Michael Jordan’s flashes of greatness on the court shone through like no other. He was a visionary, and his unique ability to draw in fame and attention was not limited to the court. Throughout his journey as arguably the greatest athlete this world has ever seen, he took multiple steps in his journey to become a global icon. As a kid from Chicago, waiting for the legacy days of our hometown basketball team to return, much of my time was spent trying to mimic my game, my style, and my flair after Jordan. His ability to captivate was in part due to his status as a creative, and that process must be further analyzed.
With the specifics of Augustin Fuentes’ The Creative Spark, Michael Jordan best exhibits two lines of creativity as expressed in the novel: one, his ability to adapt and innovate as time moves, and two, his deep emotional connection to his craft. These ideals are expressed by Fuentes as some of the main drivers of the human creative process, and Jordan evidently used it well.
In regards to Jordan’s ability to adapt, innovate, and overcome, his journey as an athlete ranged from a raw, athletic phenomenon to a skillful, mid-range demon. As he aged, he realized he needed to convert to a less physical style of play to remain effective in the league without affecting overall individual and team output. To do this, he became a better shooter who played a more mental, back-to-the-basket brand of basketball. Additionally, to get past the Bad-Boy Pistons, he fought fire with fire, ensuring that he and his team would be the more physical opponents while also using the foul line in their favor.
Additionally, his passion and obsession for the game has been widely recognized, even more so after the release of the Last Dance documentary, which gave viewers a deeper understanding of what drove Jordan to be great every single day. In a word, he was psychotic. He took nothing but perfection and 100% effort from himself and his team day in and day out. His passion and obsession led to eventually a kid who had been cut from the high school team to go on a journey of becoming the (arguable) GOAT.
Jordan’s high-flying acrobatics, blazing speed, and precise drives into the lane all were mind-blowing moves that amazed everyone – but this was the process he needed to ensure within himself to be able to commit to the game of basketball so deeply.
This is a very unique take on creativity, It is interesting to consider the creative process when it comes to sports. I feel like when I think of creativity I think of it as something that takes time, but it is clear that Jordan had an innate talent to make quick decisions and creative moves on the court. I think his creativity is shown in his ability to influence people as well, whether that was his teammates or just people that looked up to him. Interesting post!
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