For the Love of the Game : My Story
by Michael Jordan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Michael JordanEditor: Mark Vancil
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-10-27
ISBN: 0609602063
Number of pages: 100
Publisher: Crown
Book Reviews of For the Love of the Game : My Story
Book Review: Develope A Love For The Game
Summary: 5 Stars
Many people have an inspiration or a love for something that demands them to strive for achievements. Whatever the interest, if the desire is great, can be turned into an obsession. With talent and the love, one can reach great hieghts of success. One man that fits this description is "His Airness", Michael Jordan. No athlete in any sport can come close to possessing the love for the game that burns inside of him. The information made available to the public has always been limited to what researchers, staticians, and reporters have written in a book or article. "For The Love Of The Game: My Story" is written by Michael Jordan himself, in his words, only edited by Mark Vancil, then published. Most other books about Jordan are written through some sort of bias or opinion, but this book is the story as seen by the eyes of the man himself.Jordan describes many of his greatest triumphs and defeats both famous and not so famous. The reader is entertained with many accomplishments and setbacks in his life from childhood, to the death of his father, Mr James Jordan and his final retirement from the National Basketball Association. Mr. Jordan was the greatest inspiration in MJ's life. In the beginning, Jordan's father saw something in his son that no one else could see, not even Michael himself. Jordan thought that it was just a father's pride and hopes for his son to achieve greatness in the form of numerous father and son motivational speeches. Jordan never realized his father was right until after he established himself as the greatest basketball player to ever live. When Jordan became a father himself, he says that he now can look at his own children and see which one is going to be better basketball player or football player.
Betrayal and disappointment are also encountered in this book as Jordan explains what he calls the most trying times of his proffessional career, the situation he went through with the owners and managers of the team, Chicago Bulls. Jordan states in the book, "They were Businessmen. They were not sportsmen and they didn't have a true appreciation for the game. They made business decisions and basketball just happened to be the business." The businessmen were Jerry Kruas and Jerry Riensdorf, who had made the decision to make Jordan sit out games in order for the team to finish the season bad enough to get a high pick in the NBA Draft. This was made despite Jordan's full recovery after grueling rehab and training.
Many achievments once deemed impossible were accomplished and unreachable hieghts were reached in Jordan's life despite many doubts. He now is the most endorsing athlete of all time. Nike and Jordan have made millions upon millions of dollars together through basketball shoes and a full line of sports apparel. Although being the top shoe and sports brand, it was not Michael's first choice. Matter of fact, he did not even want to sign a deal with them because he was holding out for a deal to come with Adidas. No deal came, so he signed with Nike. The price of Nike stock in the fall of 1984 when Jordan signed, was a mere seven dollars a share. The price in July of 1998, after his sixth NBA championship ring, was $418 dollars a share.
Many people that have great wealth and fame are sometimes looked at as almost "untouchable" or as if they are on another planet. This is not the truth in Jordan's case despite being the most recognized face on Earth. Instead of forgetting who they are and where they come from, some stay true to "their game". One story Jordan remembers is of him driving the streets of downtown Chicago and spotting a high school student cutting class. Picking him up and making a deal, Jordan takes the youngster back to class. If the teen promised to go back to and stay in school, Jordan would give him the very shoes he wore on his feet. Jordan walked out of the school barefooted.
Through detailed statistics and beautifully illustrated pictures, the story of Michael Jordan by Michael Jordan will turn any reader's head. By reading this piece, a reader will quickly be transformed into a fan, but not just a fan of Jordan but also of the game he plays. While developing a sense of respect, anyone can relate to the man and his story with all aspects of life including love and importance of family and sports, developing untainted friendships, betrayal by the trusted, and suffering the loss of a close loved one. The greatest inspiration dramatically leaving someone's life is usually a reason to give up. This book will show you that the strength within yourself, when recognized, is the greatest force of all. Everyone can relate to this, even Michael Jordan.
Summary of For the Love of the Game : My Story
For 13 brilliant seasons Michael Jordan danced the dance of greatness across hardwood floors of basketball arenas from New York to Los Angeles to Barcelona and Paris. With a warrior's heart and an artist's grace, Jordan long ago transcended the sport to become one of the 20th century's global icons.On the court, his almost mythic flair for the spectacular prompted former Los Angeles Laker superstar Magic Johnson to say simply, "There's Michael, then there's all the rest of us."
Off the court, Jordan's ability to alter markets and drive the business of his marketing partners is unprecedented.
Through it all, Jordan showed the world that greatness, true greatness, comes from the inside out. He remains perhaps the greatest practice player in the history of sports, his desire to improve upon his own example legendary. When critics questioned his all-around ability, he became the game's most dominant defensive player at his position. When teams decided to close down the lane and eliminate drives to the basket, he became a deadly jump shooter. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had the most successfully teams of the 1980s but never won more than two consecutive championships. The Bulls won three straight--twice.
In For the Love of the Game, Jordan takes us through the wonder of his career on the court and away from the game. From the dream that preceded the game-winning shot against Georgetown in the 1982 NCAA Finals to the methodical dissection of the Utah Jazz prior to his game-winning shot in Game 6 of the 1998 Finals, Jordan pulls back the curtain on one of the most remarkable lives this century.
It's not easy imagining a volume capable of capturing the grace, the joy, the flamboyance, and the wizardry of Michael Jordan, but this hybrid--melding autobiography, celebration, spectacular photography, and cutting-edge graphics--comes awfully close. Like Jordan driving the lane, it's a thing of beauty; harder to analyze than it is to admire, accept, gaze at, and enjoy.
As befits the ultimate star in a game that has marketed itself with perfect razzle-dazzle, For the Love of the Game is as visually brash as it is glitzy. In page after stunning page, Jordan traces his ascension from college star to object of worldwide adoration. While most of the focus is, of course, on the NBA, there are significant side trips into baseball, the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, his advertising omnipresence, his family, and even his privacy. On the surface, the pictures--and their presentation--are more than enough to preserve and praise the Jordan legend, but For the Love of the Game has something more. It has Michael Jordan.
Jordan's text is everything the flashy images are not; it is straight, thoughtful, and revealing. At times, the relationship of word and image is breathtaking, especially on a particular pair of two-page layouts. In the first, Jordan asks, "When does jumping become flying?" His answer, framed by photos that would turn Superman green with envy, indicates that Jordan is genuinely amazed by his own talents. The second is his reflection on "The Shot," his buzzer-beater over Cleveland's Craig Ehlo to win game 5 in the 1989 playoffs. The story is told in 24 pictures taken over the final three seconds. Below that is a chart of 25 of Jordan's game-winning shots. But it's this Jordan observation that pulls the image and text together: "I never considered the negative consequence of missing the last shot in a game." It's an attitude that defines the man, and For the Love of the Game reflects it with a stylish combination of elegance, power, and beauty. (Want more Jordan? Check out an image from his book. © 1998 by Rare Air, Ltd. Text copyright © 1998 by Michael Jordan. Photo credit: Walter Iooss, Jr) --Jeff Silverman
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