Jordan Michael - How to be like Mike: life lessons about basketballs best

What People Are Saying About

How to Be Like Mike...

Pat Williams is a great motivational speaker, and now motivates us again using the life and characteristics of Michael Jordan. Pat has captured much of what makes Michael, Michael, and in doing so will help you reach your potential.

Dean Smith

former head basketball coach, University of North Carolina

Pat Williams writes the book that could be a collaboration of Dale Carnegie and Studs Terkel. He talks to everyday people about the most unique person. And he comes away with a guide to success.

Sam Smith

sportswriter, Chicago Tribune

How to Be Like Mike is an insight into the tools that made Michael Jordan the best competitor in sports. In order to win, you have to hate losing, and nobody loathed that feeling more than Michael. He possessed a unique ability to turn any task into competition and the uncompromising will to win any battle. Someone may come along with comparable athletic skills, but what set Michael apart was his mental strength.

George Karl

NBA head coach

Be it sports,politics or life, Pat Williams shows us how to get it donethe Michael Jordan way.

Tim Russert

moderator, NBCs Meet the Press

Fascinating and entertaining! Learn and relive the success secrets from the most amazing basketball player by the most amazing storyteller. Great stuff!

Pat Croce

former president, Philadelphia 76ers

The coaching profession is a very competitive one where everybodys always looking to get better. As long as you werent coaching against him, Michael Jordan was an absolute joy to watch. Pat Williamss new book was an absolute joy to read. And youll be a better coach and person after youve read it.

Jerry Tarkanian

head basketball coach, Fresno State University

This is Pat Williamss best book yet. Anyone who reads this will never again ask, Why was Michael Jordan so special? Young and old alike will be inspired to excellence after reading How to Be Like Mike .

Bill Fitch

former NBA coach

Inspiration begets inspiration! Hundreds of wonderful stories accounting the personal experiences by those people closest to Michael Jordan. Youll learn about Mike from those who truly knew him best!

John Gabriel

general manager, Orlando Magic

Pat Williams demonstrates he is both an observant student and astute teacher when describing the natural relationship that exists between athletic competition and inspirational messages. While none of us will ever truly know what special ingredients make Michael Jordan the competitor he is, How to Be Like Mike comes as close to capturing the essence of Mr. Jordan as Ive seen while providing inspiration to us all.

Kevin Johnson

former NBA player

This book is filled with priceless information way beyond Michael Jordan. Do yourself a favorread it and then buy a copy for everyone in your galaxy.

Lefty Driesell

longtime college basketball coach

Im assigning How to Be Like Mike as required reading for my players at the University of Louisville. This is a terrific book that is going to have wide-ranging impact.

Rick Pitino

head basketball coach, University of Louisville Pat Williams has done it again! No one can capture the great qualities of Michael Jordan like Pat. This is a must read for anyone associated with sports.

Lute Olson

head basketball coach, University of Arizona

Pat Williams has done a thorough research job on this book and now we all know what has to be done to be like Mike. I couldnt stop reading.

Doc Rivers

head coach, Orlando Magic

Health Communications, Inc.

Deerfield Beach, Florida

www.hcibooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available through the Library of Congress.

2001 Pat Williams

ISBN-13: 978-1-55874-955-9 (trade paper)

ISBN-10: 1-55874-955-1 (trade paper)

ISBN-13: 978-0-7573-9544-4 (ePub)

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

HCI, its logos and marks are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.

Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.

3201 S.W. 15th Street

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190

R-01-07

Cover design by Lisa Camp

Cover photo by ALLSPORT Photography

Inside book design by Lawna Patterson Oldfield

Pat Williams:

To my son Michael

May the lessons of this other

Michael penetrate your life.

Michael Weinreb:

To my grandmothers, B and E,

who have probably never heard

of this other Michael.

Other Books by Pat Williams

The Gingerbread Man

The Power Within You

We Owed You One

Nothing but Winners

Rekindled

Keep the Fire Glowing

Just Between Us

Twelve Part Harmony

Kindling

Love Her, Like Him

Making Magic

Jock Jokes

Go for the Magic

The Magic of Teamwork

Ahead of the Game

A Lifetime of Success

Marketing Your Dreams

Secrets from the Mountain

It Happens on Sunday

CONTENTS

I would like to thank Bob VanderWeide, president and CEO of RDV Sports, and the RDV Sports family; Melinda Ethington, my invaluable assistant; Leslie Boucher and Hank Martens of the mailroom at RDV Sports;Ken Hussar and Bob Rosenberg for their thorough proofreading of this book;Mark Victor Hansen, for his encouragement; Peter Vegso of Health Communications, Inc., and his fine staff, including Christine Belleris, Allison Janse, Lisa Drucker, Susan Tobias, Larissa Hise Henoch, Lawna Patterson Oldfield, Dawn Grove, Anthony Clausi,Terry Burke, KimWeiss and Kelly Maragni; to Bryan Harris, book promoter extraordinaire; Michael Weinreb, a skilled young writer who has organized this material brilliantly;my wife, Ruth, and our children, who have been so supportive of this project.

Pat Williams

Thanks to Steve, Nancy, Paul, Carolyn, Adam and Alexander Weinreb; to my friends, especially Kevin Gorman, Damian Dobrosielski, B. J. Reyes, Ryan Jones, Chuck Klosterman, David Giffels, Beth McNichol, Greg Couch and Steve Recker; to Terry Pluto, Larry Pantages, the memory of Jim Derendal and all of my colleagues and friends in Akron; and to all of my classmates in the Boston University fiction writing program. And thanks, of course, to Pat Williams, for his unceasing energy, and for his belief in both the project and in me.

David Halberstams biography of Jordan, Playing for Keeps, was a wonderful resource and inspiration.

MichaelWeinreb

Congratulations! As a teenager, you have made a wise choice in selecting this book. Your second great decision is to aspire to be like Mike. Surely be yourself (nobody else wants the job), but as you assimilate Michaels traits and begin to release those Jordan endorphins, you will have a major head start on your peers. (As one who has raised nineteen teenagers and has interviewed over 1,500 people about Michael Jordan, some might consider me an authority on both subjects.) Attach this handy checklist to your mirror so you will be able to take a daily progress inventory of your mission to be like Mike.

Focus. Train your mind to concentrate upon the essentials and discard the frivolous and unimportant.

Passion & Energy. Enthusiasm is one of the greatest emotions. Without it there is no achievement. With it, a new idea can win over an old idea.