I as well found the comments fascinating. Jordan is always an easy mark for discussion of talent, greatness, etc., and for good reason. I doubt I will ever forget watching some of the incredible moments that defined his career on TV when I was younger (of course I also remember well his initial ‘retirement’, which some people claim was due more to some of his less character-filled, non-athletic endeavors rather than his desire to play baseball). Like all of us he’s not perfect in all elements of life (although I think a not-to-be-named shoe company tried to ensure that the general public never stopped to think about that), but he certainly achieved levels of excellence rarely seen in any field and stands as classic example of how Other-Studies can be compelling, powerful tools for learning, growth, and development when focused and used correctly.

One of the comments posted reminded readers of a popular misconception regarding Jordan’s being “cut” from his HS basketball team. What IS absolutely accurate and indisputable about that moment in his life is that it was a turning point, a moment where he himself realized that talent alone wasn’t going to get him to where he wanted to be. In fact, the thing that propelled Jordan to such greatness was not just how much his knowledge of the game grew, or the physical abilities he acquired naturally and developed through hard work, but rather his response to these “turning-points.” One of my favorite parts of the chronicles-o-Jordan is that when people wrote that he would never be named as one of the true greats because his defensive play was at times suspect, he took it as a challenge and the very next season was named the NBA’s defensive player of the year.

Again, thanks for posting Vlad, I’m sure those people who are accumulating extension materials took note

Marthe, thanks for keeping the Freakonomics blog on our radar as a good source as well!