If Michael Jordan’s career is divided into two phases, the first phase is the image of a fulfilled superstar, while the second phase is the image of a warrior rising to become a legend.
Michael Jordan with his parents when he first joined the NBA. Photo: AP .
Michael was born and raised in a good family, in one of the well-off neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York. His mother, Mrs. Deloris, is a banker. The father, James Jordan, is an equipment monitoring expert.
Michael has two older brothers, an older sister and a younger sister. One of Michael’s two brothers worked to the position of Regimental Commander of a US Air Force regiment. The remaining people are well educated and have stable careers. But Michael is a special member of the family.
Revealing his basketball talent early on, Michael received his father’s full support. Mr. James, although he loves baseball, is always willing to spend a few hours every day to take his son to play basketball. He was also the one who encouraged Michael when the boy was criticized for being short on the Laney High School football team. At that time, Michael was still hesitating between his options of pursuing a career in basketball, football or baseball.
When Michael was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA Draft, Mr. James cried with joy because he knew how hard his son had to work to both earn a degree from the University of North Carolina and pursue a basketball career. In response, Michael did not disappoint his father. America still remembers the photo of Michael and James Jordan embracing each other with joy after winning the first NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls in 1991.
Jordan and his son celebrate after winning their first NBA championship in 1991. Photo: AP .
Two consecutive seasons later, Michael was not only the brightest star in the NBA, but also the number one symbol of American sports, winning two more championships. But perhaps even in his worst nightmare, Michael did not expect that the 1993 NBA Cup would be the last time he would share joy with the father he loved so much.
Because, what followed was a tragedy…
At the end of July 1993, on the way back from a friend’s funeral, Mr. James disappeared. His family initially thought he was going somewhere to visit friends far away so they did not notify the police. Michael was training before the new season with his Chicago Bulls teammates.
In early August, police found Mr. James’s body near a swamp in the woods. The body even began to decompose, making identification difficult. Three days later, authorities were forced to cremate the body, before Michael received DNA test results to confirm that it was his father.
Construction worker Hal Locklear discovered James Jordan’s body in a wooded area nearly 200km south of Charlotte. Photo: Highsnobiety .
The two perpetrators with Mr. James then fell into the trap of the law. When they were arrested, they still had the hat and two NBA championship rings that Michael gave his father as souvenirs.
The summer of 1993 became the greatest tragedy in Michael’s life. He completely avoided the media, did not say a word to reporters, and did not even appear at the trial of the case. Michael’s two brothers did those difficult things for Michael. Michael cowered, completely collapsed and made a decision that shocked the whole United States.
On October 6, 1993, the number one NBA star announced his retirement from basketball to pursue a career in baseball, his father’s favorite sport. Not long after, Michael played in the colors of the Chicago White Sox and Birmingham Barons baseball clubs. At this time, the Chicago Bulls decided to permanently retire his number 23 shirt as an act of gratitude and deep condolences.
But Michael’s love and passion for basketball didn’t stop there.
A full year after leaving the NBA, Michael overcame the biggest psychological shock of his life, and also one of the biggest tragedies in NBA history. He decided to return, signed a second contract with the Chicago Bulls and immediately played a key role in the team’s three consecutive championships from 1996-1998.
When the Chicago Bulls won the NBA championship in 1996, right on Father’s Day, Michael refused to participate in the celebration with his teammates. He quickly went back to the dressing room and fell on the floor, crying for his unfortunate father. To this day, this is still one of the most touching and sympathetic images in NBA history.
Michael face down on the floor and cried for his father, after winning the championship in 1996.
Michael then continued to maintain excellent performance to extend his career until the age of 40 with the Washington Wizards. The number one icon of American sports ended nearly 20 years of professional competition in the NBA in a more perfect way.
The story of Michael Jordan’s strong comeback is still an inspiration for many athletes. Tragedy in their personal lives can happen to anyone, but for NBA stars, they face much more difficulty because they are also burdened with the pressure of expectations, achievements and huge salaries they receive every day. year.
Tournament history has proven that not everyone can do miracles like Michael Jordan did. His great image is clearly not built only by basketball shots or NBA trophies.
