“I hate losing, but I respect losing" - Michael Jordan once gave philosophical outlook on Ryder Cup while speaking to Steph Curry
Michael Jordan is among the most fierce competitors in professional sports history. The Chicago Bulls legend became a global name during his time in the NBA, largely due to his ability to will his team to victory and his never-say-die attitude.
Since retiring, Jordan has become a prevalent figure at golfing events, as he travels around the world to watch some of the best golfers go toe-to-toe. In 2021, he had an interview with Steph Curry at the Ryder Cup.
The two superstars discussed their love of golf and how it's one of the most difficult games, as you're constantly competing with yourself. Curry also asked Jordan for his thoughts on losing and how he looks to learn from those experiences.
"I hate losing," Jordan said. "It's not even a question. But I respect losing, because losing is a part of winning. You never just win. You gotta lose to win."
Jordan continued.
"You gotta have a sense of pride about yourself. It's not about the money. It's not about anything. It's more about the pride. And the best players, whoever is playing, the best is gonna win."
Both Jordan and Curry have proven their competitive edge throughout their NBA career.
Curry is following in Michael Jordan's footsteps by becoming a prominent celebrity figure at golfing events. He recently made a hole-in-one at Pebble Beach on September 29.
Scottie Pippen reckons he could beat Michael Jordan at golf
Michael Jordan has been playing golf since his prime and winning championships alongside Scottie Pippen for the Chicago Bulls. Jordan even gifted Pippen a set of golf clubs, but the former teammates never competed against each other on the golf course.
During a 2021 interview with Golf.com, Pippen, a keen golfer, made the bold claim that had he played against Jordan, he would have walked away with a victory. Pippen's claims are yet to be tested, as his frosty relationship with Jordan means that the two retired NBA legends don't spend time together.
“That is all true,” Pippen said. “And he’s lucky that I had a bad back my rookie year. I would have beat him at golf, too. But we’ve never played a round of golf together.”
Pippen continued.
"Yeah, I actually have two on my resume. The first one didn’t even hit the green. I hit the side of a bunker, and it bounced off and started rolling and dropped right in the cup."
With golf rapidly growing in popularity among NBA stars, it's only a matter of time before we see a charity event between some of the bigger names in basketball. There, one might get to see the better golfer between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.