--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The greatness of Michael Jordan is his…" description: "\"The greatness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive. The weakness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive\" — Phil Jackson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/phil-jackson-4484_basketball_the-greatness-of-michael-jordan-is-his-c_982577.png" --- # The greatness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive… ![“The greatness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive. The weakness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive” quote by Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/phil-jackson-4484_basketball_the-greatness-of-michael-jordan-is-his-c_982577.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/phil-jackson-4484_basketball_the-greatness-of-michael-jordan-is-his-c_982577.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/phil-jackson-4484_basketball_the-greatness-of-michael-jordan-is-his-c_982577.png) > “The greatness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive. The weakness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive” [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jordan’s intense competitiveness fuels both his extraordinary success and his occasional over‑aggression, showing that a single trait can be a double‑edged sword. **In simple terms:** His competitive drive makes him great but also creates flaws. Key Takeaway Balance drive with self‑awareness. Themes competition leadership psychology sports dual nature Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - coaching elite athletes - team management - personal development - conflict resolution Key Concepts drive strengths and weaknesses self‑regulation Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders harness competitive energy constructively? - When does competitiveness become detrimental? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on competition can harm teamwork and personal well‑being. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [NBA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nba/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) ## Related quotes > [ People look at my competitive spirit, and they automatically attach it to the thing that's most similar, most easily recognizable, which is Michael \[Jordan's\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobe-bryant/people-look-at-my-competitive-spirit-and-they-automatically-attach-it/) [Kobe Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobe-bryant/) > [It is my considered opinion that in the fullness of time history will record the greatness of Michael Collins and it will be recorded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eamon-de-valera/it-is-my-considered-opinion-that-in-the-fullness-of-time-history-will/) [Eamon de Valera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eamon-de-valera/) > [I just feel that my competitive drive is far greater than anyone else that Ive met and I think that I thrive on that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-just-feel-that-my-competitive-drive-is-far-greater-than-anyone-else-2/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [I just feel that my competitive drive is far greater than anyone else that I've met, and I think that I thrive on that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-just-feel-that-my-competitive-drive-is-far-greater-than-anyone-else/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [Growing up, video games allowed me to feed this competitive drive while still hanging out with my friends and being a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-hayward/growing-up-video-games-allowed-me-to-feed-this-competitive-drive/) [Gordon Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-hayward/) > [Expecting to be able to get rid of the competitive drive, first of all, flies in the face of human nature - and little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-cheney/expecting-to-be-able-to-get-rid-of-the-competitive-drive-first-of-all/) [Lynne Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-cheney/) > [If there is a defining aspect of UNC women's soccer, and its success, it is what we call the competitive cauldron. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anson-dorrance/if-there-is-a-defining-aspect-of-unc-women-s-soccer-and-its-success/) [Anson Dorrance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anson-dorrance/) > [My kids have a competitive drive I never had growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-wayans/my-kids-have-a-competitive-drive-i-never-had-growing-up/) [Damon Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-wayans/) > [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/) > [ 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/) > [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 Phil Jackson > [My parents were, had a marriage of passion, and the passion was about their religious beliefs. They were both immigrant families that - well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/my-parents-were-had-a-marriage-of-passion-and-the-passion-was-about/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [“The unconscious mind is a terrific solver of complex problems when the conscious mind is busy elsewhere or, perhaps better yet, not overtaxed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/the-unconscious-mind-is-a-terrific-solver-of-complex-problems-when/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [There's a term, agape, you hear used a lot with charismatic religious groups, that it's this more pure love of caring, of sharing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/there-s-a-term-agape-you-hear-used-a-lot-with-charismatic-religious/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [“My confidence grew out of knowing that when the spirit was right and the players were attuned to one another, the game was likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/my-confidence-grew-out-of-knowing-that-when-the-spirit-was-right-and/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [I don't believe in curfews, because you can't treat men like they were boys without forfeiting a certain level of trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/i-don-t-believe-in-curfews-because-you-can-t-treat-men-like-they-were/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [My philosophy is that you can't motivate players with speeches, you have motivated players that you draft. That's where they come in and those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/my-philosophy-is-that-you-can-t-motivate-players-with-speeches-you/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [My philosophy is that you don't motivate players with speeches; you have motivated players that you draft. That's where they come in, and those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/my-philosophy-is-that-you-don-t-motivate-players-with-speeches-you/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [Leadership is not about forcing your will on others. It's about mastering the art of letting go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/leadership-is-not-about-forcing-your-will-on-others-it-s-about/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [“As a leader your job is to do everything in your power to create the perfect conditions for success by benching your ego and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/as-a-leader-your-job-is-to-do-everything-in-your-power-to-create-the/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [If we can accept whatever hand we've been dealt - no matter how unwelcome - the way to proceed eventually becomes clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/if-we-can-accept-whatever-hand-we-ve-been-dealt-no-matter-how/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [A coach's main job is to reawaken a spirit in which the players can blend together effortlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/a-coach-s-main-job-is-to-reawaken-a-spirit-in-which-the-players-can/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [“Zen teacher Lewis Richmond tells the story of hearing Shunryu Suzuki sum up Buddhism in two words. Suzuki had just finished giving a talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/zen-teacher-lewis-richmond-tells-the-story-of-hearing-shunryu-suzuki/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [My mother's families were Mennonites or Anabaptists that came to Minnesota from Russia. They were actually moving around Europe doing diking and lowland reclamation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/my-mother-s-families-were-mennonites-or-anabaptists-that-came-to/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [The real value in everything you do is in the details. I just like that quote. A very similar way to say the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/the-real-value-in-everything-you-do-is-in-the-details-i-just-like/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [Coaching is about, "How do I get people to play at their peak level?" It is a spiritual quest. And if it's not that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/coaching-is-about-how-do-i-get-people-to-play-at-their-peak-level-it/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) [Explore all 110 Phil Jackson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) ## More Basketball quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [I learned so much from Sue about the Xs and Os of the game of basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/i-learned-so-much-from-sue-about-the-xs-and-os-of-the-game-of/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [It's not how big you are, it's how big you play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-how-big-you-are-it-s-how-big-you-play/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Basketball isn't just a sport to me ; it's my ecstasy !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamira-robinson/basketball-isn-t-just-a-sport-to-me-it-s-my-ecstasy/) [Jamira Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamira-robinson/) > [It's similar to basketball: when you go to different gyms and win or lose, you learn something new. So when kids get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/it-s-similar-to-basketball-when-you-go-to-different-gyms-and-win-or/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I'm a competitive person. I love the game of basketball. I'm a gym rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-m-a-competitive-person-i-love-the-game-of-basketball-i-m-a-gym-rat/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-am-both-humbled-and-honored-to-receive-the-honda-sports-award-for/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [What I've talked about the entire series and throughout this playoffs is about intensity and effort, desire and will of our players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-laimbeer/what-i-ve-talked-about-the-entire-series-and-throughout-this-playoffs/) [Bill Laimbeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-laimbeer/) [Browse all 5,387 Basketball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The greatness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive. 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