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OMAHA, NE – JULY 02: Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the final heat for the Men’s 100 Meter Butterfly during Day Seven of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at CenturyLink Center on July 2, 2016 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
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OMAHA, NE – JULY 02: Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the final heat for the Men’s 100 Meter Butterfly during Day Seven of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at CenturyLink Center on July 2, 2016 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan are arguably the greatest names in their respective sports. The GOATs of their sport, the duo dominated the swimming pool or the basketball court like none could. Having the ability to dominate for a long time speaks volumes about their commitment to the sport.
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Hence, that mentality differentiates them from other world-class athletes. Irrespective of the challenges ahead, both Jordan and Phelps are true to their craft, creating records and winning medals and MVPs in their careers.
The elite mentality of Michael Phelps
Heading to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the surrounding hype of Phelps beating Mark Spitz’s record was just unreal. Spitz won seven gold medals back at the 1972 Munich Olympics. In a mission to be a legend, he won eight gold medals while creating seven world records. But some people doubted him, especially Australian great Ian Thorpe. He was aesthetically a beautiful swimmer but doubted Phelps’ ability to win eight gold medals. Phelps’ reaction to that statement?
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 07: Michael Phelps of the United States celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The gold medal is the 19th of Phelps career. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
“In 2008, he says ‘it’s impossible for somebody to win eight gold medals’. And I was like, alright well, wait and see. But, he actually said in 2016, ‘no one above the age of 30 can win an individual swimming Olympic gold’ and I was like, Alright!
Phelps spoke to Thorpe as the legendary Australian swimmer who wanted Phelps to feel the heat and get motivated. It worked out pretty well. This is the same mentality that Jordan showcased in his illustrious career. For him, it was personal as well!
Jordan’s iconic moments
“If you want to bring out the best in Michael, tell him he can’t do something and I think he takes that as a personal challenge to go out and just prove you wrong.”
Those were the words of James R. Jordan, Sr., who knew what path his son would be on. From there on, he won six NBA titles and became a five-time league MVP. Working hard to become a legend, Jordan’s mentality was above everyone else.
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Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls during the 1997 McDonald’s Championship. (Photo by Dimitri Iundt/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
To sum up, these two athletes are just incredible in terms of finesse, craft, achievements, and determination to be the best. They dominated the sport for years, and both Jordan and Michael Phelps took it personally!
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Written by
Edited by
Simar Singh Wadhwa