Michael Jordan Is Not God

Michael Jordan is one of the most well known people in the world. Whether it’s on the basketball court or on television, Michael Jordan is seen everywhere. Children see him and “wanna be like Mike.” Parents see him and believe he’s the ideal role model. This is the person everyone sees and adores. However, nobody sees his character off the court and off of television. I believe that his off the court behavior shows his true self. I’m not accusing Michael Jordan of being Satan; I just don’t believe he is the god that everyone makes him out to be.

Everybody knows the story. Michael Jordan got cut from his high school basketball team so he worked twice as hard and finally made it. People look at this and believe that hard work ethic will earn you success in whatever you do. He then went on to attend the University of North Carolina where he helped the Tar Heels become national champions. At this point people thought Michael Jordan was the real deal, but some were still skeptical. Finally he was drafted into the NBA where he won six championship rings. No one was skeptical anymore. Everyone looks at his on the court success and believes he is the greatest player to ever play the game. For those who don’t watch sports, they see him on commercials and see him drink his Gatorade, wear his Hanes underwear, show off his new shoes, and spray his cologne. The fact of the matter is that Michael Jordan has become a household name in America. Many feel he represents hard work, success, good family values, and much more. However, it is all one big misconception.

Michael Jordan does not represent all that is good within this country. He is not the person everyone believes him to be. He is just like everyone else with some strengths as well as some weaknesses. A lot of people don’t believe he has any flaws, but he does indeed have numerous flaws that many people disregard. I’m arguing two things. For one, Michael Jordan is not God. Secondly, I’m arguing the fact that he isn’t the most incredible, dominant basketball player to ever play the game.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that Michael Jordan has important family values. It’s understandable to recognize this because when he’s seen on television with his family, everyone is smiling and laughing. However, he’s not exactly the father in Leave It To Beaver. At his first retirement news conference, he stated “...it's time to spend more time with my family, my wife, my kids and just get back to a normal life, as close to it as I could." This direct quote from Jordan proved a lie within months when he left his family and the normal life behind to go play baseball. Along with his poor family values is his conceitedness. He’s often put down his teammates by calling them his “supporting cast.” Basketball is a team sport. Every team has a number one option of who they want to score and it involves everyone to get the ball to that specific person. In an interview with a Chicago newspaper, Jordan was asked what he thought his most memorable game winning shot was. He responded by stating