right to be called the next Jordan.
The Artistry Of Michael Jordan
Over the last twenty years, no single basketball player has achieved the kind of cult status like Michael Jordan. His ability to turn around critical situation in a game is simply mesmerizing. His superman image has created profound inspiration for millions of fans.
Michael Jordan epitomizes the character strength of tenacity and determination, which has had tremendous influence on the personality development of countless teenager fans since his time. Despite his quiet demeanor, Michael Jordan has an immense internal drive that never allow himself to be defeated. Deep inside, he was not one to challenge. His ability to rise up and strike down an opponent was simply awe-inspiring, to which he said: "Unless I'm challenged you don't see the mean streak in me."
The indomitable competitive spirit in Michael Jordan has made him the most feared and respected opponent for other NBA players. In the lyrics of "Don't Mess Around With Jim", Jim Crose described Michael Jordan most aptly: "You don't tug on superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, and you never pick against Michael Jordan." After losing to The Bulls in 1998, New Jersey Nets coach John Calipari said: "Playing against Michael is like playing blackjack against the dealer. He ain't losing." When Madonna was asked about her favorite player when she was at the Bulls game, she said:"M.J. is an amazing human. A god. If I could coma back as another person, it'd be as him."
It is interesting to know what had attributed to Michael Jordan's enormous drive to win. One argument has it that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and the devastating trauma of the event had given birth to an extremely competitive spirit that refuses to be beaten. This mentality has made him one of the world's greatest athletes ever.
In psychology terms, "drive" is synonymous to "arousal". It is an emotionally charged state that results from a competitive nature. The degree of arousal or drive, up to a certain level, is the key determinant of the quality of performance whether in sports or business. Beyond that optimal level of arousal, any extra drive will only cause performance to decline. This state of optimal performance only last for a short time, during which the mind, body and emotional system are closely aligned. It is a transcendental state where one is optimally situated between euphoria and depression, boredom and excitement, and relaxation and anxiety. In sports, athletes who are in such optimal state are known to be "in the zone".
It is the state of "flow" that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi talked about in his book: "Flow". He said: "Flow is a highly focused state of relaxation concentration that obliterates all else out of consciousness. It is the state of self-actualization or transcendental behavior that is euphoric."
Michael Jordan's success lies not just in his extreme competitiveness, but also in his ability to swiftly and frequently enter the flow state, or to be "in the zone". When he is "in the zone", he can jump with amazing ease, float through the air in gravity-defying grace, and never miss a shot. It is the state of euphoria that is addictive. He knows it when he is there. When in the flow state, he simply becomes unstoppable. This is the same experience you probably may have had in the past when you find yourself doing everything with amazing ease, as if aided by some divine forces. It is indeed the divine force that is within you when you are in that optimal state of mind, body and emotional alignment.
How can we enter into such flow state?
Being competitive is important but it alone does not help, because competitive drive can only induce anxiety. Anxiety up to a certain level is key to achieving flow state, but any excess of it will not lead to optimal performance. There is a very fine line that exists between under-stressed and over-stressed. The secret of optimal performance is found somewhere in the middle. According to psychologist, a maximum potential for achievement is reached when a subject performs under moderately stressful situation.
In sports, optimal performance is seen when two opponents are closely matched. Any significant gap in the proficiency of opponent will not bring out the best in the other. To the elite sportsman, their closest rival has a special place in their personal pursuit of excellence. Their closest rival is that unique person who has the ability to push them to perform their best.
The key success factors of Michael Jordan provide valuable insights on what we all can do to create success in our life:
- Find something that you are truly passionate about;
- Committed to massive amount of hard work to perfect the core skill sets, and enjoying it in the process;
- Strengthen your mind power with determination and resilience;
- Learn to harness the state of relaxed but intense concentration by regular practice of meditation and creative visualization, which improves the alignment of your mind, body and emotion, and enhance your ability to enter the flow state.
If you can experience flow state regularly in the activities that you pursue, winning in itself is no longer important, although you will inevitably be performing at your best. It is the euphoria state of being in the flow that brings immense joy and fulfillment to life, in its moment-to-moment experience. This is the essence of successful living.
Both Jonathon Hardcastle & Jordan Cheng are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jonathon Hardcastle has sinced written about articles on various topics from Advertising Guide, Careers and Job Hunting and Cooking Tips. Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including , . Jonathon Hardcastle's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.
Jordan Cheng has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Marketing Strategies and Mind Power. Jordan Cheng is the author of the Success Journal at . Find out the. Jordan Cheng's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.
