#340 Michael Jordan And Kobe Bryant

Michael Jordan's relentless drive and competitive spirit are showcased through his return to basketball in 1995, following a brief baseball career. Despite initial criticism and doubts about his ability to reclaim his former glory, Jordan's determination led the Chicago Bulls to a record 72 wins and three more championships. His trainer, Tim Grover, highlights Jordan's uncompromising commitment to excellence, a trait shared with Kobe Bryant, whom Grover also trained. Both athletes exemplified an unyielding dedication to mastering fundamentals, continuous learning, and maintaining mental dominance, which Grover details in his books "Relentless" and "Winning."

• Michael Jordan's return to basketball in 1995 after his brief baseball career was marked by challenges and criticism.
• Despite wearing number 45 and lacking his former endurance and shot, Jordan's determination remained unshaken.
• Critics claimed Jordan was finished, but he used their doubt as motivation to come back stronger.

"Michael Jordan is done when he says he's done, not when you say he's done."

• Jordan's mindset was that he controlled his destiny, not others' opinions.

"Enjoy this win cuz it ain't going to happen again."

• Jordan's message to the Orlando Magic after their win highlighted his relentless drive to improve and dominate.

• Tim Grover, Michael Jordan's trainer for 15 years, wrote two books: "Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable" and "Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness."
• Grover's books focus on the mentality of elite athletes like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant rather than providing step-by-step instructions.

"The whole point of this book is that in order to be successful to truly have what you want in your life, you must stop waiting to be told what to do and how to do it."

• Success comes from trusting one's instincts and taking initiative, not following a prescribed path.

• The term "Relentless" describes competitors who stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
• Grover compares Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to Jeff Bezos, highlighting their relentless nature.

"They don't just perform a job; they reinvent it."

• Elite individuals like Jordan and Bryant redefine their fields through their drive and innovation.

"Your strategy is to make everyone else get on your level. You're not going down to theirs."

• Jordan and Bryant demanded excellence from those around them, refusing to lower their standards.

• Grover emphasizes the importance of mental dominance and controlling one's mind to achieve greatness.
• Jordan and Bryant's ability to block out distractions and focus on their goals set them apart.

"You can't excel at anything before you train your mind. Mental dominance is what ultimately makes you Unstoppable."

• Mastery begins with mental strength and the ability to overcome internal obstacles.

"The mind will play tricks on you...but you have to see past that. You have to turn it all off if you're ever going to get to where you want to be."

• Overcoming mental barriers is crucial for achieving one's goals.

• Elite athletes take full responsibility for their success and hold themselves and others accountable.
• Kobe Bryant emphasized the importance of demanding excellence from oneself and others.

"The people that I've always had issues or problems with are people who don't demand Excellence for themselves. I will not tolerate that."

• Bryant's leadership style involved holding everyone, including himself, to the highest standards.

• Grover and elite athletes like Jordan and Bryant focus on mastering the fundamentals and keeping things simple.
• Overcomplicating processes can hinder success.

"I knock out people. That is it. Simple. You don't mess with it."

• Mastery comes from focusing on and perfecting the basics.

"I give them numbers. I want to make you excellent at this one thing."

• Specializing and excelling in one area can lead to unparalleled success.

• Jordan and Bryant never stopped learning and continuously sought to improve their skills.
• Their dedication to studying and understanding their craft was key to their success.

"All those hours of work have created an Unstoppable internal resource that you can draw on in any situation."

• Consistent effort and learning build a deep reservoir of skills and knowledge.

• Trusting one's intuition is a common trait among elite athletes.
• Jordan and Bryant relied on their instincts to make decisions and perform under pressure.

"The greatest fear we face is ourselves...Being Fearless means to put out there and going for it no matter what."

• Overcoming internal fears and trusting one's instincts are essential for success.

• Controlling emotions and staying present in the moment are critical for peak performance.
• Jordan's ability to remain focused and present was a significant advantage.

"Most people struggle to be present...Michael is a Mystic. He was never anywhere else."

• Being fully present allows for optimal performance and decision-making.

• Grover discusses the "dark side" of the personalities of elite athletes like Jordan and Bryant.
• Their relentless drive sometimes led to behaviors that others might find difficult to understand.

"If you're aiming to be the best at what you do, you cannot worry about whether your actions will upset other people or what they'll think of you."

• The pursuit of greatness often involves making tough decisions that may not be popular.

