Michael Jordan once discussed the positive impact that golf has had on his life during an interview with Stephen Curry. As many of us should be aware, MJ is a Chicago Bulls legend and widely considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, players in the history of the NBA. Likewise, Curry is a Warriors legend and the best long-range shooter in the history of the game.
Although few could stand up to both of these NBA stars on the court, they also have varying interests in the world of sports and are mysteriously linked by the passion they share for golf. Since many NBA fans might struggle to understand the interest in such a different game, when compared to basketball, we should certainly take a look and find out what Jordan had to say on this subject.
Michael Jordan opens up on how golf helped him after NBA retirement
Many of the younger NBA fans will likely not remember what it was like watching Jordan play. If they were to ask older fans what MJ was like, one of the most common traits that distinguished Jordan from other stars in the league was his competitive edge. We have seen it manifest several times and have heard several mythical stories of Jordan’s abilities on the court.
His competitive edge even translated to other facets of his life such as gambling and so on. Not to mention golf, which Jordan took a fancy to and started playing while still in the NBA. When Steph asked him how he managed to balance golf and basketball, Michael explained that the sport helped him retain his competitive edge even after retiring from the league.
“I kind of got into golf from a competitive standpoint since to me, it’s the hardest game in the world. I can always respond to an opponent a defensive guy an offensive guy whatever. But in golf, it’s like playing in a mirror. You’re battling yourself consistently to try to get perfection. Every swing, every putt…”
MJ went on to further emphasize his stance, “For a competitive person like me? This is what keeps me sane. When I walked away from the sport of basketball, that was enough to keep my competitive juices working.”
It is certainly a very different experience to play golf which has no real opponent when compared to basketball. As Jordan puts it, it is similar to playing in a mirror against oneself. Perhaps that is why he, Steph, and several other NBA players have shown interest in the sport.
