Jordan's Night to Remember Turns Petty

[digital022]

taken from yahoo.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-jordanhall091209&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The tears tumbled, flooding his face and Michael Jordan had yet to march to the microphone at Symphony Hall. He had listened to the genuine stories and speeches of a remarkable class. He had watched a "This is Your Life" video compilation of his basketball genius. Everything flashed before him, a legacy that he's fought with body and soul to never, ever let go into yesterday.

Yes, Michael Jordan was still fighting it on Friday night, and maybe he always will. Mostly, he was crying over the passing of that old Jordan, and it wouldn't be long until he climbed out of his suit and back into his uniform and shorts, back into an adolescent act that's turned so tedious.

This wasn't a Hall of Fame induction speech, but a bully tripping nerds with lunch trays in the school cafeteria. He had a responsibility to his standing in history, to players past and present, and he let everyone down. This was a night to leave behind the petty grievances and past slights - real and imagined. This was a night to be gracious, to be generous with praise and credit.

"M.J. was introduced as the greatest player ever and he's still standing there trying to settle scores," one Hall of Famer said privately later.

Jordan didn't hurt his image with the NBA community, as much as he reminded them of it. "That's who Michael is," one high-ranking team executive said. "It wasn't like he was out of character. There's no one else who could've gotten away with what he did tonight. But it was Michael, and everyone just goes along."

Jordan wandered through an unfocused and uninspired speech at Symphony Hall, disparaging people who had little to do with his career, like Jeff Van Gundy and Bryon Russell. He ignored people who had so much to do with it, like his personal trainer, Tim Grover. This had been a moving and inspirational night for the NBA - one of its best ceremonies ever - and five minutes into Jordan's speech it began to spiral into something else. Something unworthy of Jordan's stature, something beneath him.

Jordan spent more time pointlessly admonishing Van Gundy and Russell for crossing him with taunts a dozen years ago than he did singling out his three children. When he finally acknowledged his family, Jordan blurted, in part, to them, "I wouldn't want to be you guys."

Well, um, thanks Dad. He meant it, too. If not the NBA, he should've thought of his children before he started spraying fire at everyone.

No one ever feels sorry for Isiah Thomas, but Jordan tsk-tsked him and George Gervin and Magic Johnson for the 1985 All-Star game "freeze-out." Jordan was a rookie, and the older stars decided to isolate him. It was a long time ago, and he obliterated them all for six NBA championships and five MVP trophies. Isiah and the Ice Man looked stunned, as intimidated 50 feet from the stage, as they might have been on the basketball court.

The cheering and laughter egged Jordan on, but this was no public service for him. Just because he was smiling didn't mean this speech hadn't dissolved into a downright vicious volley.

Worst of all, he flew his old high school teammate, Leroy Smith, to Springfield for the induction. Remember, Smith was the upperclassman his coach, Pop Herring, kept on varsity over him as a high school sophomore. He waggled to the old coach, "I wanted to make sure you understood: You made a mistake, dude."

Whatever, Michael. Everyone gets it. Truth be told, everyone got it years ago, but somehow he thinks this is a cleansing exercise. When basketball wanted to celebrate Jordan as the greatest player ever, wanted to honor him for changing basketball everywhere, he was petty and punitive. Yes, there was some wink-wink teasing with his beloved Dean Smith, but make no mistake: Jordan revealed himself to be strangely bitter. You won, Michael. You won it all. Yet, he keeps chasing something that he'll never catch, and sometimes, well, it all seems so hollow for him.

This is why he's a terrible basketball executive because he still hasn't learned to channel his aggressions into hard work on that job. For the Charlotte Bobcats, Jordan remains an absentee boss who keeps searching for basketball players on fairways and greens.

From the speeches of David Robinson to John Stockton, Jerry Sloan to Vivian Stringer, there was an unmistakable thread of peace of mind and purpose. At times, they were self-deprecating and deflective of praise. Jordan hasn't mastered that art, and it reveals him to be oddly insecure. When Jordan should've thanked the Bulls ex-GM, Jerry Krause, for surrounding him with championship coaches and talent, he ridiculed him. It was me, Jordan was saying. Not him. "The organization didn't play with the flu in Utah," Jordan grumbled.

