Jordan's HOF Speech Ruffles Some Feathers

[jazzcyclist]

I have to admit that there were some cringe worthy moments, especially the comments about his kids and Jerry Krause. One thing that's certain is that MJ doesn't mind tooting his own horn.

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/09/12/jord ... -to-clown/

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=a ... &type=lgns

[lexvid]

Big Stars generally have Big Egos. There are few exceptions.

That's why they're generally not called Hall of Fames for the Very Humble.

I enjoyed watching Jordan but I take most of what great athletes like him say with a grain of salt. For example, go and read Rickey Henderson's Hall of Fame speech. He's not the brightest bulb in the bunch.

[jazzcyclist]

Big Stars generally have Big Egos. There are few exceptions.

That's why they're generally not called Hall of Fames for the Very Humble.

I enjoyed watching Jordan but I take most of what great athletes like him say with a grain of salt. For example, go and read Rickey Henderson's Hall of Fame speech. He's not the brightest bulb in the bunch.

Now Henderson is a different kind of cat all together. He marches to the beat of a different drummer, so I don't think he can be categorized.

Henderson did indeed once receive a million-dollar check from the Oakland A's and, rather than cash it, framed it and hung it on his wall.

"When you're a kid, you want to be a millionaire," said Henderson, who apparently wasn't clear on the concept that the money needs to be in the bank to achieve millionaire status.

When the check didn't clear, the A's phoned, asked him to cash it, and suggested he display a photocopy instead.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/gameon/2009/0 ... derso.html
There are literally dozens of Henderson stories as weird as this one.

As for Jordan's speech, I've never heard a Hall of Fame speech as petty and self-important as his. In his latest column which is about the speech, Michael Wilbon tells the story of how his brother, who is such a huge Jordan fan that he named his only son "Jordan", called him on the morning after the speech and asked, "Why did Michael, who's the most beloved, the most revered athlete in history need to have a chip on his shoulder on the night he's inducted into the Hall of Fame?" Of course, you're entitled to say whatever you want in your HOF speech, but make no mistake, this wasn't a typical superstar's inductance speech.

[Dutra]

Jordan's HOF speech was bordering on the offensive.

[Conor Dary]

It is true that Jordan still harbors ill will towards Krause, but so do most Chicagoans, including myself. No one did more to drive Jackson, and with him Jordan out of town in 1998 than Krause.

[Speedfirst]

The old adage applies here "if the shoe fits, wear it"
Also....."let the chips fall as they may"
"Can't stand the heat, get outta of the kitchen"

[bijanc]

MJ HOF

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2jMzudeX1E

Calling out Jeff Van Gundy for saying MJ deceptively befriended up players and then turned on them during games was small. Telling the audience, viewers, and world that the tickets cost him $1,000 a head to bring family & friends in, when they used to be $200, was Scroogish, and inconsiderate of the value of family. Saying that 6'7" h.s. teammate Leroy Smith, who beat Jordan out (singly?) for varsity in 11th grade, game hasn't improved since then, w/ Smith in the audience, was "get over it, we know you used it for motivation,--- and?"

The various snipes at media, opposing coaches, perfectionist Tex Winter, Buzz Peterson for being named best schoolboy player in the state, and the front office folk for implying that "the organization wins the championships" were inappropriate for the occasion.

That said, it was in part Jordan's ability to channel all that grudge and "I'll show you" into athletic excelllence, that separates him from Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins. Not condoning the speech, just the fact that whatever a Bill Russell, Larry Holmes, or Jordan can use as motive, that they don't internaize to the point of self-destruction or chemical abuse, can prove effective.

Goes back to the "eilte performer as obessive/compulsive" thread on the board.

[BillVol]

I agree. Just for starters, no Tar Heel would dare question anything done by Dean Smith -- ever. Until now.

Jordan was good, but he was lucky that Magic and Bird retired so he could start winning championships.

Again, Jordan was good, but do not compare him to Bird or Magic. Or Kareem. Or Wilt. Or Russell. Or the Big O................

[CookyMonzta]

OY! What did I miss? Is there a transcript of his speech anywhere on the Web?

What a weird weekend this has been. A legend loses her cool on the court (and despite what some might think, 11 Grand Slam trophies on your shelf makes you a legend, without question, as is the case with McEnroe and his 7 despite his long history of repeated unsportsmanlike conduct and the penalties that came and went with it), and a supreme legend uses the ultimate forum, supposedly to celebrate his career, to settle old scores with his enemies. Indeed, what a strange trip this is.

[bijanc]

Transcript

Forget a transcript- for the Van Gundy and Leroy Smith parts, and the ticket price jab, it informs to hear his tone. The speech is on YouTube (and has been linked here).

[jazzcyclist]

The old adage applies here "if the shoe fits, wear it"
Also....."let the chips fall as they may"
"Can't stand the heat, get outta of the kitchen"

And here's another one:
"The Emperor has no clothes."

[Speedfirst]

I agree. Just for starters, no Tar Heel would dare question anything done by Dean Smith -- ever. Until now.

Jordan was good, but he was lucky that Magic and Bird retired so he could start winning championships.

