Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry Talk Ryder Cup, Golf, Basketball

Mike, appreciate you sitting down with me. This is really an honor, one, because of who you are, but more than that, we're obviously here on a golf course, and it's a pretty special bond in terms of the basketball players who love golf.

Right.

That group is growing by the year. There's a lot more people picking up the game, but you've been in it for a long time.

Yeah.

I'm fascinated just to know you know, how that love for golf in general just started and how you balanced, you know, golf and basketball while you were playing. 'Cause I'm in that boat right now and I feel like sometimes I'm playing too much golf and sometimes I feel like I'm not playing enough.

Well, that's the easiest point. I mean, that's the easiest question I can answer is that, you know, when I was playing, it was snow on the ground in Chicago. There was no golf courses, there was nothing. If it was, things would've been a little bit different. But I kind of got into golf mainly because from a competitive standpoint, to me, it is the hardest game to play.

Absolutely.

I can always respond to an opponent, a defensive guy, offensive guy, whatever, but in golf, it's like playing in a mirror, and you're battling yourself consistently to try to get perfection every swing, every putt.

Yeah!

For a competitive person like me, This is what keeps me sane, you know, because when I walk away from the game of basketball, you know, that was enough to keep my competitive juices working.

Absolutely.

Now when I'm— I don't have that game, this game, and it even drives me crazy then. Now I go fishing in between my golf because I got to show patience in fishing that's going to be relative to golf. Good morning and welcome to the first day of the 43rd Ryder Cup.

[APPLAUSE] We're here at the Ryder Cup Ryder Cup.

We're here at Whistling Straits. I'm fascinated by this event because this is my first time here. When you get here and you see the atmosphere, you see, you know, the chants and the noise, and I'm wondering, what do you think from a team perspective, you know, when guys are individuals throughout the whole year, how does that permeate in golf? Because with us, we get rah-rah in the locker room. Like, how's that accountability, you think, work in that locker room when— Well, it's tough.

It's tough, you know. I mean, I've had countless conversations with some of the players, and if I can put it in the most simplest terms is that, you know, you have to give up bits and pieces of who you are for the benefit of the team. And that can be, you know, something so simple as either, you know, response, you know, support, spending time, having lunch, dinner, either way. I learned that later in my years because initially in basketball basketball, I was so focused in my craft that that was matter— that's what matters the most. But to win, you have to give parts of yourself to other people and look at people in a different manner and come to accept them. Ryder Cup is very similar in the same sense. I mean, yeah, you got Tiger Woods on your team. Tiger Woods can only win one point.

One point.

You know, and he may not even win it depending on if you're playing alternate shot. So it's things that you have to, you know, factor in. Our best asset is on singles, you know, but we always seem to struggle in alternate shot and best ball. And that, I think, has been something that the European team has always been able to capitalize on. And for us, we should learn from that.

Well, a fixture at Ryder Cups through the years. I first remember seeing Michael Jordan at his first Ryder Cup in Valderrama, Spain in 1997. These guys can go to any event they want in the world.

Oh yeah.

And they never miss the Ryder Cup.

I know you've traveled to Europe and been on the road venues. You've been in home venues. If you were on the Ryder Cup team, would you rather be playing on the road, you know, somewhere in Europe playing against that road crowd, being able to shut them up, or would you rather be on home turf, you know, hyping, feeling the energy here with the home atmosphere?

You know the answer to that. I know, I just want to hear it.

I just want to hear it.

I'd rather be on the road. I'd rather be on the road. I love playing on the road, and it seems as though your concentration level is much, much better. You know that you're not expected to win, so that you can have the opportunity to prove the unknown. And a lot of times when you play at home, you let your hair down, you get relaxed, you see more friends, you see more family, you got to worry about tickets, you got to worry about so many other different things. So I always love playing on the road, so it minimizes my thought process and I can focus. Mm-hmm. On my craft, and I would imagine if I was playing on the Ryder Cup, that's exactly— I would much rather play in Europe than to play home.

Go, go!

And there's another one for Dustin Johnson. That's Michael Jordan on board.

We got a lot of different characters on the USA team. Do you see yourself in any of the Team USA members? Who do you see yourself in the most? In terms of their demeanor on the course or something about them? Wow, that's hard.

That's hard.

You could say nobody 'cause they ain't on your level yet.

No, I think, you know, I like to say that the competitive nature is, you can see it on a lot of the guys and it comes in a lot of different ways. You know, I can see a little bit of myself in JT. I can see a little bit of myself in Brooks. I can see a little bit of my calmness and confident and DJ. So I mean, I can see a lot of those qualities that it takes to be successful.

Basketball, especially in the way that you played the game, you could impact the game on both ends of the floor. And you always, I'm sure you always felt like there was time for you to flip a switch and get things back under control. True. In golf, you can't really control what the other person's doing. How do you think that mentality is mastered in golf?

