Michael Jordan Reveals His Basketball Mental Game Secrets
February 4, 2010 by Lisa Brown · 24 Comments
In just 90 seconds of Michael Jordan’s acceptance speech for the NBA Hall of Fame, he gives us some major pearls about his basketball mental game.
On the will to win:
“I could never please Tex [former coach, Tex Winter]. I remember a game, we were down 5-10 points, and I go off for about 25 points and we win the game… I remember we’re walking off the court and Tex look at me, and he says,
“You know, Micheal, there’s no ‘I’ in team.”
I said “Tex, there’s no ‘I’ in team, but there’s an ‘I’ in WIN.”
Of course, being a team player is important.
But equally important is summoning the mental toughness to display the will to win.
When you do, you give courage to your teammates. This is what the word ‘en-courage’ means – to give courage to.
The truth is, it takes guts to stand out from the crowd and aspire greatness. You may face judgment, envy, and even outright rejection from people who witness your greatness first hand.
But you can still give yourself permission to be great — to show the will to win, even if it makes someone around you uncomfortable.
You will never be happy dimming yourself down for others.
Michael On The Sports Psychology Skill of Motivation:
“And then you had all the media naysayers…you know, ‘scoring champion can’t win the NBA title…’; You’re not as good as Magic Johnson; You’re not as good as Larry Bird. You’re good, but you’re not as good as those guys.
I had to listen to all this. And that put so much wood on that fire… It kept me each and every day, trying to get better as a basketball player… And for someone like me, who achieved a lot…you look for any kind of messages to keep you motivated to play the game of basketball.”
This one is a biggie, because every single one of us has been put down and let down by others…and felt the shame and humiliation of that.
Michael Jordan is here to say: channel your frustration. Channel your anger. Let it drive you towards excellence, towards who you really are.
Remember, as a basketball player, you are here to display a grace, beauty, and heroism.
You’re here to inspire us all.
To watch the video clip of Michael Jordan click here.
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Light it up out there,
Lisa B.