There are only a handful of people that are as influential within the world of sports as Michael Jordan is. Even though his professional basketball career ended nearly two decades ago, the hall of famer has remained a consistent presence within the NBA through his business dealings. He also, on occasion, doesn’t mind sharing some words of wisdom for the new generation of players. During his own playing career, Dwyane Wade was one of the athletes who was able to forge a relationship with the Chicago Bulls icon. With this, the now-retired Wade recently shared the cryptic request Jordan once made of him before an all-star game.
When Dwyane Wade first entered the league back in 2003, he signed with Jordan Brand, which resulted in a fruitful working relationship for both parties. With this, it was only a matter of time before Wade crossed paths with the man behind the company’s iconic logo. The two surely had a number of memorable encounters but, for Wade, one interaction ahead of the 2010 NBA All-Star Game seems to be a highlight. As the Miami Heat legend explained, Jordan asked one “simple” thing of him at a company event, where his family was also present:
It’s crazy because you think it has to be something philosophical, it was something so simple. He just told me to go get it. [It] was the All-Star weekend [in] Dallas, and we doing an All Star party, and my whole family was there, Jordan was there. My family, they’d never met Jordan… Jordan is amazing with everybody, we’re all with the Jordan family, it is what it is. And we’re talking, and he put his arm around me and he said, ‘Tomorrow, go get it.’ That’s all he said and I’m like, ‘What is he talking about?’ He was like, ‘Yo, I want you to go get it.’
Like D-Wade, most of us probably would’ve expected something a bit more cerebral to come from His Airness. However, there’s nothing wrong with concise directions and, as you can expect, the six-time NBA champion’s words stuck with the all-star as he prepared to play the game. Dwyane Wade, during his interview with Lewis Howes, went on to discuss how and when he figured out what the sentiments meant:
When I got in the locker room and I got on the court, I realized what it meant. He meant go get that MVP. He meant go for it, go create your history. Because we were in Dallas, there were about 110,00 people watching the game. We played the game at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium, and he was like, ‘Go get it.’ And it’s crazy, right? That’s like, ‘Go get it.’ But for me, that’s all [that] was in my mind while I was playing the game. ‘Go get it.’ And I went and got it.
To say that he went and got it would be an understatement. The Miami Heat player went on to score 28 points, while shooting 75 percent from the field. He also recorded 11 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Those impressive stats ultimately earned him that coveted All-Star Game MVP award, which likely pleased his veteran colleague.
Most encounters with Michael Jordan tend to be pretty memorable, just ask Jason Hehir, the director of ESPN’s The Last Dance. The documentarian previously explained that finally meeting Jordan for the first time was like “when you were a kid playing video games and you had to beat all the henchmen before you get to the big boss.” Their subsequent conversation in which he pitched the acclaimed and surprising docuseries (which has drawn the ire of Scottie Pippen) could only be described as “cinematic.”
It’s safe to say Michael Jordan leaves a significant impression on those who crosses paths with, and the memories of said encounters leave players like Dwyane Wade and Blake Griffin with cool go-to stories. Meanwhile, those who may not have had the pleasure of meeting him still draw inspiration from past interviews and game footage. Regardless of how you might feel about the fiercely competitive Jordan, it’s honestly hard to deny the mystique that comes with his presence.
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