Michael Jordan still wants to play (2008) (you can tell)

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Interviewer: Tell me what a typical day is for you here.

Michael Jordan: I find myself sitting in the office all day, you know, drinking more coffee than I want, you know? Just overseeing, making sure everything is done properly, evaluating where we are on the team, evaluating what we need to better the team. Just trying to maintain a hold of what's happening with this franchise. And every now and then I sit Fred [inaudible] brings me up to date with the business side and we try to coordinate and make sure that we're collectively on the same page.

Interviewer: You're such a competitor. What are you like when the team isn't doing well?

Michael Jordan: You don't want to see. You don't want to know. I mean I'm a competitor and obviously I live vicariously through what's happening on the basketball court and the team that's playing. When I'm watching it on TV or watching in the arena you know obviously I sit back with my emotions I can control my emotions which is very tough for me because I want to win so badly and uh...

You know, but at the same time it's an evaluation period of trying to see what we need from the team's standpoint, seeing if we could make it better in any way, in any form. I mean, it's difficult though sitting on the side line and trying to live through everybody else playing the game of basketball. Yeah you feel like you have so much knowledge in so many ways. You've played the game and at certain levels, different levels, and you want a help them you want to give them the information but you know in some ways they're going to learn. They're going gain from the coaching staff as well as, you know, just from the experience of playing.

Interviewer: You got better and better when you were a player. Now that you're in this role, how have you gotten better in this role?

Michael Jordan: Being patient, you know, and understanding that, today's athlete is not the same as yesterday's athlete.

Interviewer: Do you understand that now?

Michael Jordan: I understand it. I understood it, you know, well in advance of being here. I mean they come out a lot younger, little bit more experienced, you know. They have a fork in the road in terms of where they can go. So it's almost like you have to nurture them along a little bit as opposed to going to college, seeing some of those experiences and understanding the coaching aspect from a college coach and then gettin on to our level where they can understand what professional coaches are doing. So I mean the patience thing is something that I've kinda adopted to and you know I'm try not to watch as much because I know I get all animated and competitive sometimes.

Interviewer: Imagine being a basketball dad, you got Marcus at home, you got Jeff who's a freshman at Illinois. What's the rule you have about every seven days or something like that?

You don't if he doesn't call me within seven days you know... If I go seven days without hearing him I'll be there on the eight day. And if I ever heard them six days or seven... He usually calls me right for the time limit ends. So I mean we've been communicating quite a bit as of late, you know, just because he's trying to adapt and he asks a lot more questions now which as a father you feel proud of about because you want to give him as much information and answer all the questions, but at the same time you want him to learn at his own pace and we have a great relationship right now.

What do you think you're bringing to the table particularly that's making this team better?

Michael Jordan: A winning attitude, a winning presence. [noise] Versatility in the sense that I played the game at the highest level, I understand what it took to win. It's not the same. You know, I live vicariously through all the basketball experiences within my life. You know, my kids playing, you know as well as the basketball team here but nothing is going to replace me actually taking a shot unless we win the championship then that could be, that could happen. But right now nothing replaces that, that whole feeling that control that I had once I had the ball.
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