• The key to success, as demonstrated by Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, lies in relentless effort, mental strength, continuous learning, and an unwavering focus on one's goals.
• Their stories and the insights from Tim Grover's books provide valuable lessons for anyone striving to achieve excellence in their field.

• Oprah and Steve Jobs emphasize the power of intuition in decision-making.
• Oprah's quote: "Every right decision I've ever made has come from my gut, and every wrong decision I've ever made was as a result of me not listening to that gut."
• Steve Jobs: "Intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion, that has had a big impact on my work."

"Every right decision I've ever made has come from my gut, and every wrong decision I've ever made was as a result of me not listening to that gut."

• Oprah emphasizes the importance of intuition in making decisions.

"Intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion, that has had a big impact on my work."

• Steve Jobs underscores the significance of intuition over intellect in his professional life.

• Tim Grover's interpretation of Michael Jordan's legendary trash-talking as a method to heighten self-imposed pressure.
• Pressure and stress are seen as tools to stay sharp and manage challenging situations.
• Michael Jordan's approach to pressure: the more heaped on himself, the better he performed.

"Most people run from stress. Stress keeps you sharp; it challenges you in ways you've never imagined and forces you to solve issues and manage situations that send weaker people running for cover."

• Grover explains the benefits of embracing stress and pressure.

"The more pressure that he heaped on himself, the greater his ability to rise to that occasion."

• Michael Jordan thrived under self-imposed pressure, improving his performance.

• Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan held themselves to higher standards than anyone else.
• Their indifference to external opinions allowed them to focus on their craft.
• Accountability for mistakes was straightforward and without excuses.

"Their expectations will never be higher than my own."

• Kobe Bryant's response to fan expectations, highlighting his self-imposed high standards.

"Nobody that can hold themselves to a higher standard than them themselves."

• Emphasizes the self-imposed high standards of Kobe and Michael.

• Leaders like Jordan and Bryant applied relentless pressure on themselves and their teams.
• Examples of Jordan's demanding nature in practice, ensuring everyone met his high standards.

"When you're the guy at the top, it's on you to pull everyone else up there with you or everything you've built comes crashing down."

• Jordan's philosophy on leadership and maintaining high standards within the team.

"Michael grabbed the table with Scott still on it and completely flipped it over... Get on my level or get the hell out of my way."

• An example of Jordan's intense expectations for his teammates.

• Extreme achievers like Jordan, Bryant, and Jobs often have a dark side.
• Their relentless pursuit of excellence can lead to abusive behavior but also results in unmatched success.
• The importance of standing up to domineering personalities to earn their respect.

"A lot of these extreme people seeking extreme achievement, these extreme winners do have this dark side to them."

• Acknowledging the negative aspects of extreme achievers.

"The worst thing that you could do, because they're such domineering personalities, is back down from them."

• The necessity of standing up to strong personalities to gain their respect.

• High achievers often have difficulty trusting others, relying heavily on their instincts.
• This self-reliance is rooted in a belief that they can only trust themselves.

"Trusting others is the same as giving up control, and they usually have a painfully hard time with that."

• Explains why high achievers struggle with trusting others.

"They realized that to survive and succeed, they could never take their hands off the wheel."

• The necessity of self-reliance for extreme achievers.

• The importance of mastering and practicing the fundamentals consistently.
• Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant's relentless focus on consistency and hard work.

"Michael Jordan worked on consistency relentlessly."

• Highlights Jordan's dedication to consistent practice of fundamentals.

"For all of Michael's amazing moves and Unforgettable moments, he knew that none of that could happen without the fundamentals."

• Emphasizes the foundational importance of basic skills.

• Unwavering commitment to their craft was a hallmark of Jordan and Bryant's success.
• Their dedication extended to every aspect of their lives, from daily routines to overall lifestyle choices.

"You have to be uncompromised in your level of commitment to whatever you are doing, or it can disappear just as fast as it appeared."

• Jordan's philosophy on the necessity of uncompromised commitment.

"My game was my biggest endorsement. My dedication to the game led to all this other stuff."

• Jordan's belief that success in his sport led to external opportunities.

• High tolerance for physical and mental pain is common among top performers.
• Examples of enduring pain to maintain performance and achieve success.

"Everyone plays with pain. There's always something going on."

• Acknowledges the constant presence of pain in high-level performance.

