‘They Were Trying to Kill You’ — When Tom Brady Revealed How Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant’s Mentality Helped Them Dominate
Tom Brady spent two decades perfecting the art of controlled fury on the football field. The seven-time Super Bowl champion never smiled much during games, and he wasn’t alone in that approach. According to Brady, the greatest competitors across all sports share one common trait. They use anger as fuel, just like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant did on the basketball court.
How Did Tom Brady Channel His Competitive Fire Like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant?
During a September 2023 interview with Patrick Bet-David at the 2023 VAULT conference, Brady opened up about his approach to competition during his legendary career. The one-and-a-half-hour conversation covered a wide variety of topics, but Jordan and Bryant’s names came up when Brady explained his mindset.
Brady’s anger served as a powerful motivator throughout his career. He revealed that he latched onto anything from his opponents that could be perceived as disrespectful to get into a heightened emotional state. More importantly, he believes that the legends of other sports used the same technique.
“So there weren’t a lot of smiley faces with me out there,” Brady said. “There weren’t a lot of smiley faces with Michael Jordan. There weren’t a lot of smiley faces with Kobe Bryant. There weren’t a lot of smiley faces with Tiger Woods, right? Tiger wasn’t trying to be friends with anybody. Tiger had no friends.”
Brady took his observation about Woods even further. He pointed out that Woods never had any friends in the game, throwing shade at other golfers by saying Woods’ friends were those who had no problem getting defeated by him.
What Does Brady Really Think About Jordan’s Legacy?
The comparison between Brady and Jordan goes beyond their competitive nature. Brady holds seven Super Bowl titles, one more than Jordan’s six NBA championships. When Bet-David asked whether his longevity was connected to his desire to win more than Jordan, Brady replied diplomatically.
“I love Michael Jordan,” Brady said. “Literally there’s no athlete that doesn’t love Michael. So Michael’s like, if there’s your kids, you know, I don’t know how they feel about me. Michael Jordan was my, everyone wanted to be like Mike.”
Brady’s admiration for Jordan runs deep, even today. “So, like, even when I see Mike today, I’m still like, ‘that’s Michael Jordan right there,’ you know. And I just think he’s the coolest guy and, you know, I loved his determination,” he added.
The seven-time NFL champion also expressed his fascination with other high-level athletes. He mentioned being enamored by soccer superstars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as NBA phenoms LeBron James and Stephen Curry.