The University of North Carolina coaching staff in the '80s were fortunate to be the first people to discover the great Michael Jordan . Over the years, there has been a wide array of stories about MJ's rise to prominence at UNC, but former Tar Heels varsity manager David Hard shared a fascinating revelation about his evolution as a player.
UNC assistant coach Roy Williams already knew that Michael had the potential to be a good player, but it didn't play out the way he envisioned it during Jordan's freshman year. However, Hart said that MJ morphed into a promising college basketball phenom as soon as he came back to play his second season with the Tar Heels.
"Some of the best basketball is played in early August each year in Chapel Hill when current and past Carolina players playing pro ball get together for pickup games. I was watching them play just before the year started in 1982, and I remember calling my dad and saying, ‘Take a guess at who the most improved player is?'" Hart told Blue Ridge Now in 2012.
"It was Michael Jordan. He came back as a sophomore on a totally different level. I was just dumbfounded at how much he had improved over the summer," he added.
MJ had the potential to be an all-around player
Once in a generation, a player comes along who exceeds expectations. For Hart, Jordan was undeniably one of those guys. As he reflected on Mike's time at UNC, David described him as an incredible all-around player.
Surely, there were some areas in young MJ's game that needed some fine-tuning, but Hart was certain Jordan possessed a rare combination of athleticism, skill, and basketball IQ. Another trait that set Michael apart from the pack was his drive to win and his knack for performing at his best when it mattered most.
Hart concluded that MJ was able to display all of those qualities early on in his college basketball career, which unsurprisingly set the stage for his NBA career and ultimately made him the GOAT.
"There are a ton of people as physically gifted as him, but almost none as naturally talented and driven and competitive, and that's why he's the best basketball player that ever lived," Hart said of Jordan. "Lots of players have two or three parts, but he had it all."
David said MJ owes it all to coach Smith
As a varsity manager, Hart had a unique vantage point to observe the progress of UNC players, specifically Jordan. According to him, the dynamics between coach Dean Smith and Michael were great right from the start.
Hart noted that aside from honing MJ's game, Smith's mentorship also extended beyond the basketball court, shaping Jordan into an iconic sports figure. Looking back at how Mike went from being a notable prospect to the greatest player of all time, Hart reckoned that Smith also deserved some credit, as His Ainress owed everything to the former Tar Heels head coach.
"Michael would tell you that he would have never become what he became had it not been for Coach Smith. He was a dominant player on both ends of the court," Hart recounted. "He was a great offensive player but would never have been a great defensive player without coach Smith's help. He had to learn the whole game of basketball."
MJ's first taste of basketball stardom
According to David, Jordan first hit his stride when he came back to UNC for his sophomore year. However, the man in question had always attributed the first turning point in his legendary career to the game-winning shot he made that led the Tar Heels to an NCAA title during his freshman year.
With the game clock winding down, Mike found himself in a high-pressure situation. Upon receiving a cross-court pass, he knew the outcome of the game rested on his shoulders, but didn't hesitate to take a jump shot from the left corner. The winning shot not only clinched the championship for North Carolina but also propelled Jordan into the spotlight.
"Up until that point, nobody knew who I was," Mike said. "I was a college kid other than the university, and I was just known as Mike Jordan. When I hit that shot, my whole name became Michael Jordan. I think it resonated with a lot of people outside of UNC. I started pilling on that name itself from the successes that I endured throughout the rest of my career. It wasn't about Mike, and it was more about Michael."
That shot instilled in Jordan a newfound confidence and drive to succeed at the highest level, which, in retrospect, explains why he returned to North Carolina with boosted self-belief and mental toughness. This only goes to show that, unlike other great players, MJ always pushed himself to do better regardless of what he had already accomplished.
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