You can practice shooting 8 hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.

Michael Jordan explains that practice alone does not guarantee improvement. The quality and correctness of what we practice are equally important. If someone repeatedly performs a skill using poor technique, they may actually reinforce the wrong habits. Jordan uses basketball shooting as an example, but the principle applies to almost every area of life. Michael Jordan emphasizes the importance of mastering the fundamentals before attempting to build advanced abilities. In sports, this might mean learning proper form and footwork. In education, it could mean understanding basic concepts before tackling advanced subjects. In a career, it could mean developing core skills before taking on complex responsibilities. The quote also challenges the idea that simply working harder is always enough. Effort must be directed correctly. Practicing an incorrect technique for many hours can make a bad habit stronger rather than producing improvement. This is why feedback, instruction, and deliberate practice are valuable. Once the fundamentals are correct, additional practice becomes much more productive. Jordan’s lesson is that excellence requires both effort and accuracy. Before asking how much more we should practice, we should ask whether we are practicing the right way. A strong foundation can raise the quality of everything that follows.