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Michael Jordan is not just widely considered the greatest basketball player of all-time. He is also one of the fiercest competitors to ever grace American professional sports, doing everything imaginable to give himself a physical and mental edge over the rest of the league. Some may call his obsession with winning unhealthy or maniacal, but the man’s ambition knew no limits. That one-of-a-kind quality helped the six-time NBA Finals MVP become possibly the most recognizable athlete ever. It is also extremely difficult to turn off. Although Jordan has not played in an NBA game in more than 20 years ago, he still has an endless drive to compete. Unfortunately, the 62-year-old’s body does not match his undying spirit. “I Love {basketball} like you wouldn’t believe,” Jordan told Mike Tirico, via ClutchPoints, beginning his new role as a special contributor for NBC’s NBA coverage. “In all honesty, I wish I could take a magic pill, put on the shorts and go out and play the game of basketball today because that’s who I am. That type of competitiveness is what I live for, and I miss it… But it’s better for me to be sitting here talking to you as opposed to popping my Achilles and {being} in a wheelchair for a while.” "I have the obligation to the game of basketball. Not financially, I'm okay. … I wish I could take a magic pill, put on the shorts and go out and play the game of basketball today because that's who I am… I miss it." —Michael Jordanpic.twitter.com/CV8WYw8N7p — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 22, 2025 The 10-time All-NBA First Team selection and 10-time scoring champion thrived on finding ways to motivate himself. He helped bring the Chicago Bulls to the mountaintop during the 1990s, and would use any perceived slight, whether it be from a player, coach or media member, to maintain an elite standard of excellence. There were certainly negative consequences to having such an intense commitment to winning, as several of Jordan’s former teammates will attest, but that mindset is a huge part of his identity. No. 23 may not recapture that feeling, but through his renewed involvement with the NBA, he can spend some time focusing on the game to which he willingly devoted so much of his life. “I have an obligation to the game of basketball,” Jordan told Tirico.
