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Few people shaped Michael Jordan as much as his late father James Jordan Sr. James was tragically murdered on July 23, 1993 and the former NBA star has been open about how his dad’s death impacted his life.
Michael’s Instagram page is mostly full of posts about shoe releases and other business ventures. The Bulls legend posted a rare personal message along with a photo of the two celebrating one of Michael’s six championships.
“My Dad was always one of My Biggest inspirations! Love you pops,” Michael posted on Instagram.
When Michael was criticized for gambling, it was James who stepped in and handled the frequent media questions. James was with his son during his infamous Atlantic City trip prior to Game 2 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks.
“My father said ‘Let’s get away from New York City. Let’s you and I go to Atlantic City,’” Michael explained on The Last Dance, per USA Today. “We got a limo and went and gambled for a couple of hours and came back. Everybody went totally ballistic – ‘He was in the casino last night.’ It wasn’t late. We got home by 12:30, one o’clock.”
Here’s what you need to know.
1. James Was Murdered on July 23, 1993
James was murdered while at a rest stop in North Carolina. Michael’s father had been at a funeral the previous day then spent some time with friends before heading home. According to TMZ, James was missing for 11 days before his body surfaced in South Carolina. James’ body was thrown off a bridge and into the swamp water where it was later found.
Larry Demery and Daniel Green were charged with the murder. Their motives remain unclear other than plans to commit a robbery at the rest stop. Neither Demery or Green realized James’ identity until they later found one of Jordan’s championship rings that he had given his father.
2. Michael Retired From the NBA a Few Months After His Dad’s Death
Michael retired from the NBA for the first time just months after his father’s death. The Bulls legend announced his retirement on October 6, 1993 noting he took comfort in the idea that his father witnessed his last game.
“The most positive thing I can take from my father not being here with me today is that he saw my last basketball game. And that means a lot,” Jordan noted at his retirement announcement, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Michael’s retirement was short-lived as the guard re-joined the NBA on March 18, 1995 after a brief stint playing baseball. James also had a career as a semi-pro baseball player and was a big motivation in Michael’s desire to pursue the sport.
3. Michael Was Born in Brooklyn Where His Father Worked as a Technician
Even the most diehard basketball fans may not realize Michael was originally born in Brooklyn, New York. According to Inside Edition, James was working as a technician for GE and attending school via the GI Bill when Michael was a baby. As crime in the area continued to rise, Michael’s parents opted to move back to North Carolina.
According to WomensHistory.org, James met Michael’s mom, Deloris Jordan, at a high school basketball game in North Carolina. The couple lived in different states after high school as James enlisted in the Air Force while Deloris attended trade school in Alabama.
James and Deloris were married in 1957 and welcomed Michael to the world on February 17, 1963. Michael is one of the couple’s five children.
4. James Built North Carolina Coach Roy Williams a Wood-Burning Stove
James was excellent with his hands as evidenced by this unique story The Last Dance director Jason Hehir told on The Will Cain Show. During Michael’s college recruitment process, James built North Carolina coach Roy Williams a wood-burning stove and delivered it to his house.
“He shows up and he’s got this huge wood stove on this truck,” Hehir explained, per USA Today. “He says (to Williams) ‘I need your help to get it inside your house.’ Roy says I can’t accept that I’m sure it violates some sort of rule or code. Mr. Jordan said, ‘Listen, it took me a lot of time to build this thing, it took me a lot of time to get it on the truck and drive it all the way out to your house. I’m going to be really upset if you make me drive back to this house with this stove that I built for you.’ So the next thing you know they’re installing it in the house.”
Roy was just an assistant at North Carolina at the time making little money. The gesture was just one example of James’ generosity.
5. The Death of His Father Motivated MJ to Pursue a Baseball Career
Michael’s brief stint as a minor league baseball player may seem odd to some people, but it was directly tied to a discussion he had with his father prior to his death. Shortly after retiring from the NBA in 1993, Michael signed with the Chicago White Sox’s minor league affiliate Birmingham Barons to begin a pro baseball career. During a 1994 interview with The New York Times, Michael discussed a conversation he had with his dad.
“It began as my father’s idea,” Jordan told The New York Times in 1994. “We had seen Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders try two sports and my father had said that he felt I could have made it in baseball, too. He said, ‘You’ve got the skills.’ He thought I had proved everything I could in basketball, and that I might want to give baseball a shot. I told him, ‘No, I haven’t done everything. I haven’t won a championship.’ Then I won it, and we talked about baseball on occasion, and then we won two more championships. And then he was killed.”
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