How to Be Like Mike
Read How to Be Like Mike Online
Authors: Pat Williams
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 done—the Michael Jordan way.”
—Tim Russert
moderator, NBC’s
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 everybody’s always looking to get better. As long as you weren’t coaching against him, Michael Jordan was an absolute joy to watch. Pat Williams’s new book was an absolute joy to read. And you’ll be a better coach and person after you’ve read it.”
—Jerry Tarkanian
head basketball coach, Fresno State University
“This is Pat Williams’s 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. You’ll 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 I’ve 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 favor—read it and then buy a copy for everyone in your galaxy.”
—Lefty Driesell
longtime college basketball coach
“I’m 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 couldn’t stop reading.”
—Doc Rivers
head coach, Orlando Magic
How to Be Like
MIKE
LIFE LESSONS ABOUT BASKETBALL’S BEST
Pat Williams
With Michael Weinreb
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available through the Library of Congress.
© 2001 Pat Williams
eISBN-13: 978-0-7573-9544-4 (ebook) eISBN-10: 0-7573-9544-9 (ebook)
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
Just for Teens: Mike in the Mirror
Foreword
by Grant Hill
Word of Tribute
by Doug Collins
A Memory of a Young Michael Jordan
by Richard Neher
A Michael Jordan Memory
by Harvey Araton
SIX: The Champion of the Whole World
Afterword
by Michael Weinreb
I would like to thank Bob Vander Weide, 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, Kim Weiss 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 Halberstam’s biography of Jordan,
Playing for Keeps,
was a wonderful resource and inspiration.
—Michael Weinreb
JUST FOR TEENS:
MIKE IN THE MIRROR
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 Michael’s 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.