It’s human nature.
When a beautiful thing appears in the world, someone will always try to crush it.
That’s what happened when Michael Jordan arrived in the NBA in 1984 to play for the Chicago Bulls.
He was a great athlete, of course, a dynamic playmaker and scorer and team leader, but he was also beautiful.
It’s less the individual records we remember than the style: the way he back-pedaled after releasing a jumper, how he turned to the opponent’s bench with raised hands (a gesture as old as philosophy), how he hung in the air a moment longer than necessary, as if to demonstrate the true nature of his gift, which was gossamer grace.
Persons:
Michael Jordan
Organizations:
NBA, Chicago Bulls