NBA legend Michael Jordan won six championships during his time with the Chicago Bulls and had a habit of being the hardest-working player on the court - for either team.
During a recent conversation about the current state of the NBA, Jordan recounted his famous “flu game” where he dropped 38 points en route to a Bulls victory that saw he and his teammates just one win away from another NBA title.
“I was going to find a way to get out there, even if I was a decoy,” Jordan said of the game. “Well, once I got out there, you never know how — 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 going to gut this thing out.'”
The conversation started after Jordan was asked about the NBA’s current load-management crisis which has seen NBA stars like Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard miss a plethora of contests every year. Unsurprisingly, one of the GOAT’s of the game doesn’t love the idea of missing time.
“Well, it shouldn’t be needed, first and foremost,” Jordan said when asked about the notion of load management. “You know, I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove. It was something that I felt like the fans are there that watch me play. I want to impress that guy way up on top who probably worked his [butt] off to get a ticket or to get money to buy the ticket.”
Jordan even said that rule applied to the people who came to games to cheer against him.
“Yeah, because I know he’s probably yelling at me and I want to shut him up,” Jordan said. “You know, 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?”
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