There is a small gap between being world class and being the greatest. Michael Phelps wanted to emulate Michael Jordan’s quest for the same thing.
While the chasm itself may be small, the elites know that bridging that gap is an almost insurmountable task.
Many have tried and many have fallen short.
Yet out of the rubble of contenders, a challenger often arises who can claim the throne. In sports, this statement rings true at the largest magnitudes.
Said challenger and eventual winner can only be one. For all you basketball fans, it’s Michael Jordan. LeBron James is a challenger for now. Likewise in the world of swimming, there is Michael Phelps.
Phelps’ dominance is similar to Jordan’s. He destroyed his opponents on his way to a staggering 23 Olympic gold medals. A feat that will take some time to break, years, decades, perhaps.
And like a true winner, he looked up to the beacon that is Michael Jordan. According to the Baltimore native, he channeled the MJ within him. Or rather like an inner hole.
Michael Phelps: I was an 'asshole' like Michael Jordan. https://t.co/GkwmPIDSFn pic.twitter.com/RQzz61atTv
— theScore (@theScore) May 19, 2020
Michael Phelps says he channeled his inner a**hole to succeed like Michael Jordan
We already know the history of the film very well. MJ was not a good guy. The tradition of his seemingly insatiable thirst for winning is something that no player has yet to encounter. In basketball, at least.
But it seems that Michael Phelps managed to tap into the MJ inside him and, in his own words, he was a jerk to his teammates.
It’s no secret that Phelps has been a longtime Jordan fan. He has admitted that he was dazzled when they met. In an interview with Yahoo Sports, he said: “To put it bluntly (ly), everyone said he was a jerk (sic).
” He continued: “But he would say the same thing about me.”
Phelps added that he wanted everyone on the team to be successful, even though swimming is mostly an individual sport. He said: “We are all there working together as a team even though it is an individual sport.
The Olympian added: “We want the best for each other, so I will challenge them and make sure they have the stress in practice that they will face in a competition.”
Doesn’t that sound a bit familiar? Maybe this video can refresh your memory.
https:www.youtu.cowatch?v=0Dlc1NYMIE
Yes, Phelps’ statements and attitude mirror Jordan’s. It seems that the swimmer took his victory too seriously. Like the legend of the Bulls.
What do you think? Is such a mentality necessary to reach the pantheon of the great?
Or maybe even sit on the throne?
