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Lmao. So well put and accurate.
Let 'er rip!
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...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 sop re. 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 compe iveness 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.
Lmao. So well put and accurate.
[[[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.]]]
I championed Krause first on this Forum. Yep-a-rooney.
Good article.
This.Whatever, Michael. Everyone gets it. Truth be told, everyone got it years ago
Though this is not surprising, it's still disappointing to see. It's truly sad that someone so great still feels the need to lash out at his critics like a child in front an audience of some of basketball's greatest contributors. Eventually his failure as an executive will leave him without a place in the NBA and he will die a cold, lonely old man.
& I wonder how much those last two years as a player in Washington has bitterized Jordan. He was abused mightily. A lot of old scores were settled, many pieces of his hide peeled off.
MJ was a basketball player, nothing more, nothing less. Now that his career is over, so is his iden y. MJ the person is certainly nothing to fawn over.
I must admit this column by Adrian Wojnarowski was spot on about Jordan's speech last night.
However, I have been a little conflicted about how I perceived it. On the other hand, Jordan showed how vindictive and petty he could be and I immediately imagined it would have been tough to be his friend.
But, I have watched Jordan for the past 25 years and that was the most honest I had ever heard him in a public setting. I got a real insight into who he really was and what made him tick. I must admit I was surprised by his candor.
I never lived in Chicago.....so I know some of you will post he was liked this all of time. But, it has showed me how image and perception can create a pretty good shield around someone's true personality.
I did have a problem with him calling out his high school buddy, Jerry Krause, and being froze out in the All Star Game as a rookie. Mike....it's time to let that stuff go.
On the other hand...it was slights (real or perceived) that made him into one of the best players of all time.
My hope...for him that he finds some peace and gain a perspective outside of himself as he grows older.
There is a price to pay for greatness and I believe I saw some of that price last night.
I still can't get over that Leroy Smith high school thing. And, the article makes mention that Jordan actually had him flown in to the ceremony. I only imagine that Leroy Smith was thinking at first, "wow, I guess I really can feel good about being one of Michael's biggest motivations, and it was cool that he would fly me in for that," only to be ridiculed in front of members of the basketball Hall of Fame. That wasn't appreciation. It's like a pretty girl in high school agreeing to go out with a nerd and then embarrassing him in front of the whole school. Honestly, what the was that? Like the article said, you beat him. You proved him and your high school coach wrong. Good job. You're a multi-million dollar icon. He's a 6-foot-7 guy who probably works a 9 to 5. So you fly him in to ridicule him? I honestly can't get over that.
Hey, make fun of Isiah and Bryon Russell and Jeff Van Gundy. At least, they're used to public humiliation. You take a guy that was just trying to make the high school varsity basketball team like every other kid 30 years ago and do that to him? That more than anything, including cracks at Jerry Krause or his cavalier comments to his kids (at least they should be used to him being an asshole) or any of his stories making fun of JVG or Russell or Riley, showed about how classless Michael Jordan is.
Maybe having to hand over half + $1 to his ex-wife has him looney tunes. Nothing worse than dieing or losing money.
Rub it in, Michael. Rub it in.
Jordan shoulda, woulda, coulda.
let the man be himself as long as he doesn't rape anyone
That was a hack job of an article. Michael was being Michael. Nothing wrong with that. The people he criticized deserved criticism. It was refreshing to hear someone give a speech that was honest.
I'm sorry but I think it just adds more balance to many of you that "suckoff" MJ when people say Lebron (or Kobe) does this or that many Mj loyalist say well Mj wouldnt of went off the court without shaking hands, or Kobe's an adulterer or they will NEVER be MJ ...I hope for them not. I doubt Kobe will catch MJ in rings (ha has a shot though) or in fandom ...buet much of the ego many despise in Lebron or Kobe is Mj has them beat in that as well ...
The article was spot on. Michael was being Michael, but that doesn't make the speech less petty and sad.
First time I've heard a hall of fame speech that was pathetically awkward.
The article isn't criticizing Michael for not being Michael.
It's criticizing Michael because of who he is and for not growing the up.
Everyone can agree Michael was genuinely himself. That's the sad part.
The article was a hack job. Apparently Wojnarowski or whatever the his name is wanted Michael to be overtly gracious and humble or some like that. That is not who he is. The speech was neither pathetic nor awkward. I can assure you that most people there would agree with me.
Nope. He's saying how sad that this is still who Michael is as a 46 year old retired basketball player who already has reached legend and iconic status.
The speech was pathetic. I agree it wasn't awkward, but definitely pathetic.
It's not surprising that most of the people criticising his speech are either Lakers fans or Pistons fans...
I fully acknowledge being a Jordan hater. He's still an ass.
And, if you want some perspective, Isiah Thomas is just about as big an asshole and as Jordan.
You should probably read the article again...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.
Ok, one sentence. The real point of the article as a whole is about how pathetic and petty Michael Jordan continues to be at his age.
Wojnarowski is easily one of the worst sportswriters I've read. He pulls stuff out of his ass all of the time...
Michael has a HUGE ego. That is one of the biggest reasons why he accomplished what he did. Actually I've met MJ and he's a very nice guy.
Write him one of your poetic retorts. He'll love your input.
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