"He loved to pick on people" - Michael Jordan's high school coach describes his personality off the court

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During his time coaching at Laney High School, Fred Lynch had the opportunity to witness a young Michael Jordan before he became the GOAT. Apart from the undeniable talent, another thing that stood out to Coach Lynch was Jordan’s cool and playful side.

According to Lynch, young Jordan would often engage in friendly banter with his teammates and friends, always keeping the atmosphere light and fun. Lynch also divulged that MJ’s competitive spirit was evident even in those casual interactions as he would playfully pick on people but in a good-natured way.

Decades have passed since Lynch last spent some time with MJ, but he is certain people within the six-time NBA champ’s circle would say the same thing.

“Off the court, Michael was, definitely wasn’t quiet and he loved to have a good time, he loved to pick on people but being quiet with not one of the things that he was about. If you’d been around him now, his personality is the same as it was then,” Lynch told The Post Game in 2015.

MJ had good guidance

Lynch also noticed that, unlike other gifted players, Jordan remained humble off the court through and through. For Coach Lynch, one of the reasons why Mike turned out to be such a humble and grounded individual was due to the outstanding job his parents did in raising him. Lynch could tell that instead of letting this early success get to his head, Jordan’s parents instilled in him the values of hard work, humility, and respect for others.

Besides Jordan’s parents, Lynch also credited the late Laney High School coach Clifton “Pop” Herring, whom he succeeded as head coach, as one of the persons who played a crucial role in shaping MJ’s character. Lynch revealed that Herring was able to find the right balance between boosting Jordan’s confidence as an individual player and maintaining team spirit at the same time.

As a result, Lynch said Jordan never failed to show respect for his teammates, coaches, and even opponents. He may have been playful and cocky sometimes, but he definitely knew his boundaries.

“Michael’s temperament in high school was pretty even. I think a lot of it had to do with his parents that even though he was a basketball star I think they kept him in check, you had to make good grades, you had to go to class,” Lynch reflected.

“Coach Herring did a pretty good job of making sure that he was able to bring him in with the team and he did not create a situation where Michael’s was just able to do whatever he wants on the basketball court, that he had to play within their team concept also,” he continued.

MJ still picked on people whenever he had the chance

After being honed at Laney High School, Jordan was recruited by the University of North Carolina, where he became one of the most notable college players in the country. In 1984, Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls, and as they say, the rest is history.

As his career blossomed, Jordan faced immense fame and responsibility both on and off the court. Despite the pressures of his status, MJ could still joke around and have fun even with his personal security team. According to his late head of security, John Michael Wozniak, Jordan often teased them.

Wozniak revealed that, once, everybody was in such a good mood that the whole security team had the Jumpman logo tattoo on their arm after Jordan egged them on. For Wozniak, Jordan’s playfulness and down-to-earth personality helped create a sense of camaraderie and friendship within all of them.

“We went with Michael to a tattoo place in Chicago. He said, ‘Put them on,’ and we all ended up getting [the Jumpman logo] tattooed on our arms,” Wozniak once said.

“We never sought fame being around Michael Jordan. I was at an opening of a movie with Michael Jordan here in Chicago, it wasn’t Space Jam, and Bo Jackson was there. I was in the movie with Michael for a couple of minutes, and he said to me, ‘That’s your claim to fame, that’s all you’re gonna get.’ And everyone laughed at it, because we experienced the superstar Michael Jordan, but there were also times when everyone let their guard down and laughed at a joke,” he recalled.

It’s quite interesting to know that for the people close to Jordan, he wasn’t just the greatest basketball player of all time. Behind the glitz and glamor of the NBA limelight, MJ was a humble and fun-loving person.

To this day, many have yet to see or hear about that side of Jordan. But for us who just did, it’s safe to say that MJ’s combination of humility and light-heartedness undoubtedly contributed to his greatness both on and off the court.