Just because you encounter an obstacle doesn’t mean you have to stop. If you hit a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Think about how you can climb the wall, get through the wall, or find a way back. -Michael Jordan-
- Breaking up with Charles Oakley, his best friend and bodyguard.
There is a condition for a hero movie to work properly. It is none other than the hardships of the protagonist. Painful situations are repeated while giving various hardships, and depending on how you face them, you can determine to some extent whether you are a hero or not. Of course, reactions vary. You can show off your fighting spirit by competing right on the spot, or you can be awakened through hardships even though you were originally not that strong.
Michael Jordan in the early stages of his career was called ‘Black Cat’. With his incredible athletic ability, he was able to move from side to side, moving around the court like a wild feline beast. He runs well and runs well, and his speed is so outstanding that the moment he sees a gap, he tears through the opponent’s defense without any hesitation.
Where is that? His strength was so great that he could not be defeated not only by guards like him but also by most forwards. Therefore, if there was no gap, it was possible to force a play through physical fights or post-ups. It was a very rough time. Fouls were not even called in most collisions, and there were far fewer rules to protect attackers than there are now. This also presented quite a bit of difficulty to Jordan, who was just showing off his presence as a slasher in the league.
We are playing against a team called the Chicago Bulls, and the offense relies heavily on a specific ace. Moreover, the player in question is Younggun, who has only been in the league for a few years. How did the tough guys on each team come out? Considering the fact that macho culture was particularly prevalent at the time, the answer is certain. It goes beyond being aggressive and shakes up the ace through rough and dangerous fouls or nervous warfare.
If you are subjected to almost violent defense and checks throughout the game, it becomes difficult for even the most mentally strong players to endure. What is even scarier is the fact that some defenders did not hesitate to commit dangerous fouls, regardless of whether the opponent was injured or not. As a result, it often happens that serious injuries occur during the game. This is why among ace-level players who are under intensive control, there are many who are particularly sensitive to hard fouls.
As it is now, basketball at the time was truly a war. The level of foul play between players was quite high, as can be seen from the fact that Charles Barkley and others secretly boasted, saying, “If today’s players had played then, it would have been difficult to withstand the rough physical fights.” To become a recognized ace, scoring skills are a skill, but a strong body and tenacity to withstand them are essential.
As Jordan was born with a self-centered attitude, he was not afraid no matter how severe a foul he received. He bit his molars and ran harder, colliding with them. It can be seen that he had the mentality appropriate for that era. In addition, there was one reassuring factor: the presence of his friend Charles Oakley (60‧206cm), a friend of the same age. He is a power forward who plays combatively under the goal based on his strength and toughness.
However, to old Chicago fans, he was more famous as Jordan’s ‘bodyguard’. Naturally gifted in business and with a rough personality, he was a powerful fighter who even the massive Shaquille O’Neal avoided arguing with. Even players who were reputed to be quite strong and fierce were reluctant when faced with a situation where they might collide head-on with Oakley. Oakley used his skills for Jordan.
If there was a player who harassed Jordan too much or committed a harsh foul, he would quickly block his way and fight for him or threaten him with violence to break his spirits. Nevertheless, the rough and dangerous fouls against Jordan continued, but it is clear that they would have been even more severe if Oakley had not been present. This is because in order to commit a hard foul on Jordan, he had to be prepared to collide with a man named Oakley.
Jordan’s trust and gratitude toward Oakley was very great. The problem is that Oakley was too rigid. It’s good that he was tough within the team, but he was so outspoken in his words and actions that he didn’t care what his superiors thought, and for that reason, General Manager Krauss didn’t like him either. However, his skills were not at an irreplaceable level, so in 1988, he received Bill Cartwright through a trade with the New York Knicks and sent Oakley away.
I could see it as half personal and half business. The person who was most shocked was, of course, Jordan. It is said that when he lost his closest friend on the team, he was extremely angry and did not hide his hostility for a while, not only toward General Manager Krauss but also toward Cartwright, who was traded. But Jordan was a pro. Afterwards, when Cartwright showed significant contributions both on and off the court, he was recognized and accepted as his colleague.
- Jordan Story The Best Villain, the Bad Boys of Detroit
Most people think of the Boston Celtics of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parrish and the LA Lakers of Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that divided the NBA until the birth of the Chicago dynasty. It’s common. In fact, during the nine seasons from 1980 to 1988, LA won the championship 5 times (2 runners-up) and Boston (2 runners-up) won the championship 3 times.
The Philadelphia 76ers, led by Moses Malone, only won the championship once. The Houston Rockets bowed out of the finals twice. In terms of a hero story, it would have been nice for Jordan to end the era of Bird and Magic and rise to the top. However, their real nemesis was none other than the Detroit Pistons, also known as the Bad Boys.
They reigned as the strongest team in the East with solid organizational power and a heavy-hitting defense that was so harsh that they were criticized, but due to their unique muddy style, they were called the representative villains of the NBA. While Bird and Magic had the same hero concept as Jordan, they were notorious as villains. Looking at it from today’s perspective, it can be said to be a premium supporting role that played a role in Jordan’s hero myth.
Of course, this is only from the perspective of the Jordan story. Unless you are a criminal who has committed a crime, the world of competition is such that the villain and the hero can be swapped depending on the situation and perspective. Detroit, which had won the championship for two consecutive years before Chicago’s first championship in 1991, was the vanguard that ended the era of LA and Boston. Therefore, he may be the greatest villain in the Jordan epic, but he may be remembered as a hero by others.
Led by the leader, the ‘baby-faced assassin’ Isaiah Thomas (62‧185cm), Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahon, John Shelley, and Dennis Rodman played central roles, but in the 1988 finals against the Lakers, injuries were bad. If they had not ended up in second place with a series record of 4-3, they would have achieved the feat of winning three games in a row before Jordan. Although it is relatively hidden among various dynasties, it is one of the greatest teams of all time. The fact that they won two consecutive finals during the era when Magic, Bird, and Jordan were active shows how great they are.
By: 안전놀이터