Dom Daniel
Mrs. Supriya Dravium
English 1020
23 October 2013
The G.O.A.T. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard enough. Michael Jordan was always talented and athletic, far more superior to his competition. Michael Jordan was drafted with the third pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA draft. Once Jordan stepped on the NBA court for the first time he would become an instant superstar. Dazzling the fans with highflying dunks, impressive crossovers, and high scoring point output, everyone knew he would become great and bring Chicago a lot of championships very soon. Michael Jordan is the greatest at his profession because he constantly works efficiently and effectively at his craft. Jordan would arrive to practice early. Most of the time he’s the first player walking through the door and the last player leaving. He was so dedicated to the game he loved so dearly that even after playing an intense game, Jordan would go to the weight room and lift weights and do strength training and sprints. After an NBA game, that’s amazing. During practice Jordan’s head coach Phil Jackson would even acknowledge him for the amount of hard work and the strong work ethic he displayed. Working harder than and hard working to complement one’s talent is a recipe for success. Daniel 2
When Jordan’s father passed away, it took a toll on him and it was a very difficult situation to deal with. Jordan’s father had been his closest supporter and advisor. Even with the heavy burden of his father’s death Jordan remembered what his father had said, which was to keep his head high, remember the good times and turn a negative into a positive. Jordan looked up to his father. He admired him greatly, Jordan’s father had motivated him in a way no one else could even imagine. Facing adversity at the highest degree would transform Jordan into a ruthless competitor on the basketball court on the quest to become great. What if Jordan couldn’t handle the grief of his father’s loss? What if he couldn’t handle the reality of life taking away his biggest supporter? I think Jordan would still be as ruthless of a basketball player as he was. He’s always played every game as if it were his last. Jordan would still display the same will to win by any means while keeping his composure because that’s just the type of person he is. He’s a winner and it’s hard for a winner to constantly lose with as much ambition that Jordan has. Characteristics of people who are ambitious, hardworking, and tough simply don’t lose. Jordan faced many challenges on his journey through the playoffs early in his career; a familiar foe would come as a roadblock for three straight years. The Detroit Pistons beat the amazing Michael Jordan three straight years in the playoffs, stopping Jordan on his path to the top of the NBA. News critics, sports analysis the media and fans doubted Jordan’s ability to win a championship. Even with so much talent he continued to come up short. Jordan’s frustrations grew deeper while the whispers grew louder that Jordan would never be as great as Larry Bird or Magic Johnson because they had each Daniel 3 won multiple championships. Jordan couldn’t beat the Pistons on talent alone; he was willing to do whatever it took to get over that hurdle. He was willing to work harder than anyone on the court and that’s what he did. Jordan exacerbated sheer will, guts and heart