Michael Jordan: Be You and Silence Madison Square Garden

Michael Jordan told young players how to handle Madison Square Garden: "Be you," he said, adding "You are you 365 days of the year." Merlin heard Jordan explain that MSG crowds try to pull opponents off their game, and that being an impactful player means shutting the noise out. He said he focused on playing so well the crowd either fell silent or began to cheer, a lesson forged in the Bulls Knick rivalry of the 1990s when Chicago dominated and won six titles. Merlin sees the lesson as timeless. MSG is a proving ground and a mirror. Young stars who learn to stay themselves will turn hostility into fuel, while those who bend will give the city power. The trick is confidence, practice, and a few clutch moments under bright lights.