“People didn’t believe me
when I told them I practiced
harder than I played, but it
was true. That’s where my
comfort zone was created.
By the time the game came,
all I had to do was react to
what my body was already
accustomed to doing. . . . I
believed every time out I was
the best. And the more shots
I hit, the more it reinforced
that. So, when you miss—
because no matter how great
you are, you will miss—you
don’t waver, because you’ve
built yourself a nice little
cushion of confidence.”
—MICHAEL JORDAN Considered by many to be the
greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan led
the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the
1990s, was the MVP of the league five times and
also won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA
and an NCAA title at the University of North Carolina.
One of the highest-scoring players in history, he
recently told ESPN.com that his intense preparation
helped him build a level of confidence that allowed
him to handle stress on the court.