Is Michael Jordan's work ethic overrated?

[Ca$H]

After watching the last dance it just seemed like his contemporaries were just relatively undisciplined/lazy. Many players in the modern era have elite work ethic. Kobe probably had a greater work ethic than Jordan. He just wasn't as talented. MJ definitely had his vices like gambling, smoking, and alcohol.

[1987_Lakers]

I don't doubt that MJ had a good work ethic, but he did have some vices that might have negated his work such as gambling all hours of the night, drinking and partying.

We never really heard stories of Kobe going out and living it up like MJ, he was a pure gym rat.

[ClipperRevival]

OP is right. Tim Grover, the guy who trained both, said he had to hold Kobe back while MJ trusted Grover and stopped after the sessions ended. Grover mentions this is the video below but not sure what part but think it is closer to the start.


https://youtu.be/vGHnf1pWSjk

[3ba11]

Jordan famously took summers OFF

But he practiced harder than anyone, even Kobe..

Listen to Kerr tell it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymu2E3O7pAs&t=11s

Btw, it's interesting that Kerr says they scrimmaged in practice more back then, and usually don't today... yet today's players get hurt non-stop.

[HunterSThompson]

I don't doubt that MJ had a good work ethic, but he did have some vices that might have negated his work such as gambling all hours of the night, drinking and partying.

We never really heard stories of Kobe going out and living it up like MJ, he was a pure gym rat.

if anything that makes jordan even more alpha that he was still in peak physical condition and was almost always on his game. the guy basically lived like dennis rodman minus the hardcore drugs.

[72-10]

Interesting read so far. Can't peep the vid on my digital device right now.

[72-10]

Jordan's far from the ideal role model, in fact Scottie Pippen is a better one.

[tontoz]

His first few years in the league Jordan wasn't a hard worker. He didn't lift weights at all and wasn't working out in the offseason.

He started working harder before their first title.

[HoopsNY]

I agree that his work ethic was overrated and that Kobe probably had better work ethic. That being said, when he was in the gym, it was as if it was a finals game.

[Kblaze8855]

I don’t think Jordan’s is overrated I think a lot of peoples is underrated. We just don’t know the work a lot of people have to put in to get where they are and those stories are never told. If you mean overrated relative to the unknowns I guess so but I don’t think we just assume he worked more than he did. We just ignore the work a lot of people put in. Ben Gordon was in the gym shooting at 4am, lifting weights by sunrise, and coming back for more by lunch. Nobody cares.

A lot of those guys go unnoticed so in that way….a lot of stars work is overrated by the underrating of the guys stories aren’t written about I guess.

[HoopsNY]

I don’t think Jordan’s is overrated I think a lot of peoples is underrated. We just don’t know the work a lot of people have to put in to get where they are and those stories are never told. If you mean overrated relative to the unknowns I guess so but I don’t think we just assume he worked more than he did. We just ignore the work a lot of people put in. Ben Gordon was in the gym shooting at 4am, lifting weights by sunrise, and coming back for more by lunch. Nobody cares.

A lot of those guys go unnoticed so in that way….a lot of stars work is overrated by the underrating of the guys stories aren’t written about I guess.

Very good points.

[FKAri]

Compared to Kobe's, it is. Kobe's the most driven NBA athlete I've ever seen.


I don’t think Jordan’s is overrated I think a lot of peoples is underrated. We just don’t know the work a lot of people have to put in to get where they are and those stories are never told. If you mean overrated relative to the unknowns I guess so but I don’t think we just assume he worked more than he did. We just ignore the work a lot of people put in. Ben Gordon was in the gym shooting at 4am, lifting weights by sunrise, and coming back for more by lunch. Nobody cares.

A lot of those guys go unnoticed so in that way….a lot of stars work is overrated by the underrating of the guys stories aren’t written about I guess.

This is very true as well.

[Micku]

OP is right. Tim Grover, the guy who trained both, said he had to hold Kobe back while MJ trusted Grover and stopped after the sessions ended. Grover mentions this is the video below but not sure what part but think it is closer to the start.



Yeah, I read/saw that too. He said Kobe worked harder, MJ worked smarter.

Kobe would work all day, but he would implore him to take breaks. He wanted to know what MJ did in his work outs and he wanted to surpass them. But Tim Grover told him that he needed to take breaks so his body can recover. I think he mentioned it could contribute to some of Kobe's injuries.

MJ would try to go a bit beyond, but he trusted Tim when he said it's time to stop.

In terms of how MJ worked harder than the rest of the nba players? As Kblaze said, we don't really know. Their workouts aren't really known in detail. But we do know that Kobe worked harder than his peers. It influence LeBron, Wade, Carmelo, and I think KD too. When MJ played, I think we know he worked harder among his teammates, but we don't know if he worked harder than Bird for instance. Bird was also said to work harder than his teammates too. He was the first guy in the gym and the last guy to leave. MJ never slept tho, similar to Kobe. But MJ would go gamble or play golf while Kobe was a gym rat.

