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There are very few athletes that can honestly stake a claim for being the GOAT in their given sport: Wayne Gretzky, Jim Brown, Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods, and Michael Jordan to name a few.
Lucky for many of us, two of those athletes, Tiger and MJ, have a lot in common. Both are Nike athletes, both have a love for the game of golf, and both are competitive as anyone who’s ever played a sport.
Back in 1997, Jordan invited Woods to attend one of the Bulls’ playoff games after playing a round of golf with him. What Tiger saw was something to which he could definitely relate.
“I had won the Masters that year and he invited me to come up and watch one of the playoff games, I think they were playing the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals and I went up there and hung out with him for a few days and it was pretty neat to be a part of,” Woods recalled. “You know, to see what nobody did, the training they did, they had a breakfast club meeting, he had to get up early in the morning. He, Pip, Rod, Harper… Rodman and Harper would all show up and do their lifts and they’d go practice, get a little bit of rest, and go to the game, and then repeat the process and they were locked in. It was cool to see.
“The mindset… I can relate to that. I can relate to the intensity. I can relate to being locked in like that. Being in that type of focus in that type of world. The only difference is in my sport I just have to worry about myself. They’re trying to, they have to communicate with each other, know other teams’ tendencies and I worry about different things then I’d ever have to worry about, but the mentality going into it was was pretty neat to see.”
Woods was then asked if he’s ever run across any athlete who is more competitive than him.
“I would say 1-A, 1-B, myself or Michael. He’s more, I think, outwardly competitive than I am. But I have my tendencies to be a little competitive at times too,” he replied with a grin.
Tiger also shared a great story about how one day in 2004 he was in New York for a practice round at Shinnecock, and was checking into the hotel when someone punched him in the ribs.
“I’m in line at the front desk, and I get hit in the ribs. My right ribs. And it hurt,” Woods remembered. “And I whip around and think I’m gonna just keel all and hit somebody. I was so pissed. I look around, and it’s Muhammad Ali. And he says, ‘Hey, kid.’ And I’m like, why did you have to give me a love tap so hard? He was old, but it still hurt. I can’t imagine being hit in a ring for 15 rounds like they used to fight. It’s just crazy.”
Woods also discussed whethere he still like to hoop it up, what his favorite sport is outside of golf, and if any current athletes could make it on the PGA Tour.