Smith was willing to do anything for this young man in his eyes, and the feeling was mutual. Jordan was lucky at many stages of his life, especially so at 18 when he entered Dean Smith's world, where he was forever changed. As a freshman, he hit a crucial open jumper that won North Carolina the NCAA championship—overnight, his life and personality were forever altered. He thought, even his name seemed to have changed—from Mike Jordan to Michael Jordan.
This could have intoxicated some players, causing them to bask in self-adulation and then completely lose themselves. Most players would reach the peak of their careers on such a night, only to fall faster than a shooting star, unless they had someone like Dean Smith to tell them which aspects of their game still needed improvement. The day after the championship, Jordan showed up at the North Carolina gymnasium to practice shooting as his coach had instructed.
