ESP
Years ago
Covers many of the people who influenced his career.
Just like his game, he pulls no punches.
IMO - Very well done MJ.
http://linky.com.au/k7n1v
Jesus
Years ago
He is still a bitter man why couldnt he go out gracefully?
I thinks it's more an honour for the Hall of Fame than it is for Michael
joshuapending
Years ago
I liked most of it, he is arrogant but that is how he played and what makes him great. I did not like the whole bit about the players being the ones that win, not the organization. If the owners would not pay for pippen/rodman etc and the others he would have found it much harder to win.
LA Boy
Years ago
in regards to the organization comment- it's kinda like the chicken and egg analogy, with no chicken there's no egg and vice versa. so it's just whatever philosophy you'd adopt.
I enjoyed the speech, if you've ever had to deal with professional athletes there are tons of arrogant ones; regardless being a star or not.
Guys like Roger Federer is extreme rarity.
ESP
Years ago
I enjoyed the speech too. It was candid and truthful, which I respect.
Some of you don't like that he just did it his own way. I say, why would or should he do it any other way...I think he earnt the right...... right?
You might interpret some of it as arrogrance, but at the end of the day he always backed it up, always.
I found the speech great. The part I didn´t like was attacking Gervin, Isiah and Magic for the "freeze out" in his first Allstar game some hundred years ago. Two of them were there. One of them presented another player. I am not a fan of Thomas, but he should of be allowed to enjoy the night. It was not classy. The rest was good. Stockten and Sloan showed the way.
DJ Rod
Years ago
I loved the speech - i think ppl are confusing arrogance with being a smart ass or perceiving it as not going out gracefully...
If you were Michael Jordan you would have an auro of arrogance, you're MJ for god's sake!
I dont think he presented it in a way that he was making a fool out of them - it was candid and kind of felt like it was his chance to get the truth out there on hings that he never had the chance to speak out on before.
MJ is MJ and if you loved him this speech agve an insight into why and how he became MJ!
Sorry DJ ROD
It is MJ. He has as many chances as he wants to air his side of the story. H.O.F. is not the right place to settle scores. Stockten und Sloan showed how to be classy.
ESP
Years ago
I didn't see it as him settling scores.... my observation was that he built his speech around outlining the factors that influenced him to achieve what he did, which is very relevant, given he was bing inducted to the HOF as a result of those achievements.
I would have been disappointed if he had jut donned the bow tie and feel into line like Stockton and Malone and Robinson.
His abilities and the the feats that he achieved as a result of those abilities were significantly abnormal to any other HOF inductee ever, so why would you expect him to verbalise a bunch of predictable thankyous.
As far as I could tell Gervin, Oakley, Isaiah etc were laughing and even clapping at most of his speech, they obviously weren't offended, why should anyone else be.
He did amazing things for the game... nba... nbl... everywhere, all the haters should get off his case.
I did not see them laughing at the "freeze out" comment. I found the rest of the speech good/funny. I think you should show respect for hall of fame players when you are in the hall of fame.
Sector 7G
Years ago
Here's Basketbawful's spin on MJ's speech.
Not very flattering.
http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/
DB5
Years ago
I thought it was fine, slight arrogance, but hey, he is the GOAT.
Krause has the only reason to be upset IMO.
Sector 7G
Years ago
Nah - it was all good.
Sure he's confident but I don't even think it was arrogance. I thought he delivered it with great humour and dignity.
He IS the greatest ever.
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