OT: Jordan in the HOF

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Natebishop3

Natebishop3

Don't tread on me!
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BEST PLAYER EVER! I'm watching him play against the Nets right now from back in 87 when he scored 59. So smooth, unstoppable! The one thing I noticed is how small he was, compared to guys today.
 
The Sebastian Express said:
More importantly, Wojanorwski or whatever from !Yahoo seems to hate Michael more than KP.
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Talking about this article.

Here is a quote: "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."
 
Nate4Prez said:
Talking about this article.

Here is a quote: "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."
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Except that it wasn't the "praise and credit" that pushed him from being another Drexler, to being Jordan. Those "petty grievances and past slights" were what drove him!

As for Krause, his ego was as big as Jordan's, without 1/10th the justification. That fact that Woj identifies with him and pities him speaks volumes. No wonder the guy hates KP. Competence offends him!
 
Nate4Prez said:
Talking about this article.

Here is a quote: "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."
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I'm a huge Jordan fan (with the exception of 1992 Finals) I've always admired his will to win, dedication, competitive fire. He's the greatest player I've ever seen.

I don't agree with Woj. column on last nights induction. I'll admit there were awkward moments (Byron Russell, Thomas/Gervin/Majic, Leroy Smith, etc - I do NOT include "Crumbs" Krause in that b/c he deserved whatever he got) For the most part, I think it was Michael's attempt at humor - I really do. I don't think he was pot-shotting. Does MJ have a huge ego? Of course he does. Think of Tiger Woods, Ali, and other athletes given the title of "The Greatest . . . " and it comes with the territory. None the less, the only bitter/sour grapes moment last night (IMHO) was Jerry Krause - and I don't have a problem with that. That '98 team shouldn't have been dismantled until they lost. All of the other references last night seemed to be in jest. Watch how he brought up Russell at the end and he said "I hate to do this to him, he's SUCH a nice guy . . . ". Or when he eluded to Van Gundy saying Jordan "a con" who would fool you by being nice and then attacking you. MJ says "I'm just a friendly guy . . . ". I thought it was funny. I can understand how some might perceive it as sour grapes, I just disagree with that notion.
 
I thought it was a little lame that he said, "I wouldn't want to be you guys", to his kids. Of all the things he could have said to them.
 
Rodolfo said:
I thought it was a little lame that he said, "I wouldn't want to be you guys", to his kids. Of all the things he could have said to them.
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Agreed, I appreciate what he did for the league but that's just the kind of person he is.
 
Rodolfo said:
I thought it was a little lame that he said, "I wouldn't want to be you guys", to his kids. Of all the things he could have said to them.
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Humility isn't MJ's best asset. But truth be told - would you want to be in their shoes? How would you like to be MJ's son Jeffrey Jordan? He's an average player who had to walk on at Illinois. He's a hard worker with little talent. After two seasons in which he averaged 1 ppg, he was given a scholarship. Really? I wonder why? You think people in his circle might have felt it was his name (and not his performance) that earned him a scholarship? Well, after being given the scholarship on 1/22/09, he decided to quit the team on 6/24 to focus on "life after basketball".

The slightly more talented Marcus Jordan (Jeffrey's younger brother) is at Central Florida. Even if he's moderately successful, he'll always be seen as MJ's kid. Every time he's on Sports Center he'll be introduced as "Michael Jordan's son Marcus". That's a lot of pressure - that's what MJ was referring to.
 
There are various things that don't need to be said in a public forum like that. Keep it to yourself and don't make other people feel bad or draw superfluous attention to it.
 
huevonkiller said:
There are various things that don't need to be said in a public forum like that. Keep it to yourself and don't make other people feel bad or draw superfluous attention to it.
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I agree, but MJ isn't a master of the social graces. I think (in his own way) he was trying to tell his kids that he admires them for what they have to go through - The scrutiny and pressure of being the children of a legend. Did it sound egotistical? Of course. Was it awkward? Yep.
 
i agree with woj- he was a complete asshole up there. but did u expect anything else? in "jordan rules"- there was a story about him charging at doug collins because he didnt keep score in a practice. jordan was out for himself and wanted to win at all costs even if that involved trampling on his teammates feelings. although, i felt like there was a veneer of apology to his teammates in the speech when he something to the effect, "to my teammates, all I wanted to do was win" and then he gave them a look like "i hope you understand". most athletes are assholes, the profession kinda demands it but some athletes are better at disguising it.
 
Some notable quotes that will undoubtedly be etched in the history books forever:

"There is no "I" in "team," but there's an "I" in "win."
"Limits, like fears are often just an illusion."

MJ is so full of win. He might come off as cocky and distasteful, but he is the ONE guy who has the right to be so. Kome, on the other hand, can't.
 
Jesus Christ, I'm glad that this is the last we have to hear about Jordan at least until he dies. I mean, I just hope that the writer of this sentence was just high when he wrote this and will learn to be embarrassed about it in later, soberer moments:

In any event, we just wanted to tip our hats to the greatest basketball player we have ever seen, the greatest basketball player of all time, the greatest athlete of the 20th century,
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Jordan was certainly the dominant basketball player of his generation. And his reign coincided with Basketball's emergence as a very popular sport (although Magic, Bird and David Stern probably can take more credit for getting it rolling). But "greatest athlete of the 20th Century"? Puh-lease. He's not even close to the greatest American athlete. And he certainly wouldn't win any world-wide polls (and wouldn't even be close to the first American on there). It's better not to diminish his notable achievements by being ludicrously over the top. Don't make me bring up the Birmingham Barons, or the record of the Bulls with Pete Myers taking over his spot.
 
yuyuza1 said:
Some notable quotes that will undoubtedly be etched in the history books forever:
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Um - exactly what History Books would these be? I hope to God they're not approved for use in the schools...
 
