Michael Jordan was the most competitive player during his era. He always found motivation to beat his opponents, an admirable part of his personality. That was why his “And I took it personally” moment in The Last Dance went viral and continues to be used as a meme today.
One such instance he struggled with was when he played against players who loved to talk trash to him. This motivated him because he felt he was getting on the opponents’ nerves when they tried to trash-talk him.
“When you trash talk, that’s the game, it’s the game of psyching out. They try to take it as a one-on-one competition. To me, which totally takes away from their team concept,” Jordan said about players who loved talking trash to him. “I know how to play the game, I don’t think they know how to play the game when I’m talking to them.”
MJ always wanted to take advantage of his matchups
Jordan was one of the most talented and physically gifted players during his career, but he was also quite intelligent. He knew how to gain a mental advantage over his opponents by demoralizing them through his play. However, Jordan got some significant hits with his trash-talk, where he dealt a big blow to his opponent.
Unfortunately for his opponents, those who tried to talk trash to him suffered because they only motivated him further. Some players had to learn a harsh lesson, including former Vancouver Grizzlies and former Los Angeles Clippers role player Darrick Martin. He tried to tell MJ that he was having a bad night, which only set Jordan off, scoring 24 points in the last ten minutes of the game.
“We are up eight, Mike is four for 16 from the field, he is having a rough night. So Darrick decides, because there is about 10 minutes to go in the game that we’re winning, he decides to say to Michael Jordan, who’s having an off night, ‘Hey Mike, sh*t’s not falling tonight, Mike. You having an off night, Mike.’ Really?!” Martin’s ex-teammate Antonio Harvey said in an interview with Aaron Ross.
MJ’s competitiveness led to him winning championships
As one of the fiercest competitors in NBA history, it was only natural for Jordan to succeed in the league. He cemented himself as a top star with his dominance from the shooting guard position, finding multiple ways to score against the best defenders in the league at that time. He was also a fantastic defender and underrated playmaker, which led to him spearheading the charge for a dominant Bulls team.
Yes, he had an excellent supporting cast with Scottie Pippen as his primary running mate, but Jordan had the skills to raise everyone’s ceiling. He is the ultimate winner, evidenced by his six trips to the Finals without losing a single series