The God in Youth―Michael JordanThere were already signs that he had a good deal of talent.Harvest Smith, a classmate and close friend who in those days played basketball with him practically every day,thought he was the best player on their ninth-grade team ― he was small, but he was every quick.The summer after ninth grade, Jordan and Smith both went to Pop Herring’s basketball camp.Neither of them had yet come into his body, and almost all of the varsity players, two and sometimes three years older,seemed infinitely stronger at that moment when a year or two in physical development can make all the difference.In Smith’s mind there was no doubt which of the two of them was the better playerit was Michael by far. But on the day the varsity cuts were announcedit was the big day of the year, for they had all known for weeks when the list would be postedhe and Roy Smith had gone to the Laney gym. Smith’s name was on it, Michael’s was not.It was the worst day of Jordan’s young life.The list was alphabetical, so he focused on where the Js should be,and it wasn’t there, and he kept reading and rereading the list, hoping somehow that he had missed it,or that the alphabetical listing had been done incorrectly.That day he went home by himself and went to his room and cried.Smith understood what was happening. Michael, he knew, never wanted you to see him when he was hurt.