Rastapopoulos said:
Um - exactly what History Books would these be? I hope to God they're not approved for use in the schools...
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Grammar is simply semantics.

But that speech embodied Jordan, and expressed pretty eloquently his fire and competitiveness within.

As a Jordan fanatic, I probably perceived the speech differently from those that don't think of him as highly.
 
Lest we forget:

[video=youtube;RH4ro1YdSio]

It's fun to watch that again - I was actually rooting for the Bulls for the first time ever (I hated Shaq so much at that time) and of course, they lose. But look how skinny everybody looks. And it's fun to see how amazingly enough Bill Wennington can commit fouls using the body of Michael Jordan.

Of course, having beaten the Jordan Bulls, the Magic got annihilated by Clyde and Hakeem.
 
For the Jordan haters on here . . . would you still feel this way about him had he won 6 championships for the Blazers?
 
My hope is that in 20 years Greg Oden is giving the same style speech minus the references to his kids.
 
Didnt see the video, read the Woj column...MJ sure sounded like an asshole
 
Kaydow said:
For the Jordan haters on here . . . would you still feel this way about him had he won 6 championships for the Blazers?
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Yes, because I wouldn't be a Blazer fan then. I didn't grow up in Portland, I'm not even American. I chose the team because of the players at the time (the Drexler years) and had a chance to pick Jordan's Bulls to follow. I never regretted my choice (which shows how completely irrational sports loyalty is, or how completely masochistic I am). I always hated Jordan. In a way, it's nice that he's continued to make an ass of himself after leaving the Bulls, because, for a while there I almost felt sorry for him.
 
Charcoal Filtered said:
My hope is that in 20 years Greg Oden is giving the same style speech minus the references to his kids.
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So you liked the part where Jordan made sure that the person who made the high school varsity team ahead of him was brought to the speech so that he could say about the coach that he made a mistake? So, in other words, a 47-year old multi-millionaire tries to show up some poor schmuck who made the team in high school (through no fault of his own) over him?

And that stuff about "organizations don't play in Utah with the flu" or whatever. What a self-serving dick.
 
What a great speech. Candid, truthful, and from the heart. If what made you a hall of famer is the intense competitive drive from slights, imagined and real, it makes perfect sense to illustrate them in your acceptance speech.
 
Nobody can deny his talent, but make no mistake, he is a bonafide asshole. It seems that him being an asshole fueled his competitive drive, but he is STILL an asshole. Calling people out like that in a HOF speech?!? Are you serious? Giving his college coach shit for not being on SI, giving his HS coach and Leroy Smith an "i told you so", calling out other HOF's for the All Star game freeze out and then saying (paraphrase)" I think I proved myself" with a snide look on his face, telling his kids he wouldnt want to be them, because of who he is. He calls out the Bulls organization saying only players win 'ships. Oh really Mr. Jordan? Then explain the Celtics and Lakers dominance over generations you moron. Saying he is right and Tex Winter was wrong in that one game he mentioned. For god sake the dude is living out the last days of his life after a stroke and all you want to do is talk over the applause when his name was mentioned and try to prove everybody else is wrong and you are right.

The one that took the cake for me was him calling out Byron Russell and then shoving it into John Stocktons face. He gives that story and then says "Remember John?" and John sits there with a stoic look on his face. Hey Jordan, how about you dont shove possibly the most saddening moment in John Stocktons career in his face ON HIS HOF NIGHT TOO NO LESS!!!

Classless SOB, who just happened to be one of if not the best player of all time
 
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Rastapopoulos said:
So you liked the part where Jordan made sure that the person who made the high school varsity team ahead of him was brought to the speech so that he could say about the coach that he made a mistake? So, in other words, a 47-year old multi-millionaire tries to show up some poor schmuck who made the team in high school (through no fault of his own) over him?

And that stuff about "organizations don't play in Utah with the flu" or whatever. What a self-serving dick.
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I am pretty sure MJ did not kidnap the guy and force him to sit thru the ceremony. Again, MJ was paying homage to what motivated him to be the greatest. The induction was in honor of his accomplishments as a basketball player and this was a big motivation for him. Him bringing up playing with the flu in Utah also is true.

I will have no problem with Greg having six rings at his induction ceremony and giving small thanks to the fans, but bigger thanks for himself. Think alot of the criticism is coming from people that did not watch the speech and are only getting excerpts. However, this highlights a huge fact that the majority want to ignore. If the Blazers win a championship, the players on the court are going to be the reason for this. Even then, there are going to be some players that are more responsible for winning than others. MJ just made clear that the fans, media, front office, role players, and coaches were not the biggest reason he was a winner. Motivation was his reason.
 
I enjoyed the speech. Never once did it cross my mind that he was being an asshole until I read this thread.
 
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