"I had all the ability in the world, but I didn't know the game" - Michael Jordan admits that Dean Smith was the reason he became great

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Michael Jordan is the most decorated player in NBA history, but there is no denying he had help along the way. While MJ was obviously a gifted natural athlete, it’s likely he wouldn’t have ascended into the player he was without the guidance of North Carolina head coach Dean Smith during his college tenure.

Jordan spoke with Goheels.com and admitted Smith taught him everything he knew about the game.

“Coming out of high school, I had all the ability in the world, but I didn’t know the game. Dean Smith taught me the game, when to apply speed, how to use your quickness when to use that first step, or how to apply certain skills in certain situations. I gained all that knowledge so that when I got to the pros, it was just a matter of applying the information. A lot of people say Dean Smith held me under 20 points a game. Dean Smith gave me the knowledge to score 37 points a game, and that’s something people don’t understand,” he said.

A humble acknowledgement

It’s not every day someone in Jordan’s stature opens up about their journey to reach the top and discusses the most influential people on the way.

To his credit, MJ has never taken credit for supposedly waking up one day as the best player in the world and has always acknowledged Smith’s influence on his development.

One must ponder what Jordan’s trajectory as a pro would have been like if he hadn’t landed at North Carolina. It’s an interesting mental exercise to picture what type of player MJ may have become if he hadn’t had the elite pedigree under his belt in college.

Truth be told, there is a world where he wouldn’t be talked about in the same vein, or even more intriguing, possibly never growing into his full potential as an NBA player.

A factor in the GOAT debate

It may be challenging to consider, but Jordan’s ability to learn and grow under Dean Smith should be considered in the GOAT debate, especially when comparing his greatness to LeBron James.

As the two players who the majority have as their top two players of all time, an aspect that is never considered in the debate is the fact that James never had the likes of Smith in his corner throughout high school and even in the NBA.

While Jordan had the luxury of developing under an all-time great coach in Smith, LeBron had to figure it out on his own. His basketball genius was primarily driven by his natural God-given basketball mind and an aptitude for learning the game.

Of course, there are other layers to the debate, but LeBron never having an elite coach prior to being a pro and even in the Association outside of Eric Spoelstra and half a playoff run with Tyronn Lue does matter when analyzing their careers and the opportunities they had to be in a position to be successful.

Nevertheless, Smith taught Jordan how to be an unstoppable offensive force, and he maximized the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest sporting minds that ever lived, which allowed him to have the upper hand in the conversation.