I think when I talk to all of my buddies, you know, when they're playing the big matches and I see that they're leading, you know, the first thing I type to them or I text them is, "Keep it simple." Mm-hmm. Because now you're not trying to overdo, overthink, you know, just keep it simple. Fairways and greens, you know, blah, blah, blah. You can't get it all back in one hole. You gotta take a shot at a time. To me, those are simple conversations. That's a simple way to stop what you're thinking. I know it's a Ryder Cup. I know there's a bunch of people watching. I'm down 5 and after 5, let's just keep it simple. Let's hit fairways and greens. Now, that's all you can do. You know, you can't just turn a switch and say, you know what, erase the 5, let's start all over again. No, you gotta channel your thoughts to start basically working your way back to getting more comfortable, confident about your swing, scoring, or even match. Now, it may not happen that way, but I think that's a good start. Right. And sometimes it does.

I've been to a couple PGA events. I've been to one major. This is my first Ryder Cup. This is the first time that I've been on a course watching and haven't gotten the itch to go play. And I say that because the competition is so ripe. Usually when I go to a tournament, I'm like, "Dang." Like, the shots are inspiring me to go, "I want to go to the range right now and work on this and that." You feel like a similar vibe, or is that competitive nature still like, "I want to—" I stay in my lane.

I stay in my lane. I watch these guys are good.

Yeah, they're great.

And to watch them under the pressure of being able to hit shot after shot after shot, knowing that you got so many thousands of people against you and you have so many thousands of people supporting you, you don't want to let them down. Being able to represent that fan base, you know, USA or Europe. And for me, I don't have the skill set to put myself in that environment. Now, if you tell me I got a basketball in my hand, now that's a different story. Story, but if I had a golf club in my hand, there's no way I can get comfortable to hit a 50-yard shot or a 100-yard shot. Not with all these people.

Not with all these people.

He's got President Bush, Michael Jordan over his right shoulder. He's got a big moment here to try to turn this thing around.

Who on the European team would you be most scared to play against? And I hate using that word with you.

I'm not scared of anybody. I mean, but, uh, Ian Poulter.

He is a—

Every time I try to, you know, I used to go and watch him all the time. If I'm at any of his matches or walking down, he finds me after he makes a good putt. And it's like, man, I didn't do anything.

I like you. I support you. I heard you sparked the comeback.

I stay away from him when he's walking, when I'm walking. I won't go watch him.

You sparked the Miracle of Madonna, right?

I didn't spark it. I didn't. I don't know, I don't know. I had my own thoughts about it, but I didn't spark it.

Yeah.

Madonna again!

Those are maniacal eyes, aren't they?

And we went from definitely winning the Medina to crying driving home that we just got our butts kicked. And that's Ian Poulter.

There's always that debate on whether you hate losing more than you love winning, right? And I feel like, for me, losing just is the worst feeling in life at anything. Whether it's cars, golf, basketball, whatever it is. You know, how do you feel about that? And also like how do you think that translates in terms of a team competition in golf that these guys are going through?

I hate losing. I mean, it's not even a question, but I mean, I have to respect losing 'cause losing's a part of winning.

Yeah.

You know, you never just, you know, win. You gotta lose to win. And I think the one thing about, you know, the Ryder Cup situation is that we gotta want it bad enough We were dominant early on. And now that they are, does it mean as much to us as it does to them?

Absolutely.

And if that's the case, then losing is gonna hurt.

Absolutely.

You know, to a point where you would look at, how can I do things different? How can I change? How can I make this team better? And that's the thing about a team, and you know this too, is that before you can look at someone else, you gotta look at yourself in the mirror because that's how things get started. Started, and you gotta be willing to change. And you gotta have a sense of pride about yourself. It's not about the money, it's not about anything, it's more about the pride. And, you know, the best players, whoever's playing the best is gonna win.

What's the most amount of holes you've played in one day?

Ooh, boy. 63.

Damn.

I was rolling. 63. I was younger.

I'm gonna try to beat that one.

Good luck.

That's big, yeah, good luck to me. Out of all the players here this week on Team USA or Europe, whose game would you want to have the most?

Jon Rahm. Quick swing, doesn't waste time.

That's a keep it simple swing.

And he's playing really good right now.

That's a keep it simple swing right there. Who's the most fun basketball player you've played with on the course, or one that you like to beat the most?

Danny Ainge.

He's my new favorite. My favorite, I like that too. My favorite too.

He talks a lot of trash, don't he?

He talks a lot of trash.

Imagine him on the basketball court. I had to deal with him there too.

Yeah, I'll just stick with him out here. And last thing, what's your favorite thing just about the Ryder Cup?

Once again, the camaraderie, the patriotism, you know, you're representing your country, the chills I feel and know that everybody's vying to try to win that cup. It's not about the money, It's not about anything. It's more about the pride. And, you know, the best players, whoever's playing the best is gonna win. You know, I hate that we've been playing bad, that they won, but I got a good feeling this year. I got a good feeling.

Let's do it. I appreciate you sitting down. I know how much golf means to both of us, and it's nice to connect on that level.

Anytime.

And yeah, I'm gonna bring my wallet next time we play.

Come on down to the Grove. I got some treatment for you. Absolutely.

Absolutely.