Larry Bird was in awe of Michael Jordan 's skills and attributes as a player from the moment he witnessed MJ play as a rookie.
Larry Legend already knew that His Airness had what it takes to join the league seamlessly and dominate straight away.
But besides the Chicago Bulls superstar's otherworldly basketball skills, there is one thing that impressed him even more. According to "The Hick from French Lick," MJ was also physically and mentally tough.
Bird believed that people had been so enamored Jordan's skills that they had already overlooked his toughness, especially when it came to playing hurt. Since Larry was a guy who also had no problem doing that, he praised MJ for always choosing to play through the pain.
"People don't give him enough credit for that," Bird wrote in his 1999 book, " Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching The Game I Love ," as he reflected on Jordan's greatness. "That's the difference between Michael Jordan and a lower-level player. The best players just lace 'em up and go."
Could you imagine if there was load management in their era? Luckily, nobody thought of it at the time. Even if somebody did, rest assured that knowing MJ's dedication, he wouldn't even waste time understanding what it means.
Mike wasn't happy about the load management practice that has become quite a norm in the NBA today. For Jordan, load management should stop, as it goes against every principle of being a true competitor and entertainer.
"It shouldn't be needed, first and foremost," Mike recently said of load management. "I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove. It was something that I felt like, you know, the fans are there to watch me play. I want to impress that guy way up on top who probably worked his ass off to get a ticket or to get money to buy the ticket."
"You have a duty that if they're wanting to see you and as an entertainer, I want to show, right?," he pointed out. "So, if the guys are coming to watch me play, I don't want to miss that opportunity. Now, physically, if I can't do it, then I can't do it. But physically, if I can do it and I just don't feel like doing it, that's a whole different lens," Jordan honestly assesed.
In the 15 seasons he played in the NBA, Mike played all 82 games in nine of them. Eight with the Bulls and once with the Washington Wizards when he was already almost 40 years old.
That incredible stat speaks volumes about Jordan's passion but also his durability. It's too bad that the NBA doesn't have a specific award to reward durability and toughness. If they had one for it, MJ would definitely capture a couple of them.
However, even though there's no title for being durable and dedicated, Bird was right. Those are aspects of Jordan's greatness that had been overshadowed by his wide array of abilities and accomplishments.
The best ability in basketball will always be availability.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
