Michael Jordan, the six time NBA champion and one of the greatest athletes that the world has ever seen, was a force to be reckoned with on the court. While Michael Jordan achieved immense success in his professional life, his personal life was struck by tragedy after his father was murdered when Jordan was at the peak of his career. A tragedy so brutal that it seems Michael Jordan never really came to terms with it.
Michael Jordan’s words on what his father, James Jordan Sr., taught him as the NBA icon struggled with grief after his brutal murder
Michael Jordan’s father, James Jordan Sr., was tragically murdered in July 1993 when he was resting in his car.Months later, in 1994, Michael Jordan opened up about his father in the New York Times article titled “A Humbled Jordan Learns New Truths”.The six time NBA champion said, “My father used to say that it’s never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said you never know what you can accomplish until you try.”Michael Jordan also opened up about grieving his father’s death as he added, “I talk to him more in the subconscious than actual words. ‘Keep doing what you’re doing,’ he’d tell me. ‘Keep trying to make it happen. You can’t be afraid to fail. Don’t give a damn about the media'”.It has been over three decades since Michael Jordan’s father, James Jordan Sr., was brutally murdered but the NBA legend Michael Jordan has continued to speak about how much his father inspired him in his career and pushed him towards basketball.In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Michael Jordan said, “He was my rock. . We were very close. He constantly gave me advice. I remember in ninth grade I got suspended three times in one year, and my father pulled me aside that summer and said: ‘Look, you don’t look like you’re heading in the right direction. You know, if you want to go about doing all this mischievous stuff, you can forget sports.'”The NBA icon added, “That’s all I needed to hear. From that point on, it was like tunnel vision and I never got in trouble from that point on.”
What really happened to Michael Jordan’s father, James Jordan Sr., and how the NBA icon struggled to keep up with his professional commitments as he grieved
For the unversed, Michael Jordan’s father was shot by two teenagers in 1993 as they attempted to rob him while James Jordan Sr. pulled over on Interstate 95 to take a nap while returning from a funeral.The two teenagers stole his car and his belongings including his championship rings and dumped his body in a South Carolina swamp.Tragically, James Jordan Sr.’s body was not found for 11 days as his identity was confirmed only through dental records days later.Michael Jordan’s father’s murder was so tragic that it forced the NBA icon to opt for an early retirement as he heavily struggled with his emotions.While many were disappointed when Michael Jordan announced his retirement in 1994, the NBA icon bounced back on the court in 1996 with the Chicago Bulls even as he grieved his father’s death.Today, it has been three decades since the brutal murder but Michael Jordan has continued to speak about the legacy that his father left behind and the lessons he taught him growing up.
