NBA Archives Debunked: The Jordan Saga

Chapter 7 North Carolina (1)

In the autumn of 1981, Michael Jordan came to Chapel Hill, where the University of North Carolina is located, and officially joined Dean Smith's door, starting his college life.

At this time, Dean Smith was at the peak of his coaching career. Even if he hadn't won the NCAA national championship, North Carolina was regarded by many as the best college basketball team in the United States.It took 20 years for Dean Smith to build a value system in Chapel Hill that believes in the process and admires the team, allowing his players to grow step by step and move towards maturity and success step by step.

Everything here is carefully controlled.Dean Smith likes that.He doesn't like so-called surprises.

Here, the young and the old are orderly, and the levels are clearly defined. Everyone should wait patiently and wait for their turn.The team will collectively decide what to do, and the coach will discuss with senior senior players, such as where to eat when playing away games, and only the veteran players have a say.The freshmen are at the bottom of the pyramid, even lower than the equipment administrator.In normal training, if the ball runs out of the sideline, someone will yell: "Rookie!" Then a freshman has to run to pick up the ball.Even when drinking water and taking a break, the seniors would drink first without any haste. After a while it was the turn of the juniors, and after a while it was the sophomores’ turn. Finally, when the break time was approaching, the coach said as if suddenly remembered: Oh , By the way, rookies, hurry up!

The teenage talents who felt held in the palm of their hand during the admissions process never got any commitment from Dean Smith.Dean Smith's attitude is: we won't promise you much playing time, but we think you can play here, we will make you a better player, we know you will be well educated, we I'm sure you'll like everyone on our team.

Therefore, when I come to Chapel Hill, the ideal growth trajectory of the general North Carolina player is like this: freshman, almost unable to play for the whole year, but training and playing against senior players every day, still gaining a lot, occasionally getting a little chance, maybe Let the eyes of outsiders shine; sophomore, may play seven or eight minutes per game, so that people can see why North Carolina recruited him; junior, entered the regular rotation lineup, can play about 8 minutes per game; Fourth, become the backbone of the team and be able to make decisions with the coach.

Generally speaking, in the North Carolina system, the team concept must be above individual ability.Over the years, it has been believed that Dean Smith would rather lose some games than give players more freedom.Because he believes that in the long run, the team can go further when the players sacrifice themselves for the sake of the collective.And, Dean Smith believes, the selflessness and discipline he demands will ultimately benefit players later in basketball and life.

This team is very disciplined, all disciplines point to the same purpose: respect for the team, respect for authority, respect for the game, respect for the opponent.For example, if a player suffers a technical foul during a game, he can sit comfortably on the sidelines and drink Coke in the next training session, but all his teammates have to practice extra sprints to apologize for his own fault. Atonement.Under such regulations, North Carolina players rarely receive technical fouls.

There are many rules and strict discipline. Whether the children can listen to it and follow it becomes very important.Facts have proved that after a period of time, almost all players can accept Dean Smith's set, and there are very few people who transfer to North Carolina after entering.The players are willing to accept it because of all of this, the purpose is clear: the rules and discipline exist to make them better players and better people, not to make Dean Smith more famous and more famous. Money, or a better chance to coach in the NBA.

North Carolina basketball, like a university within a university, has its own set of extra classes.This set of courses is more about life than basketball.When the players are about to leave North Carolina, they can always feel that the coaches are more concerned about their growth as people, not just as basketball players; the coaches work harder to prepare them for the future life , not just getting ready for the NBA.Years later, James Worthy said: "It's like, Dean Smith can teach you things, you can make a long list, and basketball is only at the bottom of the list. Prepare your life , more than anything else. He taught us how to be patient, how to wait for our chances, how to be humble with others, how to respect your teammates, how to respect the game."

North Carolina's value system has created trouble for people in the professional basketball circle.Sometimes it's hard for professional scouts to assess whether a North Carolina player is good or bad.Some players in North Carolina will look better than they actually are. These people are the beneficiaries of the system. Their advantages are magnified and their shortcomings are hidden, at least partially hidden; Restricted, unable to fully display their individuality, if these people switch to another system, they may score 10 to 15 more points per game. The height they can reach is far beyond what the data in North Carolina can reflect.