"Kobe has a finger that moves in all kinds of ways a finger isn't supposed to move."

• Illustrates Kobe's high tolerance for physical pain.

• Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan's work ethic was unparalleled, often outworking their peers.
• Their obsession with their craft was evident from the beginning of their careers.

"Kobe went to the gym on the day he was drafted."

• Demonstrates Kobe's immediate dedication to improving his game.

"Michael was up working out every morning while the other guys slept."

• Highlights Jordan's relentless work ethic and dedication.

• Stories illustrating the extreme competitive nature of Michael Jordan.
• Jordan's competitiveness extended beyond basketball, influencing all aspects of his life.

"MJ was angry with the Bobcats for being so bad, so he came to their practice, took away all their Jordan gear, and beat the starters with the second unit."

• An example of Jordan's relentless competitive spirit even in his 50s.

"Show me what you can do, little boy, and stop tweeting."

• Jordan's response to a young player's challenge, showcasing his enduring competitive nature.

• Both Jordan and Bryant had a singular focus on winning, influencing every aspect of their lives.
• Their dedication to excellence and winning was evident in their daily routines and interactions.

"Everything revolves around being on top and staying there."

• Describes Kobe's all-encompassing focus on maintaining excellence.

"Our shared addiction to winning and everything we do is about that one objective."

• Highlights the mutual focus on winning between Jordan and Grover.

• Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant shared a deep mentor-mentee relationship.
• Jordan provided guidance and advice to Kobe, which Kobe greatly valued.
• Kobe credited Jordan for his success and championships.

"When I came into the league, Michael provided a lot of guidance for me. I had questions about shooting his turnaround shot; he gave me a detailed answer and said, 'If you ever need anything, give me a call.'"

• Jordan's mentorship was crucial for Kobe’s development in the NBA.

"I feel like, hey, what you get from me is from him. I don't get five championships without him because he guided me so much and gave me so much great advice."

• Kobe respected Jordan immensely and acknowledged his influence on his career.

• Both Jordan and Kobe had a fierce competitive spirit and mutual respect.
• They engaged in psychological warfare to maintain dominance and keep their competitive edge.

"If you're trying to maintain dominance over people, you don't want to give them a chance to gain any kind of confidence."

• Jordan and Kobe recognized each other’s competitive nature and respected it.

"Mike and I both know there are certain players that we can intimidate. There are certain players that are afraid, but every now and then, you run into a player that has the same DNA that you do, the same competitive spirit that you do."

• Both players used psychological tactics to intimidate opponents and maintain their edge.
• Stories of Jordan and Kobe’s trash talk illustrate their competitive mindset.

"Eddie Johnson tells a story about Michael Jordan saying, 'Hey, I'm gonna give your boy 40,' and then scoring 40 points to win a bet."

• Jordan’s and Kobe’s psychological games extended to interactions with teammates and opponents.

"Larry Bird walks over to me and says, 'Do you honestly think that you can guard me?'"

• Jordan and Kobe were driven by an insatiable desire to win and improve.
• They constantly sought new challenges to stay motivated.

"You have to look inside yourself and find different types of challenges from game to game. That's how I got myself motivated."

• Both players had a relentless work ethic and dedication to their craft.

"Kobe never stopped. He was insatiable for game film and never slept."

• Jordan and Kobe had highly disciplined routines that contributed to their success.
• Routine helped them manage the unpredictability of the game.

"Michael planned and organized every detail of his day, from the time of his workout to the car he drove to the arena."

• Their routines included specific rituals that were crucial to their mental preparation.

"Part of his routine was to lace his shoes before every game, fresh out of the box. This ritual had a special meaning to him."

• Both players believed in passing their knowledge to the next generation.
• Kobe frequently sought advice from Jordan, who always responded.

"Kobe would call or text Mike in the middle of the night asking how he played against a certain guy, how he handled a situation, what he thought about this or that, and Michael would always answer his questions."

• They believed in helping others learn and improve.

"The greats figure out what works for them regardless of what everyone else does."

• Winning was seen as more than just the final result; it involved sacrifices and relentless effort.
• Jordan’s perspective on winning was that it required pulling others along and enduring challenges.

"I pulled people along when they didn't want to be pulled. I challenged people when they didn't want to be challenged, and I earned the right because my teammates who came after me didn't endure all the things that I endured."

• Winning was described as both glorious and punishing, requiring a single-minded focus.