MJ hardly worked out because he felt that it was gonn'a hinder his b-ball ability. It wasn't until 1989 when he started. But there others stuff to work out within B-ball than your core. He probably worked on his skills, footwork, jumpshooting, and etc. It's said he practiced about 6 hours a day. Kobe was around 8 hours. Rest in between. I think both of them worked out with their core in the morning. MJ was called the breakfest club. Kobe would start around 4 in the morning.

I wouldn't say MJ work ethic is underrated. People already gave him his praise and a lot of ppl mentioned how hard he worked. But Kobe worked harder. Among the rest of the nba players, we don't know entirely.

[RogueBorg]

Jordan's far from the ideal role model, in fact Scottie Pippen is a better one.

Neither of them are.

[StrongLurk]

"Work ethic" among NBA players is almost always impressive.

Guys who are "known" for having a good work ethic honestly just market themselves that way.

[Micku]

"Work ethic" among NBA players is almost always impressive.

Guys who are "known" for having a good work ethic honestly just market themselves that way.

I don't think so. And we have no way of knowing that. The only info we get is from the peers, trainers, and coaches.

Like with Kobe, even with his peers, they always compliment his work ethic. Wade, LeBron and Carmelo all commented on it in the Olympics and that inspired them. His teammates commented on it too. Shaq mentioned it.

There are definitely players who get by just on talent and winning the genetic lottery. And there are others who don't. Like CP3 mentioned that there are players in the league that don't take it as seriously as others.

But I feel like there are definitely other players who work really hard and get no where or don't see as much as an improvement.

Like D-Wade mentioned that LeBron spent a million dollars on his body, but there are others players (probably him as well) who did something similar. But LeBron is build different. He's a freak of nature.

[insight]

The proof is in the results, After every offseason MJ would come back with a new move or element he added to his game. Weight training was just one element he added when he realized teams like detroit were able to take advantage of his lack of streagth. Work ethnic is more than lifting weights or doing drills, it's about doing whatever is necessary to perform at your peak, and nobody did that better than Jordan.

[Mauzah]

I dunno about that. Ever since Jordan was cut in highschool you hear stories of him working out in the off season to improve his game. I doubt college and the NBA were any different.

Look at his second season where he was injured. Hooping and playing pickup without the Bulls staff knowing. He just wasn't Kobe level but above the rest I'm sure.

[basketballcat]

Literally almost everything about Jordan was overrated. Case in point were his free throw dunks. He had two teammates who could also do it: Pippen & Kukoc. Jordan was great, but a lot about him was exaggerated by the media to create a sell-able fairy tale.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pu7yTnY1N4

[insight]

Literally almost everything about Jordan was overrated. Case in point were his free throw dunks. He had two teammates who could also do it: Pippen & Kukoc. Jordan was great, but a lot about him was exaggerated by the media to create a sell-able fairy tale.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pu7yTnY1N4

Nah bruh, you are waaaay off base with this one. 1. Scottie Pippen dunked from the free throw line in the 1990 NBA dunk contest. It wasn't a big deal because he didn't add anything new to it. People already saw Dr J dunk from the free throw line, what made Micheal's different was he double clutched the ball and appeared to float through the air.

2. Toni Kukoc never even was in a dunk contest there alot of people who can dunk from the free throw line but no may can do it with the flare and style of MJ.

It had nothing to do with media exaggeration, Micheal Jordan pulled you in just like what Tiger Woods did for golf.

[Horatio33]

I get that Kobe worked hard but he was done by 2012. Duncan also worked extremely hard. When the Spurs were trying to sign free agents in 2004, they were showing players round the training facilities and in the middle of summer before the Olympics they saw Duncan doing the most boring defensive slide drills, on his own apart from a coach helping him. Ginobili said in Duncan's retirement ceremony that if Tim had a bad game the next morning he would be in 3 hours early working in his game. Duncan played without missing huge chunks of time until the end of his career. He probably worked smarter than Bryant.

[SATAN]

After watching the last dance it just seemed like his contemporaries were just relatively undisciplined/lazy. Many players in the modern era have elite work ethic. Kobe probably had a greater work ethic than Jordan. He just wasn't as talented. MJ definitely had his vices like gambling, smoking, and alcohol.

Mac McClung is basically a shorter more athletic version of MJ.

[Bronbron23]

Mac McClung is basically a shorter more athletic version of MJ.:biggums:

[72-10]

Why I'd be quite interested in hearing more about Kobe's work ethic. Please enlighten me.

[72-10]

How does Kobe's work ethic compare with Michael's???

[Axe]

Is it overrated to the point that he went 1-9 in his first three years of the postseason?

[Chick Stern]

Kobe > Jordan
and it’s not particularly close

[tontoz]

From what I have heard Kobe's work ethic was pretty extreme. I don't remember hearing of anyone who was more obsessive than Kobe.