Will Dean Smith's set suppress the growth of players' personality and personal talent?As a role model for North Carolina players, Worthy has a completely different way of expression. He said: North Carolina's system is not designed to restrict players' talent and athletic ability, but designed to reduce risks; the ball is always moving, the purpose It is to create suitable shooting opportunities for everyone, which means that top athletes who can take 25 shots per game in other schools may only take 12 to 15 shots in North Carolina. In the last season, he was about to be the No. 10.4 pick in the NBA. He averaged only 14.5 shots per game and scored 14.5 points; Jordan was already the best college player in the United States in his last season in North Carolina, and he averaged only 19.6 shots per game. times, scoring [-] points.

In Wilmington, everyone called Jordan "Mike" instead of "Michael." In Chapel Hill, most players still called him "Mike," but Dean Smith always called him "Michael."Rick Brewer, North Carolina's media and public relations director, asked Jordan: Mike and Michael, which of these two titles do you prefer?Jordan said: It doesn't matter, any one will do.As a result, North Carolina adopted Coach Smith's choice to the outside world. From then on, the Jordan that the world knows is Michael Jordan, not Mike Jordan.

When he first arrived, Jordan was not unhappy or uncomfortable in Dean Smith's system.Dean Smith let Jordan gain bit by bit, but never changed his principles and discipline to accommodate Jordan.No matter how talented Jordan is, Dean Smith also made him shine in the system.What Jordan wants, he must fight for and win by himself.

Jordan wanted to start as a freshman, and to do so he had to beat two guys, junior Jim Braddock (Jim Braddock) and his best friend Buzz Peterson.Peterson also wanted to start. When he and Jordan joined North Carolina, North Carolina's starting second position (shooting guard) was open. This is an important reason why he finally chose North Carolina instead of Kentucky.

Peterson is different from many white high school players. Most white players are pure pitchers. They have reached the peak of their ability at the age of 18 and will not improve.Peterson is not, he is a very good all-around player, with speed, explosiveness and accurate shooting.Before he focused on basketball, his high school coaches thought he might one day play quarterback in the NFL.

For Jordan, competing with Peterson was a major challenge.The confrontation between the roommates also attracted the attention of the whole team.On the first day the two entered the team, the team sprinted 40 yards (about 36.6 meters), and Peterson ran second, second only to Worthy and ahead of Jordan, which made Jordan much chagrin.

At first, it was difficult to distinguish between the two, Jordan's physical fitness is better, Peterson's game experience is more abundant.Peterson received better training in high school, had a better overall feel for the game, shot better, and had more solid defensive fundamentals.However, Peterson knew that because Jordan was so athletic, it was only a matter of time before he reached a higher level.Jordan's speed and jumping, Jordan's long arms and big hands cannot be taught or practiced, and Peterson will never be able to match them.In addition, Peterson also noticed one thing, that is Jordan's inner hunger - he is eager to improve, eager to be excellent, so he can absorb and grow with any little bit of coaching.

What Peterson didn't quite understand at the time was Jordan's desire to compete, Jordan's unique ability to motivate himself to improve.This point was later known to the entire basketball world. NBA players and coaches would regard provoking Jordan as a taboo, because once they said something wrong, Jordan would retaliate as a result.This is something.When Peterson and Jordan competed for North Carolina's starting eligibility, Jordan's basketball career was just beginning, and people didn't know enough about him.Peterson didn't know that he was more successful in high school than Jordan, won more awards, and received more recruiting letters. These facts were used by Jordan as a motivation to beat him.What's more, Peterson didn't know that after Jordan won the North Carolina scholarship, some people used him to ridicule Jordan on the court in Wilmington. Not on Peterson, saying that Peterson will overwhelm Jordan without a chance to play.For most athletes, this kind of completely unsubstantiated trash talk quickly becomes irrelevant.But Jordan is different, he remembers everything, he wants to prove them wrong, he wants those people to swallow all the trash talk they spout.

Sure enough, Jordan started as a freshman.Peterson was later injured and could no longer fight Jordan, who also defeated Jim Braddock.The coaches felt that Braddock's offensive skills were more complete, and it was Jordan's defensive ability that earned him the starting eligibility.

