Daly purposefully restricted Jordan's playing time and made ineffective substitutions; assistant coach Mike Krzyzewski subsequently stated that the head coach "threw the game" to educate NBA players that they could be defeated. During the Olympic tournament, Daly removed Jordan from one game with 15 minutes left in regulation because he felt that his presence was unnecessary.
Jordan had already announced before the start of the tournament that this would be his last season with the National Basketball Association (NBA). However, despite Daly's intentions, many believed that Jordan still had something left in his 36-year-old body, and several teams were interested in signing him after the Olympics ended.
During the opening ceremony of the Games, Michael received a standing ovation from the audience when he entered the arena on crutches due to previous knee injuries. The following day, however, it was reported that he would not be able to play due to another knee problem that had occurred during practice the prior week. Although he did not say so directly, many believed that Daly had intentionally kept Jordan off the court to motivate him to retire. After missing two games due to the injury, Jordan returned for Game 3 against Russia, but he played only six minutes and missed all three shots he took. By then, though, it was clear that he was no longer the same player that we had seen during the previous year's playoffs.
Michael Jordan was inspired by Leroy Smith. Leroy Smith (played by Charlie Murphy) claims to have defeated Jordan to the Varsity Team at Laney High School because of his "balltastic" talents on the court. This motivation helped Michael become one of the best basketball players in history.
Another person who has been mentioned as having influenced Michael is his own father, James Jordan. The first thing that people notice about Michael is his resemblance to his father; he even admits this himself. Although many people think that James was just a tough role model to follow, he had an impact on Michael that can't be denied. He encouraged him to play ball instead of trying to keep up with his older brothers and told Michael that he would never regret playing baseball.
As far as hobbies and interests are concerned, Michael loves golf, tennis, and racing cars. He also likes collecting sneakers with his friend Larry Bird. Michael's favorite movie is "Hoosiers" and his favorite singer is Elton John.
He currently lives in Chicago with his family. They include three children: Marcus Jr., Tori, and Sienna.
In 2006, Forbes listed Michael as the most powerful celebrity athlete with a net worth of $500 million.
Jordan would not accept anything less than the best. He developed a high-level work ethic via his attitude, dedication, and faith. He wanted to master every aspect of the game, no matter how much time and work it required. This mentality helped him become one of the greatest basketball players in history.
Michael Jordan has said that he doesn't think about himself as a person. Instead, he describes himself as "the least important thing" on the court at any given moment. This mindset has helped make him one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
This selflessness is what makes him a great leader. It also helps explain why he enjoyed such success so early in his career; there were never any doubts about who was in charge. Even when he was young, people believed that he was ready to lead a team.
Here are some other quotes from Michael Jordan:
"You can't allow yourself to be pushed around by anyone." - Michael Jordan
"I've always felt that if you get out there and you have fun and you enjoy yourself, then nobody can take that away from you." - Michael Jordan
"Practice makes perfect." - Michael Jordan
But, for all of his massive dunks, fresh kicks, and clutch shots, Jordan's greatest influence came off the court, when he enabled athletes, particularly African-Americans, to acquire full economic participation in the billions earned by their labor. By the time he retired in 1993, after playing 20 seasons in the NBA, Michael Jordan had become not only the best basketball player of all time, but also the most popular athlete in America.
During his career, Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, and later three more with the Washington Wizards. His dominance is illustrated by the fact that he is one of only eight players who have scored 100 points in a game while shooting over 50 percent from the field. He also holds or shares numerous other records including most consecutive games with at least one steal (887), most steals in a season (932) and most triple doubles (92).
When Jordan retired from playing basketball, he immediately became involved in business affairs. He started his own sports apparel line, named Jump Sportswear, which has since become one of the largest sporting goods companies in the world.
Today, Michael Jordan is considered by many to be not only one of the best basketball players of all time, but also one of the best entertainers, a role model, and even a political activist.
Although a summary of his basketball career and impact on the game will never do it justice, Jordan single-handedly redefined the NBA as a phenomenal athlete with a unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power, artistry, improvisational ability, and an unquenchable competitive desire... There are few players in NBA history who can compare to him in terms of overall dominance.
Jordan's appeal goes beyond sports fans. He is one of the most beloved athletes in American history, with his popularity extending well beyond basketball. His presence on and off the court has been described as magnetic, his charisma extraordinary, and his style iconic.
A product of Chicago's South Side, Jordan came up through the youth basketball system before graduating from high school at age 17. He immediately became one of the most gifted scorers in college basketball history, leading University of North Carolina to the 1989 National Championship. After only two seasons, he was drafted first by the Chicago Bulls team that he would help transform into a dynasty.
Over the course of his career, Jordan won six Olympic gold medals, four World Championships, and the 1993-1994 NBA season alone he scored 100 points twice! He remains the only player in NBA history to have three consecutive 50-point games, and his 794 regular season victories are second only to Larry Bird's 839 wins.