Before the world knew him as “His Airness,” Michael Jordan was just a hungry freshman in Chapel Hill, staring down the toughest challenge of his young life — not an opponent in shorts, but a legendary coach in a suit. At North Carolina, Jordan quickly discovered that Dean Smith’s practices were tougher than games, his standards higher than the rim, and his expectations sharper than any defender he would ever face. It was under Smith’s demanding eye that Jordan’s raw talent was molded into the fire and fearlessness that would one day make him the greatest to ever play the game.
Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan was known as the most fearless and competitive player every time he took the court. Whether that was in college or in the NBA, MJ’s drive to win was never in doubt and he was confident enough to accept every challenge in his way.
In fact, no obstacle was great enough to intimidate Jordan except for a particular one during his three-year tenure with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. That challenge was no other than dealing with his college coach, the late great Dean Smith, who pushed Mr. Air to be the best version of himself.
According to Jordan, coach Smith tested him physically and mentally during his freshman year as a Tar Heel.
“I was totally afraid of Coach Smith because he was a big name in the state of North Carolina and I was this kid from a small city,” Jordan wrote in his 2005 book “Driven from Within.” “I never even thought about calling him anything other than Coach Smith.”
Practices caught Jordan off guard
As someone who grew up in North Carolina, Mike heard all about Smith as a coach and the program that he had built there. But that wasn’t enough preparation for what the legendary coach had in store for the team during his practices, which MJ mentioned were incredibly systematic and calculated.
The coach wanted to make sure that every minute in practice was wisely spent and that their scrimmages were tougher than the actual games. That’s why Jordan was very challenged at first, but the guard eventually realized that it was exactly what he and his team needed.
“It was intimidating the way he controlled practices,” Jordan wrote. “I have never seen practice controlled the way it was in North Carolina. Every minute was thought out. If a drill was supposed to end at 3:10, it ended at 3:10, and the next one started.”
Jordan led the Tar Heels to a championship in 1982, also mentioned that Smith was the type of coach who screamed and yelled, but only in practice. He wasn’t the calm and reserved coach that the consensus would see on TV. The college legend was extremely straightforward about what he wanted from his players, demanding and intense.
Smith’s practices were what MJ needed
Given Jordan’s penchant for accepting any obstacle that comes his way, he soaked up every practice with the legendary coach and used it as an opportunity to learn. According to the Tar Heels legend, Smith was significantly good at mentally testing his players, but the coach also knew when to draw the line.
“I remember my first mistake. I went baseline and tried to do a reverse move, and he just yelled, ‘Where do you think you are? Do you think you’re back at E.A. Laney High School? You’re not. You’re in college. Do you think that was a good shot? Obviously, you can’t say yes.’ He made you think,” Jordan said.”He never cursed at anybody,” Jordan added. “He was the perfect guy for me. He kept me humble, but he challenged me. He gave me confidence by giving me compliments when he thought I needed them.”
Jordan couldn’t ask for a better coach and mentor during his formative years in college. It not only pushed him to another level but also prepared him for the pros, where he solidified himself as the greatest basketball player to ever walk on earth.