For Jordan to let someone else share in the Bulls' dynasty will never diminish his greatness. Just enhance it. Only, he's 46 years old and he still doesn't get it. Yes, Jordan did gush over Scottie Pippen, but he failed to confess that he had wanted Krause to draft North Carolina's Joe Wolf. Sometimes, no one is better with a half a story, half a truth, than Jordan. All his life, no one's ever called him on it.

Whatever Jordan wants to believe, understand this: The reason that Van Gundy's declaration of him as a "con man" so angered him is because it was true on so many levels.

It was part of his competitiveness edge, part of his marketability, and yes, part of his human frailty.

Jordan wasn't crying over sentimentality on Friday night, as much as he was the loss of a life that he returned from two retirements to have again. The finality of his basketball genius hit him at the induction ceremony, hit him hard. Jordan showed little poise and less grace.

Once again, he turned the evening into something bordering between vicious and vapid, an empty exercise for a night that should've had staying power, that should've been transformative for basketball and its greatest player. What fueled his fury as a thirtysomething now fuels his bitterness as a lost, wandering fortysomething who threatened a comeback at 50.

"Don't laugh," Michael Jordan warned.

No one's laughing anymore.

Once and for all, Michael: It's over.

You won.

 

[nikeaircobraben]

MJ is still the best.

 

[af1 beast]

It's Mike. What did you expect? He was a trash-talker on the courts and still is one off the courts. There was always stories of him being cruel to histeammates and of him not signing autographs. It's just who he is. He'll always be a great basketball player though.

 

[vood99]

It's a well known fact that MJ is a douche, why is the author of this article surprised? It's only fitting that Jordan Brand and itsproduct has been utter trash for the last few years.

 

[tree4twenty]

 

[delete1234]

ol *%@!+ $++ +%%+$
(BAN)

 

[mst9023]

did this guy expect mj to change because he got a little bit older? he's always been this way and he will never change.

 

[manglor]

Its always been common knowledge he was a GREAT basketball player and a total jerk in every other aspect of his life.

 

[mf178]

smh @ yall trying to defend michael. is this the reason why JB has gone down the drain?

 

[nikeaircobraben]

Originally Posted by MF178

smh @ yall trying to defend michael. is this the reason why JB has gone down the drain?

elaborate on that Einstein

 

[mf178]

Originally Posted by NikeAirCobraBen

Originally Posted by MF178

smh @ yall trying to defend michael. is this the reason why JB has gone down the drain?

elaborate on that Einstein

think about it. MJ or JB isnt looking out for the people, they're looking out for theirself, your personality is a direct representation ofyour actions. you really think JB thinks about what the consumer wants? or likes?

 

[ilovemykicks10]

the greatest hands down.

 

[nikeaircobraben]

Originally Posted by MF178

Originally Posted by NikeAirCobraBen

elaborate on that Einstein

think about it. MJ or JB isnt looking out for the people, they're looking out for theirself, your personality is a direct representation of your actions. you really think JB thinks about what the consumer wants? or likes?

yea, JB is behind this, not really MJ. MJ is outta both games, basketball and shoes

 

[mf178]

Originally Posted by NikeAirCobraBen

Originally Posted by MF178

Originally Posted by NikeAirCobraBen

elaborate on that Einstein

think about it. MJ or JB isnt looking out for the people, they're looking out for theirself, your personality is a direct representation of your actions. you really think JB thinks about what the consumer wants? or likes?

yea, JB is behind this, not really MJ. MJ is outta both games, basketball and shoes

MJ no longer has nothing to do with JB?

 

[nikeaircobraben]

^^ dude u have horrible grammar


what does MJ have to do with the crap the JB is releasing?

