“Hadn’t Been Spoiled by the Media Spotlight”: Michael Jordan Once Chose Tar Heels Over the Bulls Owing to His Unknown Status in College

Through the ’80s and the ’90s, Michael Jordan dominated the NBA with his sheer prowess and talent to cement his legacy as arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. Before making his breakthrough in the league as the third-overall pick and a Chicago Bulls star, Jordan played college basketball for the University of North Carolina’s Tar Heels basketball team.

One would be surprised to know that when Jordan was asked to choose between his tenures with the Chicago Bulls and the North Carolina Tar Heels, the 6x NBA champion found more pleasure in playing for his college team than the Bulls in the NBA.

In an interview with Marvin R. Shanken back in 2005 for the Cigar Aficionado, Jordan discussed his life, achievements, dreams, and insights on the league after a glorious 15-season playing career. Explaining his choice of  choosing his college team over the Chicago Bulls, Jordan said,

“At North Carolina, when they recruited me and asked me to attend the university, it was an opportunity to prove myself.”

Jordan further added that no one knew how good he was at that time. While playing for UNC, several NBA scouts and teams started touting Michael Jordan as a future league prospect. Here, Jordan claimed the foundations for his future prospectful career were laid.

“The University of North Carolina really gave me the foundation that it took to become a basketball player. Up to then, I hadn’t been spoiled by the media spotlight.”

The 6x Finals MVP then mentioned that he was still ‘raw’ back then and had an appetite to prove to everybody that he was a good enough basketball player to be at North Carolina. Jordan called that feeling more satisfying than playing for the Bulls.

Nevertheless, Jordan was noticed by the Chicago Bulls, which was all that was required to discover the league’s arguably greatest player. His media exposure and spotlight in the latter half of his career established him as an international icon.

Jordan’s career inspired several future league stars and undeniably made the NBA become the global sporting league it is today.

Michael Jordan regretted missing his senior year of college in North Carolina

Michael Jordan played for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 1981 to 1984 before enrolling himself in the NBA draft. To do so, he missed his senior year of college, which he still regrets to this day. However, he was happy about leaving him for the first time and meeting new people. Speaking to Martin R. Shanken, Jordan said,

“Yeah, because I had a great time in college. It was the first time I’d been away from home. I’d met new people and made new friends. It was an exciting time. It was just fun.”

Explaining further his reason for making an early jump, Jordan revealed it was his coach, Dean Smith’s call. MJ and his family relied heavily on coach Smith’s experience, who often gave Jordan great insights into his game and career. When Smith found the best opportunity for MJ to make it in professional basketball, the Bulls legend weighed all the pros and cons to declare his draft eligibility in 1984.