Hurt By Keys to Used Car, Michael Jordan’s Sister Accused Brother of Controlling Family with His Money

“I think he’s God disguised as Michael Jordan”, this quote from Larry Bird perfectly encapsulates the presence of Michael Jordan during his time in the NBA. However, every human unfortunately has a vice, and his was gambling. On occasion, it even reached a point where his family members were infuriated with him. In the book Michael Jordan: The Life, his elder sister Deloris E. Jordan explained how raising her voice against Jordan’s gambling problems landed her on his wrong side.

MJ was known for being a hothead. On the court, this personality trait made him one of the fiercest competitors to ever lace up. However, keeping the same energy in his personal life burnt many bridges.

His fallout with Charles Barkley, who used to be a good friend at one point is also associated with his inability to take criticism. And much to the chagrin of the family, something very similar took place MJ’s sister called him out for his bad habits.

Roland Lazenby wrote in the book, “She [Michael Jordan’s sister] remained a persistent critic of her rich and famous younger brother, especially over his gambling substantial sums while she and other members of the family struggled financially. Her criticism apparently had a price.”

Jordan had a Nissan dealership at the time, and as expected, everyone in his family received a new whip courtesy of this dealership—everyone, except Deloris. Instead, as per the book, all MJ got for his elder sister was a key to a used, old car.

As one might expect, this was never going to sit well with Deloris as it made her an outcast in her own family. Lazenby wrote, “She pointed to that slight as evidence that he used his wealth to control them.”

Deloris saw this move from MJ as something bigger than an issue that revolved around just the car. She believed that her brother was trying to control her family with his money, and since she was the only one to speak against him, she was being mistreated.

Perhaps things may not be as cut and dry as they seem here. However, it does seem like there is some truth to Deloris’s words here. After all, Jordan was hardly the kind of person who couldn’t afford another Nissan during the prime of his career. Instead, this seems like one of the many times Michael and Deloris refused to agree with one another.

Michael Jordan and his elder sister don’t see eye to eye

A fallout like this in any family is painful. But when you are the biggest celebrity in the country, it becomes tougher to navigate through that phase. In the case of MJ and Deloris, their relationship has been ruined for a long time. According to the book, she believes, “With the birth of his bigger-than-life image, he has become imprisoned by his public status and hardened by the strain of success.”

Deloris felt that MJ had lost touch with reality due to his public persona during this time. She claimed that it reached a level where even if he was around his family, Jordan was a “walking and talking conglomerate.”

Deloris’s anger with MJ had reached a head years before Lazenby’s book came out. She even released In My Family’s Shadow in 2001, something that was akin to the last nail in the coffin for them. Today, not much is known about their relationship. However, it is only likely that it is very similar to the cold one Michael Jordan shares with Charles Barkley today.