The Chicago Bulls weren’t immediate championship contenders when they selected Michael Jordan with the No. 3 pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. The Bulls’ first NBA championship came in 1991, Jordan’s seventh season in the Association.
Jordan won his second NBA MVP award in 1991. His first came in 1988, a season that came to an end when the Detroit Pistons knocked off Chicago in the Eastern Conference semifinals in five games.
Chicago selected center Will Perdue with the No. 11 pick in the 1988 draft. ChiCitySports spoke with former Bulls center Will Perdue about Jordan’s upward rise as a part of Michelob ULTRA’s 2025 “Play Like A Pro” Program.
Will Perdue: Michael Jordan had to learn how to sacrifice
Perdue explained what lesson from head coach Phil Jackson helped elevate Jordan from being a great player to a legend who could lead a team to multiple championships.
“We knew he was that type of player, physically, athletically,” Perdue said of Jordan. “The interesting thing for me was… watching Phil Jackson treat Michael the same as he treated everybody else, and trying to explain to Michael. And that’s the biggest thing that people don’t understand. Everybody’s like, ‘It’s about motivation, it’s about mental toughness.’
“It’s about probably the word that not a lot of people talk about is sacrifice, and watching Phil Jackson continue to harp to Michael about the sacrifices he needs to make in order to really win. And Phil, mentioning to Michael, ‘Okay, right now, you’re known as the best player in the league, but do people talk about you as a guy that makes his teammates better?'”
Jordan had to trust his Chicago Bulls teammates
© Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Perdue said that it took a while for Jordan to trust his teammates. When he did, the Bulls started winning championships and Jordan’s legacy grew exponentially.
“Once you start winning championships and uplifting your teammates, that’s when you go from being great and one of the best players of all time to probably the greatest,” Perdue said. “And it even took a while for Michael to, I don’t want to say to accept that, but just to trust his teammates because of the talent level and how different what it was between him and everybody else.
“But just watching Phil continue to work on him and talk to him. We’re watching film as a team, and showing Michael that, ‘Listen, man, you’re not you’re not perfect. Look at these mistakes you’re making, just like the other guys.’ And he had to humble himself a little bit. And as you saw, it didn’t happen immediately. It took a while, but once he kind of put two and two together, it all kind of worked itself out.”
Perdue said the sacrifice Jordan eventually made was the “ultimate commitment” the star made to winning in the sport.
“Just the sacrifice he was willing to make, but also just the ultimate commitment to winning, which is another thing that people talk about… That right there is Michael Jordan in a nutshell,” Perdue said.
Michelob ULTRA’s 2025 “Play Like A Pro” Program
The deadline to enter to win the Michelob ULTRA’s 2025 “Play Like A Pro” Program is March 14. The Bulls’ activation is set for Friday, April 11. Five winners (and their plus ones) will be selected to enjoy this exclusive experience at the United Center.
The ultimate basketball experience will include:
- The opportunity to play on the United Center court
- A chance to meet a Bulls legend during the experience and hear his Chalk Talk
- Tickets to a Chicago Bulls game
- A customized Chicago Bulls jersey
••A happy hour at the United Center complete with refreshing, ice-cold Michelob ULTRAs
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