Michael Jordan is considered by many to be one of the most competitive athletes in sports.
His legendary competitiveness included relentless training, trash-talking on the sidelines, a ruthless golf game and a passion for gambling.
This fierce competition transcended the basketball court and turned everything he was involved in into a game. It was this insatiable desire to win that made Jordan a basketball legend.
Jordan once invited one of his most trusted personal bodyguards, John Michael Wozniak, to a friendly game of pool.
At a Christmas party, the unthinkable happened: Wozniak beat Jordan in the game. John’s son Nicoli recalled that the event started out as a fun-filled engagement.
However, Jordan, who is known for his disdain for failure, caught Nicoli off guard with his reaction to the loss.
Nicoli revealed how his dad was kicked out of a Christmas party after beating Jordan in the pool.
Jordan’s competitiveness surprised many, resulting in him often doing incredible things.
In the long run, however, Nicoli admits his late father and Jordan developed a beautiful bond based on mutual respect.
John Michael never abused the financial advantage of his close relationship with Jordan, and Jordan always respected John.
Nicoli recalled a memorable incident from their relationship, which she was more than happy to share. Once, while parking Jordan’s SUV, his father accidentally broke the SUV’s rear window.
John Michael was saddened by the incident and offered to use his salary to pay for the damage.
However, Jordan responded with a smile, assuring John not to worry and saying he would receive a new one the next day.
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Lasting Bonds: The Connection Between Jordan, John Michael and George Kohler
Jordan and John Michael’s extraordinary relationship only grew stronger on the final day of John Michael’s death. John Michael moved on but passed away from colon cancer in January 2020.
George Koehler, Jordan’s assistant and considered “best friend,” shared a similar moment with the famed Chicago Bulls stalwart.
Kohler, unlike John Michael, can play basketball and has greater athletic ability. Jordan briefly recovered from his injury, but he had a one-on-one basketball game with Kohler.
As expected, Jordan faced an initial challenge, but his ingrained competitive spirit prevented him from letting his assistant win.
Khloe will remember this day forever. While he agrees with the common sentiment that Jordan was overly competitive, he knows deep down that the greatest player of all time (the GOAT) was also a human being.
“He’s a guy who really feels the pain. He doesn’t ask people to put him on a pedestal, but then they try to depose him,” Kohler once said of Jordan.
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