As Michael Jordan 's prowess on the basketball court reached greater heights, his game and charisma brought incredible success to the Chicago Bulls organization. However, as his aura grew, he became tougher to manage.
Not only did the 6'6" shooting guard hold everyone around him to insanely high standards, but it became almost impossible for anyone to question his decision-making. In response, Coach Phil Jackson had an unconventional and sarcastic strategy to help MJ self-reflect on his choices, proving effective and not intimidating for the five-time MVP.
MJ appreciated Jackson's ability to 'shake him up'
While Mike excelled at setting and achieving ambitious goals, his natural ability was not possessed by his teammates. This discrepancy between actual talent and loft expectations led Jordan to have conflicts with multiple teammates and GM Jerry Krause. As a result, the Zen Master recognized that directly confronting the six-time Finals MVP was counterproductive.
So, he decided to acknowledge his star player's shortcomings sarcastically in a bid to help him improve.
"The main reason we do so well is Phil. I like him because of the atmosphere he creates," Jordan confessed . " Sometimes he can say one word, one sentence, and shake you up, make you think. Like Dean Smith did... At a crucial point in a game, Phil might call a timeout after one of us took a bad 3-pointer, and he'll say, 'You must be really hot, aren't you?' Or 'Toni, he's on a roll.' Instead of saying, 'That was a dumb shot.' It makes you think."
It turns out that Phil's off-beat methods of fine-tuning Jordan's game didn't go unnoticed. Consequently, the six-time NBA Champion made a ravishing confession that not many might believe.
" We all need to be checked and criticized to some degree, " MJ added.
As great as Mike was, Jackson knew that he was required to question some of his best player's decisions. For this, he successfully employed one-liners that neither instigated the 14-time All-Star nor spoiled their relationships, especially considering that their tandem won two three-peats in eight seasons.
Related: "I don't put myself above them" - Michael Jordan on why he doesn't think he's better than Larry Bird and Magic Johnson
Jordan picked Dean over Phil
His Airness knew that while the ‘Zen Master’ took great care in handling his ego and emotions when addressing his shortcomings, his university coach, Dean Smith, was more direct in delivering those messages. Despite that, MJ recognized that the latter's unfiltered approach shaped his character by constantly challenging him mentally, allowing him to perfect his craft before entering the NBA draft. Consequently, when asked to choose between the two, he selected Dean over Phil .
It's safe to say that while it was impossible for Jackson to challenge Mike in the same manner as Dean simply because Jordan had risen to prominence by then and was the face of the NBA, Jackson still did a great job of finding a method to make Jordan self-reflect on his decisions on the court.
Related: "He was playing 36 holes on the day of a playoff game" - George Karl recalls Michael Jordan being unstoppable even with his wild lifestyle
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