Adversity

Authors Note: This is a Response to the book Blood on the Horns by Roland Lazenby.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.". Martin Luther King Jr's said at one of the most famous speeches in the world’s history. Almost 50 years later people judge people by their race, color of skin and religion. Michael Jordan found this out as he played basketball. Proving that no matter how great you are you always have to battle adversity, in this case racism and criticism.   


In the book Blood on the Horns  by Roland Lazenby, he tells how Michael Jordan had to put up with and how he dealt with it.  That's not the only point in the book but it's the main one. He does a great job of getting the point across by telling the read some of the signs he would see and words that would be shouted at him. Giving a first person view of what being picked on because of your race. This was not only at away stadiums too it was at home stadiums.By Bull's fans! I think it's horrible that he had to put up with even by his own fans. That's like being called a fail or a mistake by your own parents. How would you like that? Yet people still do it to this day.        


That's not the only war he had to wage. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Jerry Krause did build the team around Jordan but they wanted to get rid of the Head Coach Phil Jackson. Michael didn't approve of this and said that if Jackson got let go he would leave. This sparked the bitter relationship. Eventually started a media firestorm of hateful comments and refusing to go to practices between player and head coach against owner and GM. This would only get worse when they attempted to trade away Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman who had became great friends with Michael.      


Even through all the hate and disrespect he became the best basketball player even. One of the point in the story is this never let someone tell you that you can't do this or that because of you religion or race.   Also another point in the book is that adversity will always be in your life and you have two choices. Get stronger from it or give in to all the hate, criticism and racism