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The most gifted athlete ever to play the game, Michael Jordan rose to heights no basketball player had ever reached before. What drove Michael Jordan? The pursuit of team success...or of his own personal glory? The pursuit of excellence...or of his next multimillion-dollar endorsement? The flight of the man they call Air Jordan had been rocked by controversy. In The Jordan Rules, which chronicles the Chicago Bulls' first championship season, Sam Smith takes the #1 Bull by the horns to reveal the team behind the man...and the man behind the Madison Avenue smile. Here is the inside game, both on and off the court, including:

• Jordan's power struggles with management, from verbal attacks on the general manager to tantrums against his coach

• Behind-the-scenes feuds, as Jordan punches a teammate in practice and refuses to pass the ball in the crucial minutes of big games

• The players who competed with His Airness for Air Time -- Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright -- telling their sides of the story

• A penetrating look at coach Phil Jackson, the former flower child who blossomed into one of the NBA's top motivators and who finally found a way to coax "Michael and the Jordanaires" to the their first title

A provocative eyewitness account, The Jordan Rules delivers all the nonstop excitement, tension, and thrills of a championship season -- and an intense, fascinating portrait of the incomparable Michael Jordan.

Average Customer Rating:

Behind the scenes look at MJ and the bulls

Customer Rating:

The book shows just how tough life in the NBA can be, especially when you have a guy like MJ, a selfish ball-hog and control freak. After reading the book, any liking I had for MJ has since vanished. Behind the scenes, the guy is selfish, narcisistic, hyper-competitive person who must win at EVERYTHING he does, and have things HIS way all the time. He even went so far as to never lift weights in the same weight room as the team for fear that one of the players might be able to lift more weight than him. Boo hoo! Imagine that Michael! There might be someone actually stronger than you.

Totally unbelieviBULL

Customer Rating:

I was truly disgusted with this book.From the onset I read so many falsehoods I thought I was reading the national enquirer.As someone who has followed Michael Jordan throughtout his career I understand that this rag was wrote by someone with an awful agenda.Sam Smith is the first 300 pound white male golddigger I have ever heard of.I was amused at how he put Jordan's thought down like he was a mindreader as well as a hack writer.He actually praised Ed Neely (clearly a good friend or relative)like he was a good player.Neely didn't even average 6 minutes a game but was so valuable in Sammie Smith's mind.Smith even wrote that he was the smartest player on the team(was he good at scrabble or something?Because he wasn't smart enough to get more playing times).He said Bill Cartwright had the best footwork on the teams lol.I guess thats why the refs called him for the most travel calls on the team.John Paxson was also a favorite of his so much in fact he said that he was a good defensive player lol.Shall I believe Sam or my lying eyes.Sam said Horace Grant hated to be a second fiddle to Michael Jordan but dashed to Orlando to play behind Shaq and Penny.I could go on and on about this trainwreck but I have spent enough time on this idiot.So if you are thinking about reading this book do something more interesting watch paint dry.

Still a masterpiece long after its publication.

Customer Rating:

This is one of the great books that I had a hard time putting down. Sam Smith plays with our intrigue and wins out, enticing us to keep reading as we ask, "Did Isaiah Thomas really say that?" or "How did the Bulls stand together when at least half the team was demanding trades in 1991?" We see them as if we were a part of the team. *Hopson weeping after the 1991 title due to a fleeting feeling of comradely. * Michael Jordan's off-the-court feud with Isaiah Thomas. *Pippen demanding to be traded due to contract negotiations. * Jerry "Crums" Krause being ridiculed publicly by Jordan and his brown-nosing cronies. * Alliances forged through empathetic teammates who viewed the team's other pockets of faction with distrusting, and sometimes vengeful eyes. * Cliff Levingston's constant butt-kissing of "His Airness". * Horace Grant physically standing up to Jordan in practice and bragging about it later. * Scottie Pippen's inward fear of Dennis Rodman. * Phil Jackson's craving to buy a gun after a private meeting with a then-psychotic Scott Williams. * The Pistons' mental control of B.J. Armstrong, Scottie Pippen, and others. * Stacey King and Michael Jordan's verbal wars. * Literal fist fights between certain players in practice. * Jordan's constant campaign to assume control of the team's decision-making processes and how Phil Jackson combated his egocentric, and often enigmatic star. A priviledged look into the makings of one of sports' greatest teams ever, and a eye-opening look into the makings of sports' greatest hero.

The Jordan Rules

Customer Rating:

Synopsis: This book is about the 1992-93 Chicago Bulls Championship Team. It includes qoutes form the Bulls's general management and the teammates. The book takes you through the championship season. It also tells about Michael Jordan yelling at coaches and teammates. Critic: This book is good because it shows that Michael isn't as clean cut as he seems. The author does a great job of getting both sides of the story.He talk about what Michael said and then what the teammates have to say. He does a great job of describing all the events in the book. I recommend this book for huge Michael Jordan fans everywhere! This book is great for people that love reading about him and all his success. Big Bertha

Interesting in-depth look.

Customer Rating:

Sam Smith does a very good job describing how the personalities clash on this team. Jordan is revealed as an extremely intense individualist in a team sport, who is quick to identify and pounce on weaknesses in opponents, and more often, teammates. I enjoyed this book as a chance to get a better perspective on a team at the beginning of a historic run of championships. This book also illuminates the fact that it isn't necessarily chemistry that leads to championships, but balance. It's also interesting to see Phil Jackson lay out the nuances of the triangle offense with quotes by Native Americans and Rudyard Kipling. All in all, a great look at the construction and molding of a collection of strong personalities into a functional, cohesive championship team.