The Last Dance: Michael Jordan wouldn’t be Jordan without Dean Smith

As we witness ESPN’s ‘The Last Dance’ doc-series, it’s important to understand the significance of Dean Smith and his contributions to Michael Jordan’s illustrious career.

Michael Jordan was just a normal college kid with raw talent when he arrived to begin his collegiate basketball career for head coach Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

The relationship between Smith and Jordan immediately progressed and resulted in the rapid development of Michael Jordan as a player and person. To this day, Jordan refers to Smith as the biggest influence on his life other than his parents.

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Michael Jordan’s time at North Carolina changed who he was. As a freshman, he would help the Tar Heels win the 1982 National Championship by famously hitting the game-winning shot against Georgetown.

Coach Smith trusted Jordan and gave him the confidence by telling him to take the shot if he was open on that final offensive possession. It takes guts and strong reliance for a coach to jeopardize the entire season and championship in the hands of a freshman, but Jordan certainly delivered.

From that moment on, Michael Jordan became known as Michael Jordan instead of “Mike” Jordan. It was his coming out party to the nation since everybody began to comprehend who he was.

Dean Smith prepared Jordan for moments like this and wouldn’t stop there.

Entering Michael’s sophomore season, he took what he learned from his coach and tirelessly worked on his game. As a result, Jordan would go on to average 20.0 points per game that season, compared to 13.5 as a freshman.

Michael Jordan’s name was trending across the college basketball scene after his sophomore season, but Dean Smith still saw areas for improvement in his game. Smith would write a letter to Michael after the season in 1983 to offer his insights on what he needed to improve upon that summer.

The amount of time that Smith spent developing his players and how successful he was at it showed how valuable of a coach he was. With Michael’s incredible work ethic and eagerness to learn, he especially took the time to make him better, knowing that Jordan had the potential to become a professional.

After his junior year with North Carolina, Jordan was planning on returning for his senior year. However, Dean Smith urged him to go pro and declare for the NBA Draft.

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Instead of convincing Jordan to stay another year for his own benefits, Smith advised Jordan to take his talents to the NBA because that’s what was best for Michael Jordan at the time.

What made Dean Smith so special as a coach was that he cared for his players most of all and put them first over himself throughout his career. Now that’s a coach you would like to play for.

In 1984, Jordan would take the advice of his beloved coach and leave North Carolina to enter the NBA Draft. He would be selected No. 3 overall by the Chicago Bulls and the rest is history.

Dean Smith helped evolve Michael Jordan into perhaps the greatest basketball player of all-time.

Without Dean Smith, Michael Jordan may have never been a Bull. His influence on Jordan was significant from the time he stepped foot on campus as a skinny freshman to when he left for the NBA.

Nevertheless, nobody thought Michael Jordan would become the dominant force that he became in the NBA, not even Dean Smith. Jordan built his legacy based on his own greatness, but Smith played a massive role in his basketball career journey and continuously receives credit for Jordan’s developments and accomplishments.

Shortly after Smith passed away in 2015, Jordan released a statement about the valuable impact that he had on his life. “He was more than a coach – he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father. Coach was always there for me whenever I needed him and I loved him for it. In teaching me the game of basketball, he taught me about life.”

There’s no question that Michael Jordan wouldn’t have become Michael Jordan if it wasn’t for the legendary Dean Smith.