Dean Smith hates starting freshmen.The starting qualification will bring a lot of playing time to freshmen, and at the same time, it will also bring opportunities to become famous quickly, which runs counter to the value system built by Dean Smith.Dean Smith has a rule that freshmen are not allowed to speak to the media until they play their first intra-conference game.He is very alert to the behavior of the media, because the reporter's question will make the player's head hot, and will put more emphasis on the individual rather than the whole.Dean Smith especially doesn't like the media focus on his freshman players, because freshman players have not been fully integrated into the North Carolina culture and are not familiar enough with many disciplines after joining the team.

However, everything in North Carolina was won by itself.The reality is, Michael Jordan earned his starting spot.Before Jordan, there were only three players in the history of North Carolina who started as a freshman: one was Phil Ford, whose original potential could be compared with any point guard; Started to participate in Dean Smith's basketball training camp. North Carolina wanted him too much. Dean Smith wanted Worthy to jump out of high school and join North Carolina. , the No. 1980 rookie in the first round of the NBA in 6.

Jordan won the starting eligibility, does not mean that won the franchise.On the contrary, because of his arrogance, he always told his teammates that I was going to dunk on you so and so, so after voting, he was assigned a heavy task: moving the projector when he went to the away game.There were no videotapes in those days, and the projector was big and heavy. It must be embarrassing to carry it to the airport by one person, and the teammates assigned this heavy work to freshman Jordan.

Dean Smith treats Jordan more cruelly than other young people in training every day-since your ambition is greater than others and your responsibility is greater than others, then the standards set for you should be higher than others.Under the instruction of Dean Smith, Roy Williams also stared at Jordan, always forcing him to practice harder.

Jordan sometimes couldn't stand this kind of discrimination, and complained to Roy Williams: "I work as hard as everyone else."

Roy Williams reminded Jordan: "But Michael, you told me that you want to be the best. If you want to be the best, then you have to work harder than everyone else."

Next, there was a long silence.Jordan was thinking.

Finally, Jordan said, "Coach, I see. You'll see. We'll see."

Before the season started, Jordan's frivolity was as obvious as his talent.Before entering school, he told senior seniors in team games: I will dunk on your heads!His senior is not an idle person.James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Jimmy Black, and Matt Doherty were all important members of North Carolina's NCAA semifinals in the previous season .

At first, Jordan's self-righteousness really annoyed his teammates, but over time, others accepted his chatter.First, Jordan's self-boasting is not malicious, it is just for fun, not provocation; second, no matter what he brags, he can always do it later, and he will never break his promise.That, Peterson felt, was part of Jordan's game, where he boasted and then used it as a fuel for his own improvement.Worthy thinks that Jordan is like a little bug buzzing in your ears, telling you what he's up to, and you chase him away, and then he comes back and buzzes again, saying More trash talk.

Jordan's broken mouth is annoying, but there are always one or two moments in practice every day, and his teammates can see his unparalleled talent.Once, playing against senior players, Jordan had a ball that scared everyone dumbfounded.Standing in front of him that time were the two best big men in North Carolina, Worthy and Perkins.Jordan rushed into the restricted area, and Perkins rushed to stop him first, only to see Jordan change the ball to his left hand and squeeze past Perkins.Worthy was right behind Perkins, and he had a good position to block Jordan's offense. However, even though he pounced on Jordan the first time Jordan shook off Perkins, he still couldn't reach the ball in the end.Jordan twisted his body in the air, using his body as an umbrella to protect the ball in his hand, and then threw the ball from a completely impossible angle.Of course, in.

There was no break in training, because in Chapel Hill, training never stops, but it was an exciting time regardless.After practice, everyone was talking about that ball.No one has ever seen such strong body control and air adjustment.What haunts Worthy the most is that everything seems to come from pure instinct-after Jordan takes off, he can make a decision in a millionth of a second, and then let his body obey the decision and react instantly.This combination of instinct, intelligence, and athleticism Worthy has never seen in anyone else.Years later, Worthy still remembered that ball and decided it was his first glimpse of what the basketball world would look like in the next 20 years, a sign.

At the time, Jordan was only 18 years old.

North Carolina was the perfect place for Jordan.Beside him is a group of experienced, talented, and responsible teammates. He does not need to carry the entire team. He can study hard without becoming the center of the team.That year, Jordan was still growing, and there were not many young players with talent and potential like him who could play in a team consisting of Dean Smith, Bill Guthridge, Eddie Fogler and Learn to play basketball on a team coached by Roy Williams.This means that Jordan can grow at his own pace.

(End of this chapter)