One Perfect Story: Wright Thompson on Writing About Michael Jordan

The Press Box

The Ringer

Sports

4.4 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 1 February 2023

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Bryan is joined by Wright Thompson on the 10-year anniversary of his ESPN profile "Michael Jordan Has Not Left the Building." They begin by reflecting on the pitching process—discussing how the story came to be and how Thompson got a hold of Michael—then touch on his expectations for the piece, his experience talking with both Michael and Michael's friend George Koehler, and what he came prepared for. Later, they discuss the impact the piece had on his career and how it compares to features highlighting other greats such as Tiger Woods, Ted Williams, and Phil Mickelson. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Wright Thompson Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	There are certain moments and words that shaped a new era in pro wrestling.
0:05.0	Austin 316 says I just whipped your ass.
0:09.0	Rep, screwed, rep.
0:11.0	Die, Rocky die.
0:13.0	Introducing the book of wrestling, 25 catchphrases that explain the attitude era.
0:17.0	Tune in as we relive one of the most exciting, intense, and over the top times in WWE,
0:23.0	with new interviews, with the voices that made the promos, calls, and catchphrases into history.
0:28.0	Listen, now.
0:58.0	Somebody should write the great magazine story about what Michael Jordan's life is like now.
1:04.0	Somebody should write how Jordan the basketball player is living uncomfortably inside the body of Jordan the middle-aged man.
1:13.0	And then, high on reading Richard Bin Kramer on Ted Williams for the 18th time,
1:19.0	we look around the bar and think, am I going to write that piece? Are you?
1:24.0	Well, 10 years ago this month, that piece landed on the internet.
1:28.0	It was on ESPN's website, and its title was Michael Jordan has not left the building.
1:33.0	It was written by Wright Thompson.
1:36.0	Reading that piece in 2013 was like driving a fast car and discovering it has two or three additional gears.
1:44.0	By spending a couple of days around Jordan, Thompson had found this nostalgic, almost wistful side to MJ.
1:50.0	He also found this smoldering competitive rage.
1:54.0	Jordan, as Thompson looked on, watched TV and picked apart LeBron James' game.
1:59.0	As Jordan told him, I would give up everything now to go back and play the game of basketball.
2:05.0	And as I always say on one perfect story, this is where you're supposed to hit pause,
2:09.0	and read or reread, Michael Jordan has not left the building over on ESPN.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Ringer, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Ringer and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.