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 Neela Sakaria: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us Mr. Williams. You have an extensive career in sports and yet you have also written several books. Can you please tell us about your background and how you integrated writing into your career?
Pat Williams: Well I've combined two careers really -- a career in professional sports as well as a writing and speaking career. So they go hand in hand. This is my fourtieth year in professional sports. I spent seven years in baseball in the Phillies organization and this is my thirty-fourth season in the NBA, coming up. I wrote my first book in 1974 -- it was my autobiography at the time. That opened doors that have continued to this day. The Michael Jordan book is my twenty-first book -- How to Be Like Mike. I've got quite a number of other writing projects that lie up ahead, that I'm working on. But without question, the Jordan book has been the most intensive and satisfying and interesting book that I've worked on.
Neela: Did you study writing, professionally - or was it something that just developed out of an interest?
PW: It developed. I did not major in journalism, although I always had an interest in the written and spoken word -- way back as a little boy, growing up near Philadelphia, listening to the sportscasters and reading all the newspapers and devouring everything that was written. So I've always had a great interest in reading and speaking, and that continues to this day. So let's just say that I'm a self-taught writer to this point.
NS: Is this your first book, aside from your autobiography, which profiles a specific person and their life?
PW: I did one about a year ago on Bill Veeck, the great baseball promoter, that kind of was a motivational book around his life. I finished that one a year ago. The Jordan book is along the same lines where I've taken, in the case of Michael Jordan, eleven qualities of his life that I think made him unique. Then I researched around it in over 1500 interviews, gathering stories and anecdotes to heighten these different qualities. So I would describe How to Be Like Mike as a motivational, inspirational book. It's not a sports book per say, it's a life book designed to impact people's lives no matter what they do for a living, or no matter who they are.
NS: Michael Weinreb - He was a collaborator on the book?
PW: Michael Weinreb was my collaborator. I did all of the research and outlined the book. Michael assisted me in the mechanics of writing the book. So that's a good word - collaborator.
NS: How did the project come about?
PW: In 1998, at the end of the playoffs when Michael Jordan hit the game-winning shot to beat Utah for the Bulls' sixth championship of the decade, it appeared that that was going to be it for him as a player. I began speaking that summer to various groups of people about the topic 'How to Be Like Mike,' and it went well - it was well-received. Then I began to think, 'Why couldn't this be a book?' So, through a friend, I was led and introduced to the publisher - Health Communications is the name of the publishing firm. They are the Chicken Soup for the Soul publisher. The president, a man named Peter Vegso, listened to my proposal and liked it and said 'Go ahead - we'll do it with you.' And that's how it happened. So I guess, I've been working on and researching for this book for three years. To see it finally come out in book form was quite a thrill.
NS: You've interviewed many people for this project. So you're saying it took about three years in total?
PW: Yes. From the time that the idea hit me in June of 1998 until it was released in the Fall of 2001 - it was a three year project in which I had to come up with the idea, find a publisher, do the research, do the interviews, and then get it written. So it's been an enormous undertaking.
NS: Although the book is called How to Be Like Mike, you include various examples of other people - whether they are your own children or other sports figures. Can you tell us about that - why did you choose to include such examples?
PW: Well it's not just a book about Michael Jordan's unique qualities. The qualities of Michael Jordan are the backbone of the book, but I've taken the liberty to spin off to any other stories and examples, in and out of sports. I've got stories and examples, not just from my life or the lives of my children, but from military people or other great people in history, entertainers, athletic figures -- other sports besides basketball -- all designed to emphasize or strengthen the presentation I'm making on these qualities. So that's why I say Michael and his life are the backbone of the book, but there are also lots of twists and turns that I've used.
NS: And you have nineteen children - is that correct?
PW: Yes we do. Our oldest is 29, the youngest is 15. Fourteen of the children have been adopted from four foreign countries. So in addition to everything else that happens in my life with children, I also end up with some wonderful illustrations from their lives. Things that happen that they probably don't even know are happening. But I'm watching and recording and I end up with some wonderful examples.
NS: That's amazing. So how do you balance all of that with your writing career as well as your sports career?
PW: My life's full, needless to say - between being a sports executive and the father of a large tribe of children from all over the world, writing two to four books a year, speaking over a hundred times a year, running four or five marathons a year. Life is very full. So I think it comes down Neela, pretty simply, to time management and organizational skills - maximizing every minute of the day and not wasting any time and having a focus, having a plan and working the plan. That's probably the only way I can get it done.
NS: I'm assuming that you probably use many of the motivational skills that you write about, in your own life. Can you tell us a little bit about how you apply them?
PW: Well, I think that's a good point. In the case of Michael Jordan, Chapter 1 is about his focus -- his ability to concentrate on the moment and live it to the fullest. That's certainly something that I try to do. There's another chapter about passion and energy and enthusiasm, and I don't think any of us can really do anything if we're not excited about it. If we're not enthused and passionate about it, you can fake that for week or two, but that's the extent of it. After that it's going to fizzle. There's a chapter about hard work, and none of the things that happened in my life could happen unless I worked extremely hard. I have for all these years and I will until my last day on Earth. I learned that with Michael, by the way Neela, that the greatest basketball player of all time was also the hardest worker. And what a lethal combination that is.
NS: Can you tell us a little bit more about the format of the book? You break everything down into 11 chapters, as you said, and you also include various quotes throughout each of the chapters. Why did you lay it out the way you did?
