The real story of Michael Jordan’s legendary career may have happened on the basketball court. But Jordan's resilience to become great was formed inside a gym where he made sure to stand out from others. And even his trainer testified to it.

Tim Grover, the personal trainer of Jordan from 1989 until 1998, shared a specific story about the 6x NBA champ's training in his 2013 book, Relentless. Groover also helped other stars like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. An X update from NBA en espanol shared his raw quote. 

Grover revealed, "After every game, I would ask Jordan: 6 am? 7 am? So he could tell me what time we were going to the gym the next morning. He'd tell me the time, and there he was. Especially after a loss. There was no discussion or debate. He never asked for the morning off. He was training early while the others were sleeping. It was interesting how the guy with the most talent trained more than everyone else."

So, according to Grover, there was no room for negotiation or excuses when it came to Jordan's morning workouts. He never tried to talk his way out of a session. The hunger to improve only grew stronger right after a tough defeat. While many players used their mornings to rest and recover, MJ was already sweating through another heavy workout.

Former teammates and the hit documentary The Last Dance have also confirmed this daily behavior. Jordan hated losing, and he used that anger in those early-morning sessions with his trainer.

Guys like Scottie Pippen saw this firsthand and knew they had to step up.

The Training Philosophy That Separated Michael Jordan From Everyone Else

The main idea of this system was the "no off-days" mentality that Grover helped him build. The word rest was never in his book. Training was treated as a non-negotiable part of the job instead of an optional step.

This discipline eventually turned into the famous "Breakfast Club" sessions. Before the 1995-1996 season, he started hosting early workouts at his house at 5 a.m. sharp. Pippen and Ron Harper soon joined him for these daily meetings. 

You can see the results of this preparation in the most iconic moments of his career. The 55-point game right after his 1995 baseball comeback. It also kept him standing and scoring during the famous 1997 "Flu Game" in the NBA Finals. 

The natural scoring ability got MJ drafted, but the hard work in the gym made him a champion.

So, can you think of anyone else in any field who was dedicated to their craft like Jordan?

Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles!

Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Souvik Roy