'Completely different training methodology, a different regimen' - How MJ transformed his body while switching between two sports

"All out" is the only way Michael Jordan does things. When he decided to take a sabbatical and exchanged the hardwood for the diamond in 1994, he knew what he was getting into. The Air Jordan" who did double-pump layups and shot fadeaways over defenders, was no longer needed; instead, he must rebuild his body to endure the demands of a sport far different from basketball.

Via Michael Lee of The Athletic, MJ's personal trainer, Tim Grover, details the rigors of getting the "Black Cat" ready for baseball, a sport he hasn't played since his senior year in his school. Then, as Jordan decided to return to the NBA months later, they had to repeatedly redo things to bring the old Mike back.

"I said it's going to be a completely different training methodology, a different regimen, and understand that one training is detrimental to the other," Grover said after hearing MJ's decision to pursue baseball. "And he said, 'I'm all in.' And I said, 'All right.'"

Two different sports

Some say hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in all sports. Well, it was just one of the skills Jordan needed to improve on besides throwing one, among other things. Standing at 6'6", Jordan was notably tall for a baseball player, adding another layer of difficulty. Plus, with no prior video footage of the five-time NBA MVP playing the sport, Grover had to create a training regimen without the benefit of film analysis.

Of course, Jordan did what he was told to do and got acclimated within three months. TG planned for MJ to put on 10 to 15 pounds while tailoring baseball-specific muscles in ways he had never done before.

"The muscles used in throwing a baseball are different (and) the angles are completely different than the angles and muscles used in shooting a basketball. Shooting a basketball, you put some arc on it, so you can use as much circumference of the rim that you can. When you're playing in the field, you can't put an arc on the ball because it's going to take too long to get to the outfield back into the infield," explains the self-proclaimed "performance coach to the champions."

"The way you step into a jump shot is different than the way you step into a throw. The way you use your hips in swinging a bat is completely different than the way you would use your hips in dribbling a basketball, playing defense, shooting a jump shot," added Grover.

"Not enough time"

When the former UNC Tar Heel told the world he was back, TG had his apprehensions, and rightfully so. Jordan weighed over 230 pounds in his baseball body, far from the usual 218-pound high-flyer people used to see. They needed three months to get him in baseball shape, and Jordan was about to play an NBA game one day after announcing his return!

Grover continued: "I said, 'Michael, in my estimation, there is not enough time to transition your body from a basketball to a baseball player back into the basketball player that Michael Jordan wants to be. Because I know he would only settle for excellence. Now, are you still going to be better than 75 percent, 80 percent of the league? Maybe. Ninety percent? Yes. But I don't feel like you're going to be at the same level. Being away from it for 18 months, there's a lot of things, not only from a training standpoint, from a timing standpoint. It's not like you're going to go play basketball in the park; you're playing against the best of the best again in the world.'"

For the untrained eye, No. 45 did not miss a beat. He averaged nearly 27 points, seven rebounds, and five assists and dropped 55 against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Still, Grover could see Mike's timing was off.

"There were small little nuances in the way he played that weren't the same, and to the average fan or people, you just wouldn't notice those things," Grover observed. "But me, knowing how he jumped, the way he planted his feet, the way he cut, I could see those things were there, but they weren't there the way they needed to be there or the way Michael wanted them to be there."

Back at it

After losing to the Orlando Magic in six games in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals, "His Airness" now had the entire summer to regain his body and timing back. He was still doing something out of the ordinary: filming a movie alongside Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck called Space Jam. However, Jordan pulled the ultimate power move by refusing to star in the Warner Bros. film if he couldn't practice hoops while shooting. What MJ wants, MJ gets.

For Grover, it was the perfect setup for the real comeback. He had Michael in one place instead of traveling from city to city. To jumpstart Mike's journey, they invited legit NBA competition on the set to practice with him, including Dennis Rodman, Reggie Miller, BJ Armstrong, and the five he starred in the movie with (Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, and Larry Johnson). It wasn't long before the six-time NBA Finals MVP transformed his body to that of a baller again.

As a result, MJ completed the most successful individual season ever. The Chicago Bulls set a then-record 72 wins in the regular season and lost only three games in their entire title run. He averaged 30.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.2 steals while appearing in all 82 games, earning his fourth regular season and Finals MVP awards in the process.

Superhuman? Definitely. But if you ask Tim, that's just Michael being Michael.