PW: Well the Chicken Soup for the Soul publishers (HCI) are very good and they have had lots of experience with the 80 million Chicken Soup books they've sold. They certainly have a good understanding of what is visually appealing to people. When you pick up this particular book on Michael Jordan, it's very eye friendly. Candy for the eye. Very large type, and it's broken up on most of the pages with eye-catching boxes containing a quote or a story that emphasizes the particular point of that page. So it breaks up the layout of a typical page. I just think maybe it makes it more reader-friendly. So the material is all there, but it's presented in a way that is easy reading and eye-friendly. I guess that's the best way to describe it.
NS: Who did you write this book for? Who do you think the audience is?
PW: Well obviously it's going to appeal to basketball fans and a wide wide array of Michael Jordan fans. But I think the appeal is universal. I think this book would have as much of an impact on the lives of young athletes as it would on insurance salesmen. I think a housewife would get every bit as much out of it as would the president of a large corporation. I think Michael's appeal is universal and I think the book is written so that even people who don't know or understand sports would benefit greatly simply because there are so many applicable life lessons that come through from a wide range of different people.
NS: In one chapter you focus on influence. Who do you think some of your influences were/are in your own life?
PW: You know, Michael Jordan was always aware of his influence, and still is. Every word he says, every action he takes - he knows is going to affect the lives of other people. We all have a sphere of influence that we have to be very aware of. My mother had an enormous influence on me. Everything that I am doing in my life now, my mother planted -- from the love of reading, theater, music, baseball, politics -- these are all areas of her life that she was consumed with or interested in. Here I am, many years later, still caught up. In other words, everything she introduced to me in life has carried on. So she had an enormous influence on me. Bill Veeck, I would have to say. The late baseball promoter. I met Bill at the very start of my baseball career and for twenty-five years he was a friend, a mentor, and an influence. He impacted me greatly. I ended up writing a book about him called Marketing Your Dreams, in which I wrote about the influence of Bill Veeck. Those are two that come to mind.
NS: I was intrigued because you include some examples where Michael Jordan seems less than 100% honest or honorable. One example that comes to mind is the anecdote from Ron Mercer where he describes Jordan faking getting fouled during a game. I am interested in why you included such incidents. How do you reconcile them with the rest of Jordan's character?
PW: Well Michael is not perfect and I certainly wanted to portray that. Michael Jordan is flawed just like the rest of us. I think the point of that particular story was that Michael was so intensely competitive and had such a desire to win and was always playing head games with his opponents. He was always trying to get into their heads and psyche them. Whatever advantage he could generate competitively, he would do it. But then that's counterbalanced by this incredible compassionate side of him - an interest in other people, particularly the disadvantaged. I came up with dozens of stories over the years of Michael, the humanitarian, who took such an interest in other people -- had time for them. He would never short-shrift or snub anybody that needed a kind word or a word of hope from him. So that was probably my favorite chapter, chapter 10 -- about respect, trust and loyalty to people. I think that was the chapter I enjoyed the most.
NS: Why didn't you interview Michael for the book?
PW: Well, I wrote Michael and I told him what I was doing and asked him if he would just bless the project - which he did. I did not speak to Michael. He's got so much going on in his life, that it just wasn't going to happen. However, everybody in his inner circle - just about everybody, talked to me. Most of them said 'Well let me check with Michael first,' and they all ended up talking to me and sharing a wonderful insight or story. So Michael did play a very key role in this book simply by letting me talk to everybody in his life. That's really what I wanted. I didn't really need to talk to Michael because I collected everything he said over his whole career, just about, that would be applicable to this book. I was interested in getting stories and insights of people who played with or against him or knew him from a different phase of his life.
NS: Have you gotten any kind of reaction from Michael regarding the book?
PW: I've gotten a wonderful reaction from his mother, who wrote me a fabulous letter. She was thrilled with the book. We're making a contribution from every book sold to the James Jordan Foundation, that's Michael's late father. It's at work in Chicago for inner city kids and their future education. So we're making a contribution for every book that's sold. And Mrs. Jordan, who heads up that foundation, was thrilled with the book. So Michael's well aware - I've sent him a copy. Signed a book and sent it to him. So that I can say I gave Michael Jordan my autograph. How's that? So the initial response from the Jordan side is very positive.
NS: That's wonderful. You mentioned you're working on some new projects. Can you tell us a bit about that?
PW: I am. The publisher is very pleased with this first book, How to Be Like Mike. So i've had discussions with them about other books in a "How to Be Like.." series. It's quite an interesting thing when you think and write names down. There's some fascinating potential. How to be like Tiger. How to be like Oprah. How to be like Cal Ripken. How to be like Walt Disney, etc. So we've got lots of different ideas we're working through because the publisher would like to keep this series going now that they've seen the first one. And I would love to try and do it.
NS: Excellent. Well, that's it for my questions. Is there anything else you'd like to share?
PW: Thanks a lot Neela. It's good to talk to you. The book is in bookstores across the country. I hope everyone enjoys it - How to Be Like Mike. I think in this great period of tragedy and trying to rebuild a nation and a world, I just have a feeling that How to Be Like Mike could be valuable. We are all going to need these qualities of Michael in abundance no matter who we are, in trying to rebuild this country. So I'm hopeful that this book and the timing of this book can make a difference in people's lives.
NS: I think so. Thanks again.
PW: Thank you.
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