The Dean Smith MJ Never Forgot—What He Did Will Amaze You
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The Dean Smith Michael Jordan Never Forgot—How a Coach Built a Champion for Life
The Arrival
In the fall of 1981, the University of North Carolina campus buzzed with anticipation. Eighteen-year-old Michael Jordan had arrived, bringing with him a reputation that stretched far beyond Wilmington. He was already a high school legend, a future NBA prospect in the eyes of many. He walked onto campus with swagger, confidence, and an ego that seemed as big as his vertical leap.
But Michael soon discovered that college basketball—especially under Coach Dean Smith—was a different world. Smith, already a legend in his own right, was known for his quiet authority and the unique philosophy he called “the Carolina Way.” He didn’t just coach basketball; he coached life.
The Challenge
From the first practice, Dean Smith saw it. Michael dominated scrimmages against walk-ons and lesser players, then acted annoyed when asked to work on fundamentals or participate in team drills. He expected the system to revolve around him, just as it always had.
After practice, Smith spoke quietly to his assistant. “Kid thinks he’s already arrived. Doesn’t understand the difference between high school basketball and what we do here.”
The assistant nodded. “What are you thinking, Coach?”
Smith’s eyes narrowed. “Talent gets you in the door. Character determines how far you go once you’re inside. Michael Jordan needs to learn that.”
Smith had seen it before: talented players who thought their ability gave them special privileges. Most of the time, it ended badly—either the player never reached their potential, or they became stars with fatal flaws. Dean Smith was determined that Michael wouldn’t follow that path.
The Lesson Begins
A week into practice, Smith made an announcement that stunned everyone. “Jordan, you’re running with the third team today.”
Michael looked up, confused. “Coach, I think there’s a mistake. I was with the first team yesterday.”
“No mistake. Third team.”
For two weeks, Michael practiced with players who barely made the roster. He watched from the bench as less talented teammates got first-team reps. He was furious, confused, and began to doubt if he’d made the right choice coming to UNC.
That’s exactly what Dean Smith wanted.
After three weeks, Michael reached his breaking point. He knocked on Coach Smith’s office door.
“Coach, I need to understand what’s happening. I came here to play basketball, and I’m barely getting any meaningful practice time.”
Smith leaned back in his chair, studying Michael. “You want to know why you’re on the third team?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Because right now, that’s where you belong.”
Michael’s jaw dropped. “Coach, with all due respect, I’m better than half the guys getting first-team reps.”
Smith didn’t blink. “Basketball ability isn’t the only thing that matters here, Michael. In fact, it’s not even the most important thing.”
He stood and looked out the window at the empty practice court. “You want to know what I see when I watch you play? I see a talented young man who thinks the rules don’t apply to him. I see someone who gets frustrated when his teammates make mistakes but doesn’t hold himself to the same standard. I see a player who thinks being gifted gives him the right to be selfish.”
Michael started to protest, but Smith raised a hand. “I’m not finished. You came here thinking you were already great, but greatness isn’t about what you can do. It’s about what you choose to do. And right now, you’re choosing to put yourself above the team.”
Smith turned to face Michael. “The third team isn’t punishment, Michael. It’s education. You’ll stay there until you understand that no individual is bigger than this program. Not you, not me, not anyone.”
Michael left the office feeling like he’d been punched in the gut. That night, he called his mother.
“Mom, I think I made a mistake coming here. Coach Smith doesn’t seem to want me.”
Dolores Jordan listened quietly. “Michael, what did Coach Smith say about your character?”
“He said I was selfish and thought I was above the team.”
“Is he right?”
Michael was silent for a long moment. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Then maybe you should listen to what he’s trying to teach you.”
The Transformation
The next day, instead of sulking, Michael tried something new. He encouraged teammates, ran every drill with effort, and focused on making others better. Dean Smith noticed immediately.
After a month, Michael had changed. He was still the most talented player on the floor, but now he was more mature, more team-oriented, more coachable.
Smith called him in again. “How do you feel about your time with the third team?”
“Honestly, Coach, it was frustrating at first. But I learned things I never would have otherwise.”
“Like what?”
“Like how to make other players better. How to stay focused when things aren’t going my way. How to earn respect instead of expecting it.”
Smith nodded. “What else?”
“I learned that being the best player doesn’t mean anything if you’re not the best teammate.”
Smith smiled for the first time since Michael had arrived. “You’ve earned your spot.”
The Breakthrough
Michael’s promotion to the first team coincided with UNC’s rise to national prominence. The 1981–82 season culminated in the NCAA championship game against Georgetown. With 15 seconds left and UNC trailing by one, Dean Smith called a timeout.
