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FoundersJune 30, 2023

Michael Jordan (The Life)

About This Episode
What I learned from reading Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby. --- (5:07) His competence was exceeded only by his confidence.(5:58) He worked at the game, and if he wasn't good at something, he had the motivation to be the best at it. (6:33) It seemed that he discovered the secret quite early in his competitive life: the more pressure he heaped on himself, the greater his ability to rise to the occasion. (14:06) At each step along his path, others would express amazement at how hard he competed. At every level, he was driven as if he were pursuing something that others couldn't see.(16:10) Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I'd close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it, and that got me going again. (19:29) Jordan could sense immediately that he had something the others didn't. (59:53) The Jordan Rules succeeded against the Bulls so well that they became textbook for guarding athletic scorers. The scheme helped Detroit win two NBA championships, but it also helped in the long run, by forcing Jordan to find an answer. "I think that 'Jordan Rules' defense, as much as anything else, played a part in the making of Michael Jordan," Tex Winter said. (1:16:35) Jordan had been surprised to learn how lazy many of his Olympic teammates were about practice, how they were deceiving themselves about what the game required. (1:19:56) I have always liked practice and I hate to miss it. When you miss that one day, you feel like you missed a lot. You take extra work to make up for that one day. I've always been a practice player. I believe in it.(1:29:47) Jordan presented a singleness of purpose that was hard to dent. ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested, so my poor wallet suffers.” — Gareth Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast ---- Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast
Book Mentions
11 book mentions in this episode.
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Books Mentioned

Michael Jordan, The Life cover

The excerpt discusses themes from the book, including Michael Jordan's relationship with his father and his drive for success.

ASIN: N/A
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Four Seasons cover
Four Seasons
Izzy Sharp

The founder of Four Seasons, Izzy Sharp, shares insights on excellence and pain, which resonate with the themes of motivation and perseverance discussed in the podcast.

ASIN: B0C9VVKMV3
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Kobe Bryant cover

Jordan reflects on his relationship with Kobe Bryant in 2008, emphasizing the importance of learning from others in the context of competition and respect.

ASIN: N/A
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Last Call cover
Last Call
Kanye West

The song 'Last Call' by Kanye West is discussed as it relates to themes of entrepreneurship and confidence, paralleling the experiences of Michael Jordan.

ASIN: N/A
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Against the Odds cover
Against the Odds
James Dyson

The autobiography 'Against the Odds' by James Dyson is mentioned as it discusses using pain as fuel for success, similar to Michael Jordan's experiences.

ASIN: 0752809814
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Dean Smith cover

The legendary college basketball coach Dean Smith is referenced in relation to Michael Jordan's journey and development in basketball.

ASIN: B00V501J2C
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The Last Dance cover

Jordan's approach was not perfect. He's 18, of course. It's impossible that it'd be perfect, right? Jordan's occasionally casual effort had raised a red flag. When Roy Williams challenged him on it, Jordan replied that he was working as hard as the others.

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The Score Takes Care of Itself cover

I didn't know this before I read this one paragraph, is very similar to what we learned from Bill Walsh in his book, The Score Takes Care of Itself, right? You do every little things correctly. You don't have to worry about the score.

ASIN: 1596703237
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The Dow of Capital cover
The Dow of Capital
Mark Snaggle

The speaker references 'The Dow of Capital' in relation to the idea of taking a step backwards to achieve greater success in the future, comparing it to Michael Jordan's career.

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Relentless cover
Relentless
Tim Grover

Jordan's trainer, Tim Grover, has an audio book about what he learned from training Jordan and Kobe and other athletes called Relentless. It's an extreme book.

ASIN: N/A
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The book on Henry Singleton cover

It made me listen to a 60-hour audiobook because of one sentence. And I'll probably read the physical book and turn it into a future episode of Founders.

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