In November 1991, when the Chicago Bulls were in the second season of the decade’s championship, journalist Sam Smith published “The Jordan Rules”, an account of the previous season, in which Jordan won its first ring. The book documented the star’s hyper-competitive personality and often discouraging and selfish behavior. Smith had spent many years writing for the Chicago sports section Tribunaand his book has conveyed numerous stories about Jordan that until then had only circulated through rumors and gossip. “The Jordan Rules” has become known as an unpainted gaze of one of the most famous athletes in the United States. Smith went on to write two more books on Jordan: “Second Coming” and “There Is No Next”.
The abrasive behavior originally reported in “The Jordan Rules” returned to being a topic of conversation this spring, when ESPN released “The Last Dance”, a ten-part documentary series about Jordan’s life and career. The series, which arrived on Netflix on July 19, does not present flawless Jordan, but was made with his supervision: Jordan gave the directors exclusive rights to videos for decades and was given the opportunity to give notes on episodes.
I recently spoke to Smith on the phone, who now writes for Bulls.com, the official Chicago Bulls website. His most recent book is “Hard Labor: The Battle That Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA”. During our conversation, which was curated for length and clarity, we discussed his relationship with Jordan over the past three decades, his problems with the documentary and whether a book like “Jordan’s rules” could be written today. .
Did you have any role in making the documentary?
In addition to being interviewed, as well as being mobile, no. Basically, I was around Jordan’s entire career, so I guess they had to get around me in the end. I wasn’t sure, however.
Did you hear anything from the director about what Jordan heard about your interview?
I knew they had been doing these interviews for over a year, which was fine. I had written three books about him, [the last of which was] “There is no neighbor”, the title that refers to the idea that Kobe existed [Bryant] and LeBron [James] and all these “next Jordanians”. I just wanted to argue that there would be no next Jordan: this is the last one out there, because of its impact on the world and on society and just beyond basketball. Who is not just a basketball player. He is an influencer, as they say these days.
In terms of being an influencer, if that’s the word we’re going to use, I think LeBron is similar in certain ways.
No. I don’t think so. I have never seen anyone jump into commercials, saying “Be like LeBron”. Obviously, it was commercial and marketing and everything else, but Jordan has changed so much in the world and in society: long shorts, shaved heads and, of course, sneakers. Sneakers have been a revolution. Nobody thought that sneakers would be a fashion statement in the early eighties. Nobody thought it mattered to put a player’s name on a sneaker.
Bill Walton tells this story: Nike came to him and said, “We would like to produce this sneaker, the Bill Walton sneaker.” And Bill said, “Who will buy sneakers because my name is on it? It’s ridiculous. “Jordan comes and supports it. I remember my friends would have been in Russia and sent these nesting dolls – the Bulls with Jordan and Pippen – home to me that you would never see anywhere else. And you don’t see it with LeBron. LeBron is a great figure and a great player, and he has an influence in society, but he hasn’t changed anything. Nobody has changed anything because of LeBron James.
What about the ways people view athletes and the way athletes have power in sports, especially basketball? The so-called era of player empowerment.
Yes, it is in basketball. And that’s why I say there have always been kids in basketball – if you want to talk about it, nobody has changed it more than Wilt [Chamberlain]. Jordan had an influence on society. I’m not going to belittle LeBron. I think LeBron is exceptional. I love LeBron. I think he is a great figure.
We got derailed, but I asked you if I knew Jordan was angry about you …
Yeah. I’ve had a restless affair with Michael over the years. It was fine. Michael has become a billionaire and I am doing the same job. I am happy and happy with what I do. And I’m lucky to be able to continue writing basketball and the NBA. It’s not like I have hindered Michael, given his financial success. But “The Jordan Rules” was annoying to him at the time and controversial. I had a good relationship with him before the book came out. I wasn’t a close friend, but we were joking when I was around the team. We traveled together in advertising and all that kind of thing.
When he returned to the NBA in 1995, he was fine. He had gotten out of his system a lot, playing baseball and everything, and I had a couple of individual interviews, but it was kind of a long distance relationship. And I’ve seen it a few times in Charlotte, when I’ve traveled with the Bulls for the past few years. And he said, “Hey, how are you?” Those kind of things.
However, I had heard that they had done many of these interviews. And the people I was friendly with, like Phil Jackson, said to me, “Hey, I did this interview for this thing in Jordan. Did you do that? “I thought, hey, they’re just jumping me. It’s okay. I didn’t need to be inside. I had done enough Jordan. I was really going on. In fact, going back, I wouldn’t say it was painful and all, but I judged it thirty years ago. I didn’t want to face it again.
Then I got a call from the director and he said, “Hey, could you sit down? We’re doing it.” I tell people that I’ve spent a career asking questions and asking for their time, so it would be inappropriate for me to say, “No, I’m too busy “or” I don’t want to. ” So I do these things.
Jordan never said a word to me about “Jordan’s rules”. Never once, in thirty years. At the end of the interview, I said, “Hey, tell me something. Did you have to ask Michael for permission to speak to me? “And the guy stammered a little. And he said, “Well, actually we asked him if it was okay.” And I said, “Well, what did he say?” He said, “I don’t give a fuck who you talk to.” As I understand it, he didn’t say whether they could or not. They weren’t sure if they should have.
Did the director say it?
Yes I think so. But I don’t know who I was talking to. There is always a group of kids who come and do these things; they are always six people. And I didn’t know who they were. I had never heard of or spoken to them before.
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