"Yes, winning is glorious and amazing and powerful and awesome and all those things, but if you think that's all it is, then as MJ said, you've never won anything."

• Jordan and Kobe had an unshakable confidence in themselves that drove their success.
• They believed in their ability to win and never doubted the outcome.

"His belief in himself was so powerful that he never doubted the outcome."

• This self-belief was crucial in their approach to competition and life.

"Very few people are willing or able to bet on themselves. They become the assistant manager of their own lives, waiting for direction and approval from some higher authority because they don't feel confident enough to make decisions and take action on their own."

• Loyalty and commitment were core values for Jordan.
• He expected those around him to share his loyalty and commitment to winning.

"Michael's whole being is all about loyalty and winning, and he really feels that you can't ride the fence."

• Jordan’s actions reflected his commitment to his brand and values.

"He went into the kitchen, got a butcher knife, and literally cut up everything. He said, 'Hey dude, call Howard from Nike tomorrow and tell him to replace all this, but don't ever let me see you in anything other than Nike.'"

• Michael Jordan pursued victory in everything with an extreme and unapologetic approach.
• His directive to those around him was to keep up with his standards or be left behind.
• Michael's drive and competitive spirit were evident in all aspects of his life, from training sessions to casual pickup games.

"He pursued victory in everything like that's the way to think about him."

• Michael's relentless pursuit of victory defined his character and approach to life.

"Keep up with me and my standards or you're out."

• Michael demanded high standards from everyone around him, emphasizing no compromises or excuses.

• Michael required his team to match his pace and standards, which was non-negotiable.
• This expectation extended to all aspects of his life, including travel and training.

"MJ jumps into his Ferrari and he says to everyone you better keep up."

• Michael's expectation of keeping up was literal and metaphorical, emphasizing the need to match his speed and dedication.

• Michael's competitive nature was evident in his ruthless approach, even in low-stakes situations like pickup games.
• His focus on winning was unwavering, regardless of the context.

"Michael looks down and asks Tim is he okay...Michael says are you good...Good, go get a sub I got a game to win."

• Michael's response in a casual game highlights his relentless focus on competition and winning.

• Michael, Kobe, and Steve Jobs shared a dedication to mastering fundamentals and simplifying processes.
• This focus on simplicity and fundamentals helped them achieve their goals more efficiently.

"Winning demands total focus. Delete is it easier to climb a mountain with a weighted vest and a full pack or just with the essentials."

• The emphasis on simplicity and focus was crucial to their success.

• Both Michael and Kobe were incapable of complacency, always striving for improvement and setting new goals.
• Their mindset was to achieve something great and then move on to the next challenge.

"I never feel that I'm at my best. I feel I still have room to improve."

• Michael's constant drive for self-improvement and setting new goals.

"If the next 20 years of his life isn't better and he doesn't achieve more than the last 20 years he would consider that a failure."

• Kobe's perspective on continuous improvement and setting higher standards for the future.

• Michael and Kobe continuously reinvested in their education and training, seeing these as essential to their success.
• They viewed their training and health investments as business necessities, not luxuries.

"They can take everything away from you...but one thing they can't take is your education and what you've learned."

• The value of education and continuous learning as a secure investment.

• Both Michael and Kobe acknowledged their self-doubt and fears but did not let these feelings hinder their performance.
• They used their self-doubt as motivation to push through challenges.

"I have self-doubt...but you also don't capitulate to it."

• Kobe's approach to managing self-doubt and using it to fuel his performance.

• Kobe's impatience was a reflection of his understanding that time is limited and should not be wasted.
• The urgency to capture wins and make the most of available time was a significant lesson from Kobe's life.

"The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking that we have time."

• The importance of recognizing the limited nature of time and acting with urgency.

• Michael's journey from an underperforming team to a dynasty was fueled by hope and inspiration.
• His story serves as a match that can ignite the inner fire in others.

"All you needed was one little match to start the whole fire."

• The power of hope and inspiration in driving success and achieving greatness.

• The greats like Michael and Kobe never stopped learning, constantly seeking to improve and gain new knowledge.
• Founders podcast and Founders notes serve as tools to emulate this lifelong learning process.

"The greats never stop learning all the hours of work that they do have created this Unstoppable internal resource that you can draw on in any situation."

• The importance of continuous learning and the creation of an internal resource of knowledge.