Again, Jordan was good, but do not compare him to Bird or Magic. Or Kareem. Or Wilt. Or Russell. Or the Big O................

What........Look at the supporting cast Bird, Magic, Russell, Kareem and Wilt had, you gotta be kidding me. Also exactly how manty titles does the Big O have? Jordan himself said he wouldn't consider himself the greatest, however many do. Certainly all the names you named, Mike is called the greatest more often than all those names.

One on one, none of them could handle Jordan, NONE!!!

Lucky you say, it was just a matter of time, Bird didn't or Magic didn't play in the Russell, Wilt, era.

[jazzcyclist]

I agree. Just for starters, no Tar Heel would dare question anything done by Dean Smith -- ever. Until now.

Jordan was good, but he was lucky that Magic and Bird retired so he could start winning championships.

Again, Jordan was good, but do not compare him to Bird or Magic. Or Kareem. Or Wilt. Or Russell. Or the Big O................

What........Look at the supporting cast Bird, Magic, Russell, Kareem and Wilt had, you gotta be kidding me. Also exactly how manty titles does the Big O have? Jordan himself said he wouldn't consider himself the greatest, however many do. Certainly all the names you named, Mike is called the greatest more often than all those names.

One on one, none of them could handle Jordan, NONE!!!

Lucky you say, it was just a matter of time, Bird didn't or Magic didn't play in the Russell, Wilt, era.

This is basically a beauty contest. The criteria is in the eyes of the beholder. Russell was the greatest winner of all times, and let's not forget that AIDS cut Magic's career short. MJ and Chamberlain are the two greatest scorers of all times. And while none of the afformentioned players could have handled Jordan, you can probably say that about a lot of players. Even Russell couldn't shut down Chamberlain. And could any of them have handled Shaq? And I don't think anyone compares to Magic when it comes to elevating the play of his teammates.

Having said all this, my biggest "what if" basketball question is what would have happened if Hakeem and MJ had met in the finals? Hakeem and Bill Walton have the distinction of taking teams to the promised land without a single Hall-of-Famer in their supporting casts. Even Jordan couldn't win without Pippen. But because of unfortunate timing, Hakeem's two best years of his career (1994 & 1995) were also the years that MJ was absent. And unlike MJ, who was able to play at a stratospheric level for about ten years, Hakeem's game never reached that level again.

[TrackDaddy]

OY! What did I miss? Is there a transcript of his speech anywhere on the Web?

Yes its on the web and its not nearly as bad as people are making it seem.

If you can't say what you want at your HOF speech, when can you?

jc read some agenda based blog accounts and after being influenced into believing that Michael Jordan is worst than a chest cold he starts this anti MJ propagandist thread.

Sort of like the one he started about Serena.

And no, its not about race because JC is black.

[Speedfirst]

I agree. Just for starters, no Tar Heel would dare question anything done by Dean Smith -- ever. Until now.

Jordan was good, but he was lucky that Magic and Bird retired so he could start winning championships.

Again, Jordan was good, but do not compare him to Bird or Magic. Or Kareem. Or Wilt. Or Russell. Or the Big O................

What........Look at the supporting cast Bird, Magic, Russell, Kareem and Wilt had, you gotta be kidding me. Also exactly how manty titles does the Big O have? Jordan himself said he wouldn't consider himself the greatest, however many do. Certainly all the names you named, Mike is called the greatest more often than all those names.

One on one, none of them could handle Jordan, NONE!!!

Lucky you say, it was just a matter of time, Bird didn't or Magic didn't play in the Russell, Wilt, era.

This is basically a beauty contest. The criteria is in the eyes of the beholder. Russell was the greatest winner of all times, and let's not forget that AIDS cut Magic's career short. MJ and Chamberlain are the two greatest scorers of all times. And while none of the afformentioned players could have handled Jordan, you can probably say that about a lot of players. Even Russell couldn't shut down Chamberlain. And could any of them have handled Shaq? And I don't think anyone compares to Magic when it comes to elevating the play of his teammates.

Having said all this, my biggest "what if" basketball question is what would have happened if Hakeem and MJ had met in the finals? Hakeem and Bill Walton have the distinction of taking teams to the promised land without a single Hall-of-Famer in their supporting casts. Even Jordan couldn't win without Pippen. But because of unfortunate timing, Hakeem's two best years of his career (1994 & 1995) were also the years that MJ was absent. And unlike MJ, who was able to play at a stratospheric level for about ten years, Hakeem's game never reached that level again.

I agree to most of your post, but it's not really an if, because we can use what is available. What I'm saying is one on one, MJ will destroy ALL the names that were mentioned. Certainly we can establish criteria that can determine who is the greatest. Are you great, because you make others around you perform/better? Are you greater because your better athletically? Are your greater, because you had 3 or 4 hall of famers on your team?

Remove those elements and let's take all who may be considered the greatest and have them go one on one. There aren't 5 players in the history of the game, I would consider in the same category of Jordan and those who are, I'll take Jordan over them, one on one, to determine the greatest.

When you look at the Russell era, certainly you don't have anywhere near the same type/quality of athletes that competed in the Jordan era. The game has evolved and we know this.