Most coaches would have designed a play for their star. But Smith had spent the season teaching Michael about trust and teamwork.
“We’re going to run the play we’ve practiced a hundred times,” Smith said. “Michael, you’re going to get the ball, but I want you to make the right play, not the spectacular play.”
When play resumed, Michael got the ball. He had a clear shot, but James Worthy was open in a better position. For a split second, the old Michael almost took the shot. Instead, he passed. Worthy scored. UNC won the championship. Dean Smith finally had his first national title.
But the real victory was seeing Michael Jordan choose team success over individual glory.
“That pass told me everything I needed to know about the man Michael had become,” Smith would later say. “He was ready to be great because he’d learned that greatness serves others.”
The Bond
After the championship, Michael found Coach Smith in the quiet of his office.
“Coach, I need to thank you for what you did to me this year.”
“What do you mean?”
“The third team. Making me earn my spot. Teaching me that talent isn’t enough.”
Smith shook his head. “Michael, I didn’t do anything to you. I did something for you. There’s a big difference.”
“What’s the difference?”
“I could have put you on the first team from day one, let you be the star, and watched you develop all the wrong habits. You would have been successful, probably made it to the NBA, maybe even had a decent career. But you would have hit a ceiling, because talent without character always hits a ceiling. By teaching you to be a teammate first and a star second, I didn’t limit your potential. I unlimited it.”
Michael nodded, beginning to understand.
“Coach, what you taught me this year, I’m going to carry with me forever.”
“I hope so, Michael. Because the lessons you learned here aren’t just about basketball. They’re about life, about leadership, about what kind of man you want to be.”
The Legacy
Michael’s professional career became a testament to everything Dean Smith taught him. He was the most talented player in the NBA, but what made him truly great was his commitment to making his teammates better. He demanded excellence, but he also built others up, just as Smith had done with him.
“Everything I learned about leadership came from Coach Smith,” Michael would say. “He taught me that the best players make everyone around them better. He taught me that individual success means nothing if the team doesn’t succeed.”
When Michael faced adversity—losing to the Pistons, handling media pressure—he returned to the lessons Smith had taught him about character and perseverance.
“Coach Smith didn’t just teach me basketball,” Michael explained. “He taught me how to handle success and failure with equal grace. He taught me that what you do when nobody’s watching is what defines you.”
The Final Gift
In February 2015, Dean Smith passed away at the age of 83. Michael was devastated. Three weeks after the funeral, he received a call from Smith’s attorney.
“Mr. Jordan, Coach Smith left you something in his will. A letter and a request.”
The letter, in Smith’s careful handwriting, read:
“Michael, if you’re reading this, I’m no longer around to tell you these things in person. Watching you become the man you became has been one of the greatest joys of my life. You came to UNC as a talented young man with potential. You left as a champion with character. Everything you achieved in your career, every life you touched, all of that started with the lessons you learned about putting team first. Now I have one final lesson for you. True legacy isn’t about what you achieve. It’s about what you make possible for others. Use your success to open doors for people who remind you of yourself at 18. Help them learn the same lessons you learned.”
Smith also left $200,000 as seed money for a new scholarship program for student-athletes who showed leadership potential but needed guidance in character development.
Michael didn’t hesitate. “I’ll do more than match it. I want to endow it permanently.”
The Dean Smith Leadership Academy
Within six months, Michael had created the Dean Smith Leadership Academy, providing scholarships and mentorship for student-athletes who needed guidance in both skill and character. The academy paired each recipient with successful alumni mentors, teaching the same life lessons Dean Smith had given Michael.
“Coach Smith understood that developing champions isn’t just about skill development,” Michael explained at the academy’s launch. “It’s about character development. This program exists to continue that mission.”
Over the years, the Dean Smith Leadership Academy has helped more than 150 student-athletes attend college and become leaders in their communities.
The Enduring Lesson
Michael visits the academy regularly. “You’re not here just to become better players,” he tells the students. “You’re here to become better people, and better people make the world better.”
Today, Michael Jordan credits Dean Smith with teaching him the most important lessons of his life—not about basketball technique, but about character and leadership.
“Coach Smith saved me from becoming someone I wouldn’t have been proud of,” Michael reflects. “He saw a young man who was talented but selfish, and he refused to let me stay that way. The month I spent on the third team was the best thing that ever happened to me. It taught me humility, teamwork, and that earning respect is more valuable than demanding it.”
The Dean Smith Leadership Academy continues to grow, with new scholarship recipients each year learning the same lessons that transformed Michael Jordan from a talented teenager into a champion.
Coach Smith’s legacy isn’t measured in wins and losses, Michael says. “It’s measured in the lives he changed and the character he developed through this academy. That legacy continues.”
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