Michael Jordan didn’t just want to be on the court, he loved it. Craved it. He rarely missed games — he played in a full 82 games nine times in his 15-season career, and played in at least 78 games three more times.
The 14-time NBA All-Star spoke to the topic of “load management” during an “MJ: Insights to Excellence” conversation with Mike Tirico that aired Tuesday as part of NBC’s coverage of the 2025-26 NBA season.
“It shouldn’t be needed, first and foremost,” Jordan said. “You know, I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove. It was something that I felt the fans are there that watch me play. I want to impress that guy, way up on top, who probably worked his ass off to get a ticket or to get money to buy the ticket.”
“You really cared about the guy who sat in the top deck of The Palace in Auburn Hills to watch you when you when you came to Detroit?” Tirico asked.
“Yeah, because I know he’s probably yelling at me, I want to shut him up,” Jordan replied. “He’s calling me all kinds of names. I definitely want to shut him up.
“You have a duty that if they’re wanting to see you, and as an entertainer, I want to show, right? So if the guys are coming to watch me play, I don’t want to miss that opportunity. Physically, if I can’t do it, then I can’t do it. But physically, if I can do it and I just don’t feel like doing it, that’s a whole different lens.”
There were times Jordan couldn’t do it physically, but he backed up the idea that he would fight to get back on the court. During his second season in the NBA (1985-86), Jordan missed 64 games with a broken foot. However, he pushed to return ahead of schedule, was back on the court in March, and led the Bulls to the playoffs (where they were swept by the Bird-Parish-McHale Celtics in the first round, but Jordan dropped a postseason-record 63 points in a double-overtime Game 2 loss).
Then there was the “Flu Game” during the 1997 Finals against the Utah Jazz. A severely ill Jordan scored 38 points (plus 7 rebounds and 5 assists) to help the Bulls take a 3-2 series lead.
“It’s a Game 5, which is a very pivotal game. I was going to find a way to get out there, even if I was a decoy,” Jordan said. “But once I got out there, you never know how you’re pushing yourself. You never know what happens, right?
“Next thing you know, the emotions, the situation, the need of the team, all those things catapulted me to, ‘I’m gonna gut this thing out.’”