Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all-time by most people.

Not only did he win six championships, but in the clutch he seemed to score every single time the Bulls needed a big shot.

It was uncanny. You knew Jordan was going to get the ball at the end of the game, but it seemed like he scored every time.

Of course, that wasn’t the case. Nobody can score every time they touch the ball, especially when the pressure is on.

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games,” Jordan said on a Nike commercial in the 1990s.

“Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

That quote should be in every gymnasium in the country because it shows the mindset of an all-time great, one who never enjoyed losing at anything. Jordan not only believed the Bulls could win every game they played, but he expected to make every shot he took.

The point is, Jordan wasn’t scared of failing, and he went for it over and over.

That’s the same mentality Scott Malone and the city of LaGrange have taken when it comes to trying to lure businesses and industries to our city.

That’s why LaGrange put in a bid for Amazon’s second headquarters, despite not meeting two of the e-commerce company’s main requirements. It’s why Malone, despite that fact, believed LaGrange had a real chance.

Why wouldn’t he?

We’re not sure many people would’ve expected Jindal Films, Sentury Tire and Great Wolf Lodge to open operations in LaGrange, but they did.

Of course, they wouldn’t have if LaGrange hadn’t shown interest and thrown itself into the mix for those companies.

There’s been some criticism of the city for pursuing Amazon.

Why even try?

As Malone said, why not try? What did it hurt?

Not every project the economic development authority works on is going to be a home run, but every now and then you’ve got to swing for the fences, especially when there’s so much to gain and nothing to lose.

What exactly did the city lose by putting in a bid?

We’re sure Malone and Kelley Bush put a lot of effort into it, but we also doubt it took long to submit the necessary paperwork. So yes, they might’ve lost some hours out of a few days, but outside of that, they went for it.

Oh, and by the way, there may be benefits from submitting the application.

Amazon likely knew very little, if anything, about LaGrange before this process.

Now, they’ve made contacts within LaGrange and know who they need to talk to if there’s ever a way the two sides can work out a deal in the future.

If Atlanta wins the bid — which is far from a guarantee — LaGrange would reap the benefits from it.

In the end, LaGrange took a big chance and missed, but didn’t really lose anything.

And if Amazon does end up calling Atlanta home for its second headquarters, the city may have missed and still win.