 

[dtb00201]

lmao i liked his speech....i didn't think it was really disrespectful....Jordan is a straight shooter and doesn't sugar coat things...i can respectthat....and his speech gave a lot of insight to all the things that motivated him through out his life and career.....when your that competitive...you look foranything to serve as motivation...and i really enjoyed finding out what makes MJ tick

 

[airjordanxviii]

The author is not surprised...

"Whatever, Michael. Everyone gets it. Truth be told, everyone got it years ago, but somehow he thinks this is a cleansing exercise."

He's just surprised MJ would be like this at the ceremony.

 

[genegreenrko]

MJ said what he wanted and he wasn't saying anything in a "hurtful" manner. Of course someone going to have something negative to say.

 

[forever23]

Humble / Gracious / Meek / Unassuming / Embarrassed / Shy / Diminutive / Petty and "SECOND PLACE"............... These are not words which anyonewould ever have used to describe MJ at any point in his career...

Self centered / arrogant / Confident / Trash talking / Hardest working / inspirational / Leader.....................and Winner!........................ Theseare his attributes, always have been......... That's why we love him!

I loved his acceptance speech... anything else would have been a sellout and a compromise.

 

[2nick3]

okay i read it but don't really understand, english isnt my first language,
can someone explain what happened at the ceremony?

 

[SteveSteve72]

dtb00201 wrote:

---

lmao i liked his speech....i didn't think it was really disrespectful....Jordan is a straight shooter and doesn't sugar coat things...i can respect that....and his speech gave a lot of insight to all the things that motivated him through out his life and career.....when your that competitive...you look for anything to serve as motivation...and i really enjoyed finding out what makes MJ tick

That's right he was saying what motivated him, He is the GOAT and when your on top people just look for something to knock you down. It was agreat speech. and to the author of that

SHUT YOUR MOUTH

 

[j4rote33]

It's obvious half the people writing here are around the age of 10-15 cause none of you know what you're talking about. The guy is stampeded daily withpeople looking for autographs, pictures, everything. But while all these fans are running up to him no one understands that he's also in charge of JordanBrand and running the Bobcats. It's not like he just gets to walk around all day, shoot some hoops, work out, play with his kids and has no commitments. Ofcourse he isn't gonna sign autographs for hours and hours. The speech was perfect. Last night was about Michael Jordan. The greatest player to ever playwas inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he was just in speaking for 20 plus minutes about himself and what drove him. Yea he talks trash, yea he berated histeammates, opponents, and probably sometimes the coaches, but it was his fierce competitive nature that caused all that. It was that competitivness that wonhim multiple MVPs, Championships, scoring titles and many many other acolades. Watch that speech again and if you watched the man play in his prime, and sawwhat he did and how he revolutionized the game, then try and start up a conversation on the flaws of his speech. I doubt there will be any. Stop posting thathe's a douche and an $$%%*%%, cause half of you just believe everything you read on the internet and no one actually knows about Michael Jordan. Stop justwatching the highlights, they aren't gonna tell you who he was and how he controlled the game. Watch game tapes, or just sit there and not do anythingcause you couldn't even talk when he was playing.

 

[aphexacid]

I'm shocked that peoples feelings are hurt by this. He's not a bad guy, but he is who he is because of himself. Many self made powerhouse men have thissame attitude. He played basketball because he loves it so much, to him, he was the only one out there.


As far as shoes, when are people going to get this through their heads. THIS IS A BUSINESS. you think MJ is going to say, "aww, i feel bad about all thepeople complaining that the shoes i wore 20 years ago arent made the same. you know what guys, lets start using premium leather, Nike Air logos and lets pullout those old templates for the machine pressers"

NO. He wants to make as much money as possible, and spend the least amount.

thats how successful businesses work.

If you dont like the product, stop buying it FFS!

 

[dendanskesimon]

everybody knows MJs a *$%#, im sure not surprised

 

[troutking]

i dont really care about the speech. i think the shoes were actually bigger than mike himself on some level. but i loved watching dude play