--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Michael Jordan told me the way he kept…" description: "\"Michael Jordan told me the way he kept the crown was by always outworking everyone else because he knew everyone was always coming after him. You can s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c0/alex-rodriguez-9496_crowns_michael-jordan-told-me-the-way-he-kept-t_2603498.jpg" --- # Michael Jordan told me the way he kept the crown was by… ![“Michael Jordan told me the way he kept the crown was by always outworking everyone else because he knew everyone was always coming after him. You can sneak up on people when you are 18, 19, 20. It's tougher when you're established. Before, I'd see 13, 14, 15 pitches that I could drive in a game…” quote by Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c0/alex-rodriguez-9496_crowns_michael-jordan-told-me-the-way-he-kept-t_2603498.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c0/alex-rodriguez-9496_crowns_michael-jordan-told-me-the-way-he-kept-t_2603498.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c0/alex-rodriguez-9496_crowns_michael-jordan-told-me-the-way-he-kept-t_2603498.jpg) > “Michael Jordan told me the way he kept the crown was by always outworking everyone else because he knew everyone was always coming after him. You can sneak up on people when you are 18, 19, 20. It's tougher when you're established. Before, I'd see 13, 14, 15 pitches that I could drive in a game. Now, I see one, two or three, so I have to be better.” [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hard work sustains success; younger opponents are easier to outpace. **In simple terms:** Hard work keeps you ahead as competition matures. Key Takeaway Maintain relentless effort over time. Themes hard work competition age Mood motivational realistic Type sports career When to use this quote - sports training - career mentorship - personal development Key Concepts performance psychology career longevity Questions to Reflect On - How do you adapt as you age? - What habits sustain performance? A Different Perspective Physical decline may limit effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [15 Pitches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/15-pitches-1965305/) [Crowns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crowns/) [Drive Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drive-game-1965306/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jordan/) [Jordan Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jordan-told-1965303/) [Michael jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/michael-jordan/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pitches Drive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pitches-drive-1965304/) [Sneak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sneak/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [It's tougher when you're established. Before, I'd see 13, 14, 15 pitches that I could drive in a game. Now, I see one, two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/it-s-tougher-when-you-re-established-before-i-d-see-13-14-15-pitches/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [“So while Jordan told me to "just do it," my parents reminded me of a guy who once laced my Nikes at Stride Rite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-gaimon/so-while-jordan-told-me-to-just-do-it-my-parents-reminded-me-of-a-guy/) [Phil Gaimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-gaimon/) > [Team sports, there's always some kind of sacrifice happening... A team, if we lose, if Michael Jordan has a bad night, you hang it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-blucas/team-sports-there-s-always-some-kind-of-sacrifice-happening-a-team-if/) [Marc Blucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-blucas/) > [The economy has produced 6.1 million jobs since I became president, and if Michael Jordan comes back to the Bulls, it will be 6,100,001 jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/the-economy-has-produced-6-1-million-jobs-since-i-became-president/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The NBA is the strongest professional sports league in the world. The league and the game is bigger than any one person, Michael Jordan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/the-nba-is-the-strongest-professional-sports-league-in-the-world-the/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [Getting up at three in the morning to watch Michael Jordan, I never dreamed one day I would be kissing that trophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-parker/getting-up-at-three-in-the-morning-to-watch-michael-jordan-i-never/) [Tony Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-parker/) > [If a director brings a guy to their movie who does improv, they've got to let him do what he does - otherwise it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-smoove/if-a-director-brings-a-guy-to-their-movie-who-does-improv-they-ve-got/) [J. B. Smoove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-smoove/) > [No one beat Michael Jordan. No one. You could say a lot of different things, but the man was unstoppable. He was unstoppable. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-armstrong/no-one-beat-michael-jordan-no-one-you-could-say-a-lot-of-different/) [B. J. Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-armstrong/) > [“I have missed more than nine thousand shots in my career. I have lost almost three hundred games. On twenty-six occasions, I have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-i-luntz/i-have-missed-more-than-nine-thousand-shots-in-my-career-i-have-lost/) [Frank I. Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-i-luntz/) > [ I'm just somebody that isn't that impressed by \[Michael Jordan\]. There really isn't anybody in the world I'm impressed with. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-duncan/i-m-just-somebody-that-isn-t-that-impressed-by-michael-jordan-there/) [Tim Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-duncan/) > [Skinny guy asian grinning wide little chinky eyed every line is true I get it straight no invisiline. You running it I'm at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-pryde/skinny-guy-asian-grinning-wide-little-chinky-eyed-every-line-is-true/) [D Pryde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-pryde/) > [If an athlete like Michael Jordan played tennis, he would be the best - he's flexible, not too bulky, and has unbelievable hand-to-eye coordination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mats-wilander/if-an-athlete-like-michael-jordan-played-tennis-he-would-be-the-best/) [Mats Wilander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mats-wilander/) > [If the guy in the Hanes commercial was clowning my 'bacon neck' to Michael Jordan right in front of me, we'd have problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-griffin/if-the-guy-in-the-hanes-commercial-was-clowning-my-bacon-neck-to/) [Blake Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-griffin/) > [I can't put this down. I'm reading it in Spanish but I am still having English lessons. It is a motivational book about basketball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bojan-krkic/i-can-t-put-this-down-i-m-reading-it-in-spanish-but-i-am-still-having/) [Bojan Krkic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bojan-krkic/) > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) ## More by Alex Rodriguez > [I want to be known as a good major-leaguer, and good major-leaguers work to become good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/i-want-to-be-known-as-a-good-major-leaguer-and-good-major-leaguers/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [Therapy can be a good thing; it can be therapeutic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/therapy-can-be-a-good-thing-it-can-be-therapeutic/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [We (Derek Jeter and I) want to kill each other. I think we both drive each other and motivate each other. But, when we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/we-derek-jeter-and-i-want-to-kill-each-other-i-think-we-both-drive/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [With what has occurred in my life, the baseball field is where I feel most comfortable. That's what I feel I was born to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/with-what-has-occurred-in-my-life-the-baseball-field-is-where-i-feel/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [I'm a terrible singer. I feel lucky to play baseball. You can't be gifted in everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/i-m-a-terrible-singer-i-feel-lucky-to-play-baseball-you-can-t-be/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [Be respectful. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Respect the lowest rank and the highest rank and you'll never get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/be-respectful-treat-people-the-way-you-want-to-be-treated-respect-the/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [I truly believe my job starts the minute I leave the baseball field. Going out and catching ground balls and hitting, that's a job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/i-truly-believe-my-job-starts-the-minute-i-leave-the-baseball-field/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [When you think small and up the middle, good things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/when-you-think-small-and-up-the-middle-good-things-happen/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [I love the challenge of the game. I love the work. My goal right now is to have a season next year that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/i-love-the-challenge-of-the-game-i-love-the-work-my-goal-right-now-is/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [Enjoy your sweat because hard work doesn't guarantee success, but without it you don't have a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/enjoy-your-sweat-because-hard-work-doesn-t-guarantee-success-but/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [Winners live in the present tense. People who come up short are consumed with future or past. I want to be living in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/winners-live-in-the-present-tense-people-who-come-up-short-are/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [Playing the game was the easy part. The real work was in the preparation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/playing-the-game-was-the-easy-part-the-real-work-was-in-the/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [Baseball has a funny way to tap you on the shoulder when you least expect it and tells you it's the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/baseball-has-a-funny-way-to-tap-you-on-the-shoulder-when-you-least/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [You always dream about being on a baseball card. It's kind of funny when you finally see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/you-always-dream-about-being-on-a-baseball-card-it-s-kind-of-funny/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [I’m fighting for my life, I have to defend myself. If I don’t defend myself, no one else will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/i-m-fighting-for-my-life-i-have-to-defend-myself-if-i-don-t-defend/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) [Explore all 72 Alex Rodriguez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) ## More Crowns quotes > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [When I became Miss World, I couldn't believe I had won it. I used to sleep with my crown because I was scared someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanka-chopra/when-i-became-miss-world-i-couldn-t-believe-i-had-won-it-i-used-to/) [Priyanka Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanka-chopra/) > [My featherbed is deep and soft, and there I’ll lay you down, I’ll dress you all in yellow silk and on your head a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-featherbed-is-deep-and-soft-and-there-i-ll-lay-you-down-i-ll-dress/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many a crown Covers bald foreheads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/many-a-crown-covers-bald-foreheads/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [Satan is ever present, trying to destroy our glory and remove our crown. One of his most powerful tools is discouragement. Don't let your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/satan-is-ever-present-trying-to-destroy-our-glory-and-remove-our/) [Marvin J. Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I never know what something is going to be until it emerges from the womb and you see the crown of its head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-never-know-what-something-is-going-to-be-until-it-emerges-from-the/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [My crown is in my heart, not on my head; not decked with diamonds and Indian stones, nor to be seen: my crown is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/my-crown-is-in-my-heart-not-on-my-head-not-decked-with-diamonds-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [From the crown of my head to the soles of my feet I am Bolshevik, and proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/from-the-crown-of-my-head-to-the-soles-of-my-feet-i-am-bolshevik-and/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) > [The Son of God goes forth to war,A kingly crown to gain;His blood red banner streams afar:Who follows in His train?Who best can drink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-heber/the-son-of-god-goes-forth-to-war-a-kingly-crown-to-gain-his-blood-red/) [Reginald Heber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-heber/) > [What will be the crown of those who, humble within and humiliated without, have imitated the humility of our Savior in all its fullness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-soubirous/what-will-be-the-crown-of-those-who-humble-within-and-humiliated/) [Bernadette Soubirous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-soubirous/) > [T is liberty crowns Britannia's Isle, And makes her barren rocks and her bleak mountains smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/t-is-liberty-crowns-britannia-s-isle-and-makes-her-barren-rocks-and/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Others of them employ outward marks ... They style themselves Gnostics. They also possess images, some of them painted and others formed from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irenaeus-of-lyons/others-of-them-employ-outward-marks-they-style-themselves-gnostics/) [Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irenaeus-of-lyons/) > [After men have got their exaltations and their crowns--have become Gods, even the sons of God--are made Kings of kings and Lords of lords,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/after-men-have-got-their-exaltations-and-their-crowns-have-become/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [“Success shall crown my endeavors. Wherefore not? Thus far I have gone, tracing a secure way over the pathless seas, the very stars themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/success-shall-crown-my-endeavors-wherefore-not-thus-far-i-have-gone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All men are fools, if truth be told, but the ones in motley are more amusing than ones with crowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-men-are-fools-if-truth-be-told-but-the-ones-in-motley-are-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 680 Crowns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crowns/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Michael Jordan told me the way he kept the crown was by always outworking everyone else because he knew everyone was always coming after him. You can sneak up on people when you are 18, 19, 20. It's tougher when you're established. Before, I'd see 13, 14, 15 pitches that I could drive in a game. 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