The American basketball legend always believes that it is his failures that have made him the person and success he is today.

Although he was just a basketball player, Michael Jordan’s influence has reached out globally and encompassed the sports world in general.

In April 2019, ESPN and Netflix released a documentary about Michael Jordan titled “The Last Dance.” The episodes revolve around his career with the Chicago Bulls, showing every drop of “blood and tears” that was shed on his journey with his teammates to win 6 NBA championships.

Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals in Chicago on June 12, 1998. Photo: AP.

For many years, Jordan has been honored as the greatest basketball player of all time, but things could have been completely different if this star had not learned to accept failure as part of his success.

Michael Jordan was born without any natural talent for basketball. But he did have something that made the difference between a champion and an average player. Jordan always worked hard and never gave up once he made up his mind.

When most people fail, they get discouraged and are afraid to try again. This is a common behavior, but not Michael Jordan. In high school, he was cut from his school’s basketball team because he was not tall enough and not good enough.

Normally, this would have destroyed any teenager’s dream of becoming a professional basketball player. But Jordan wiped away his tears and continued to practice. He refused to let his coach decide his future career. Jordan understood early on that failure does not define a person, but that one’s worth lies in the strength to get up and try again.

“I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost 300 games. I’ve been called upon to shoot 26 times and screwed up. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that’s why I succeed,” Jordan once said.

Jordan’s former head coach at the University of North Carolina once shared a story about how determined he was to be the best. He remembers Jordan saying, “I’ll show you, no one works as hard as I do.” And Jordan kept his promise.

“If you’re trying to accomplish something, there are going to be roadblocks along the way. I have them, everyone has them. But they don’t have to stop you. If you hit a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Find a way to climb over it, get past it, or improve it,” Jordan said.

In 1993, everyone was saddened and confused when Michael Jordan retired from basketball and switched to baseball. He and the Chicago Bulls had just won their third NBA championship, so why did he suddenly change direction?

Jordan wanted something different and wanted to test his limits once again. He was already a great basketball player and becoming good at baseball was the challenge Jordan set for himself.

He struggled to hit the ball at first, but he kept practicing and got better over time. His philosophy is simple, if you want to get better, you have to practice, you have to commit to improving yourself.

“I can accept failure, everyone will fail at some point. But I cannot accept not trying,” he emphasized.

The documentary “The Last Dance” features a scene where Michael Jordan is celebrating a championship and a reporter asks him if he’s “going to play another year.” Jordan replies, “This is a moment, man. Take it and enjoy it. Live in the moment until October and we’ll see what happens next.”

The basketball legend’s message is clear: Live in the present and allow yourself to celebrate your achievements. Don’t dwell on the past or worry too much about the future. Set goals, but enjoy what you have right now. Don’t worry about missing out on an opportunity you haven’t even seen yet.

In 1995, the Chicago Bulls were eliminated from the NBA playoffs, and the loss broke Michael Jordan’s heart. But instead of taking some time off after the season, he returned to the practice court the next day.

“Sometimes you fail, but that doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. It just means you should try harder next time. There’s always room for improvement and there’s always another way to achieve a goal. If I tried my best and it still wasn’t good enough, at least I wouldn’t have to look back and say I was afraid,” Jordan said.