Deloris Jordan played a pivotal role in shaping the life of her son Michael Jordan. She instilled in Michael a strong work ethic and a drive to succeed that would later become the foundation of his legendary basketball career.
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Deloris encouraged Michael to pursue his passion for sports and instilled in him a sense of discipline and determination that would later help him to overcome adversity and become one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
In addition to being a supportive mother, Deloris also played an active role in her son’s basketball career. She attended his games and provided him with guidance and support, both on and off the court. She helped him navigate the challenges of fame and success and encouraged him to use his platform to give back to his community.
Deloris also played a key role in shaping Michael’s character. She taught him the importance of integrity, humility, and compassion, and instilled in him a strong sense of social responsibility.
Through her example, Michael learned the value of giving back to others and has since become a philanthropist and advocate for social justice causes.
Deloris Jordan reveals when Michael Jordan first showed glimpses of his special talent
Deloris Jordan released a book about parenting called Family First in 1996, a few months after MJ’s 4th championship. She was interviewed on an Australian TV show called The Today Show as part of its promotional campaign.
During the interview, she was asked when her illustrious son first showed signs of his really special athletic talents. While Deloris mentioned that he’d played many sports till that point, it was in junior high that his basketball talent really shone through:
“Let’s go back (to) maybe his junior year in high school. Prior to then, he played baseball, he played football – he played all sports. (During) His junior year, we sent him off to camp to participate in basketball camp, both him and (brother) Larry (Jordan).”
“There the coaches realized his skills in reference to basketball. They began to write letters and suggest that Michael come to their college whenever he completed high school. Mr Jordan and I thought they were crazy – they were giving him a scholarship just to play basketball.”
“But I think Michael recognized from the attention he got at camp what his skills and how hard he truly had worked. He still wasn’t where he needed to be a great athlete, and I think his senior year, he worked hard.”
MJ had a great college career before setting the NBA alight
Jordan accepted a scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina after his high school tenure finished. He played under coach Dean Smith for 3 years, winning an NCAA title as well as National Player of the Year trophies.
MJ obviously came to the NBA and performed as well as any rookie in league history. But it was his work during his formative years that catapulted him to GOAT status.
