Michael Jordan is famously known for staying out of the public eye. He doesn’t make many speaking appearances, so when he made a series of basketball tutorial videos, it came as a surprise and a delight to fans. Jordan wasn’t always like this, though. In fact, Jordan used to make many public appearances and spoke a lot to the media.
Back in 1999, after winning his sixth NBA title with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan teamed up with sports legends Wayne Gretzky and John Elway to create a new website named mvp.com. The three sports legends joined forces with CBS Corp. to get the website made.
The website Jordan was a part of was an online retailer of athletic wear and equipment. On top of selling athletic products, Jordan also shared some wisdom with fans through those above-mentioned basketball videos.
These videos were great for every fan of MJ. To get a lesson on basketball from the greatest ever to do it felt special. As mentioned before, Jordan isn’t big on giving interviews today. However, even back when he was more talkative, you didn’t see Jordan give much tips on the game of basketball. So, when Jordan put out these videos on basketball lessons, it was a sight to see.
The videos were on how to perform different basketball moves, like Jordan’s famous fadeaway jumper.
Michael Jordan was an icon to children all across the globe in the 90s, and his moves helped influence an entire generation of NBA players.
Jordan didn’t just share tips on how to perform certain basketball moves; he also dived deeper into the mental aspect of the game. MJ spoke on the right nutrition to perform on the highest level, as well as how to jump higher.
One interesting video was when Jordan gave his thoughts on winning accolades. Other than winning championships, Jordan was most known for being a dominant offense player. So, when Jordan said he cared more about winning defense accolades, that may have come as a shock to some.
Jordan also gave a candid answer on why he believed other players feared him on the basketball court:
"“I think players are very respectful of my talents, mainly because I tried to exert all aspects of my talents. They could not pinpoint and say that I could only do one thing and if they stop that one thing, then they can stop Michael Jordan.”"
These videos are still very insightful and joyful for fans to revisit today. Unfortunately, for Jordan, Gretzky and Elway, their website fell apart in 2001.
Still, fans are grateful for the short-lived lifespan of Jordan’s website because, without it, we’d all missed out on a bit of Michael Jordan’s wisdom.