To be one of the greatest of all time in the game of basketball requires the right mindset. An athlete can be the best player to play the game ever. Though, without team support, no one can achieve greatness. Both the player and the teammates have to be on the same page. The great Michael Jordan realized this quite early in his career.

After dominating the league in his first 4 or 5 seasons, Jordan realized that without the full effort of his teammates, winning a championship will be tougher than it already was. Since then, Michael always pushed his teammates to get better at their jobs. 

Michael Jordan teaches his teammate a lesson

During the final game of the McDonald’s Championship in 1997, between the Chicago Bulls and the Olympiacos, one of Michael Jordan’s reactions ended up in the Last Dance documentary. By the end of the game, the Bulls had a huge lead which ensured their victory. 

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Sitting on the bench were Ron Harper, Scott Burrell, and Michael Jordan. Harper and Burrell were already celebrating victory. This was the first time Burrell won a championship with the Bulls. Happy Scott Burrell asked Jordan for a hug, for which Michael refused. 

Michael Jordan had won 5 championships back then for the Bulls. Jordan said, “It don’t count.”

His reply was to indicate that the real job was to win a ring and not a single-bracket championship. Michael knew how to get his teammates to follow a winning mindset. 

Scott Burrell was fine with MJ picking on him

During team practices, Michael always tried to push Scott Burrell to do better. Jordan picked on Burrell during practices, but to Michael’s surprise, Burrell was pretty fine with it. He once also tried to get Burrell to fight him.

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“He’s such a nice guy. But I knew we were gonna need him at some point in time. And he’s going to remember this, and he’s going to get out there. He’s gonna fight.” said Jordan.

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Involving teammates to win is what sets Jordan apart from others. He wanted everyone around him to win. This shows how the greats emphasized the importance of teamwork.