It’s not hard to get lost in the glitter of Michael Jordan’s legendary achievements, whether it is the six NBA titles, five MVPs, or the gold standard of basketball greatness that makes him the best in history. But beneath that greatness and glory lies a lesser-known truth: Jordan’s hyper-competitive nature wasn’t reserved just for Game 7s or NBA Final showdowns. Even off the hardwood, His Airness didn’t believe in letting up or staying loose, not even surrounded by kids barely with the experience of the competitive drive.

For many, Jordan’s Flight School became a fantasy destination, a place where young talent might glimpse greatness up close. Stories about Michael Jordan’s infamous 2016 shooting practice against Chris Paul, in which he sank every jumper to deny a bunch of eager campers free Jordans, circulated like mythology. Jordan didn’t give out free stuff or take shortcuts. But this wasn’t just a one-time thing. Years before Paul challenged him, Darius Miles saw Jordan’s fiery temper up close in person as a teenager. Needless to say, it left a lasting impression on the NBA journeyman.

Speaking to Matt Barnes on the All The Smoke podcast, Miles ripped back the curtain on his bizarre first experience with the icon. As a rising high school prodigy from East St. Louis, he was invited to Jordan’s elite camp in Santa Barbara. The buzz around Miles was electric—he hadn’t even played high school ball yet, but his name was already flying around AAU circles like wildfire. “I was a new hot commodity,” Miles recalled. He came into MJ’s camp as just another kid, though, even with all the spotlight. And Jordan made sure he knew it.

“The first day I played against Mike… he killed me,” Miles admitted with a grin. “Like, everybody was kind of scared to walk up on him. So, I was like, “No, I’ll guard him.” You know what I’m saying? So, I went and guarded him, and he killed me. I blocked the shot a couple of times, but he killed me after that.”

That courage got him Jordan’s respect and a seat on MJ’s team for the next two weeks. Together, they destroyed squads of college athletes regularly, but he realized it was better to play beside him than to play against him. But what stuck with Miles wasn’t just the gameplay. “I remember calling my mom and being like, ‘Ma, MJ cussed like us!’” he said. “He talked just like we did. I couldn’t believe it.”

Michael Jordan’s ruthless drive spares no one

Miles’ story adds another dimension to the ever-changing narrative about Jordan’s competitive fire off the court, especially when it came to younger players. The similarities to the Chris Paul moment are astounding. Jordan was once more surrounded by young people with big dreams at the 2016 Flight School. Paul jokingly told him that if he missed three shots, all of the campers would get free Air Jordans. MJ, who was always up for a challenge, accepted and made every shot, leaving the kids shocked and without their favorite sneakers.

It wasn’t about being cheap that time. It was about rules and standards and the competitive drive he is known for. Jordan’s main point, whether he was in the NBA or at a youth camp, was to show that being great costs something. And no one, not even a kid, got a free pair of sneakers. It was the same edge that let him score an average of 30.1 points per game, the most ever in the NBA, and be the best mid-range shooter during the Bulls’ second three-peat. It’s also what made his pickup games into teaching clinics where people came to play but returned having learnt something from the GOAT.

Miles, a former No. 3 overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, never fully lived up to the sky-high expectations. But that summer with Jordan resonated with him, not because he was embarrassed, but because he was pushed to be better and continue to challenge. “He liked the way I played,” Miles said. “That’s why he picked me every day. But he still made you earn everything.”

Jordan was a mentor wrapped in fire rather than a self-centered person caring about individuality. That’s what separates him from the rest and makes him one of the richest athletes of all time, not just in terms of money only but also in heart. However, it was also an object lesson in life – that nothing comes free. Not Jordans, not wins, not success, not greatness, nothing.

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