“MJ would be there at 8 am even when practice didn’t start until 11 am” Michael Jordan’s ex-teammate Brendan Haywood sheds insight on six-time NBA champion’s insane work ethic
Brendan Haywood recalled his experience of playing with Michael Jordan and went on to praise his incredible work ethic.
Follow Us
Jordan and Haywood
Michael Jordan, for many, is the blueprint of what an NBA basketball player should strive to be. From being an offensive juggernaut in the league to becoming a six-time NBA champion, “His Airness” oozed greatness. Owing to his unrivaled work ethic, the Chicago Bulls icon carved out a legendary career and became one of the greatest athletes of all time. His former Washington Wizards teammate Brendan Haywood recently spoke highly of Jordan’s insane work ethic.
Jordan and Haywood became teammates in Washington when the former returned after retiring in 1998. Everyone understood that the legend didn’t come to the Wizards to make them the best team in the league and win a championship. However, people in the league knew that Jordan never took the game lightly. Brendan Haywood said that the six-time NBA champion would be on the court at 8 a.m., three hours before the official practice began.. “MJ would be there at 8 am even when practice didn’t start until 11 am. That work ethic was insane,” Haywood said.
Haywood recalled that when he was with the Wizards, the organization once allowed veterans to rest and didn’t need them to be on the court for practice. He asked Jordan why he was on the court, and his answer embarrassed the life out of Haywood. “One time, the veterans didn’t have to be there that day. So I asked him why he was there. He said: ‘The better question is why did I beat you here?’” former Wizard player recalled.
Contrary to popular belief, MJ was not gifted. Instead, he worked harder than everyone else on the team to become a legend whom many still try to emulate.
Related: “Mike wanted to cut your heart out” Brendan Haywood on Michael Jordan’s competitiveness
Brendan Haywood recalls his first-hand experience of watching Michael Jordan on the court
When Michael Jordan returned, the NBA had another reason to celebrate. The Washington Wizards, however, benefited the most from it. Haywood recalled the lessons that Jordan used to give players during practice. “I would watch him teach Bobby Simmons the footwork to score in the mid-post. Everything he did was calculated. Nothing was done by accident. He was reading your lead foot. He understood where to go and how to get you off balance and get to his pull-up jumper and how to get your arm off of him if you were trying to be physical,” he recalled.
Haywood went on to say that everything Jordan did was calculated and took time and countless reps to master. “I was amazed… watching him teach someone else, you see that every single thing that this guy does is calculated. He knows exactly what he is going to do because he has done it over and over again with repetition in practice,” he added.
In Case You Forgot:
“Lebron got special treatment which Irving did not” Brendan Haywood
Do follow us on Google News | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Stay Updated!
Nandjee Ranjan
(488 Articles Published)