"I didn't want anyone else to take a shortcut": Michael Jordan once revealed why he didn't take a day off during his illustrious career

Michael Jordan pushing his teammates has been well-documented, so much so that some of his Chicago Bulls teammates called him a "jerk" (Will Purdue didn't mince words on 'The Last Dance'). But what he did with them worked, and the Bulls recorded two three-peats.

He led the Bulls to their first-ever NBA title in 1991 and six championships overall. His leadership style was harsh, and blunt and often included ridiculing his teammates, but it produced the desired results.

Well before he broke down why he had to be the way he was, Jordan's 2007 interview with GQ saw the 6x NBA champion showcase his relentless work ethic, and why he couldn't afford to take a day off. A break for 'His Airness' meant that there would be a domino effect with the side.

“I never took a day off. If I took a day off, then Scottie was going to take a day off. And then Horace. the next thing you know, the whole scope of what we're trying to do is being weakened. I never took a shortcut, and I never wanted anyone else to take a shortcut. If that meant someone interpreted me as a tyrant, I'm pretty sure they're appreciative now.”

By his admission, Michael Jordan was tough on the players who took the hardwood with him. As for his last comment about the former players who would be "appreciative" now, 'The Last Dance' did just that where the likes of BJ Armstrong, Steve Kerr, and Bill Wennington echoed the same sentiment.

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Michael Jordan made sure the Chicago Bulls players were challenged every day

Michael Jordan's leadership and win-at-all-costs mentality was on display when his former Chicago Bulls teammate Steve Kerr shared the 14x NBA All-Star's mindset even during practice.

Speaking on the Netflix and ESPN docuseries, the now-head coach of the Golden State Warriors revealed that Jordan's idea was to make sure that his teammates could handle the pressure that would come in the playoffs, but for that, they would have to learn how to deal with it from the man himself.

The same series sees Jordan conclude with a rather emotional monologue about his leadership.

“Winning has a price. And leadership has a price. So I pulled people along when they didn’t want to be pulled. I challenged people when they didn’t want to be challenged. You ask all my teammates,” said Jordan, and they’ll all agree that “he never asked me to do something that he didn’t f*****g do.”

While there was enough criticism that came Michael Jordan's way for being harsh on his teammates, the results were out there for everyone to see.