Michael Jordan Siblings: Exploring The Lives Of Larry Jordan And 3 Other Siblings Of The 6x NBA Champion

NBA legend Michael Jordan is one of the most famous personalities in the world, however, not many people know about his siblings

Michael Jordan is perhaps the greatest player ever to step foot on a basketball court. The 6’6 guard could do basically anything and everything one could dream of. His Airness played in the NBA for 15 seasons, and won 6 NBA Championships and 6 Finals MVPs during that time.

MJ is one of the most competitive athletes, and a huge credit for the same goes to his upbringing. Michael Jordan was the fourth child of the family, and was born in New York City. Soon after Michael was born, the family shifted to Wilmington, North Carolina, to raise the children in a safe environment.

MJ is the fourth child out of five children. He has two elder brothers, James R. Jordan Jr and Larry Jordan, one elder sister, Deloris E. Jordan, and one younger sister, Roslyn Jordan. Each of the kids had different talents, with Larry and Mike being the athletes of the family. Their mother, Deloris Jordan, always used to say, “I always told my children, ‘Each one of you has special gifts, it’s how you use them,’”

Let’s take a deeper dive into MJ’s siblings and their lives.

Michael Jordan’s Brothers:

James R. Jordan Jr:

Born in 1957, James Ronald Jordan Jr. was named after their father, James Jordan Sr. The eldest son was in the Junior ROTC for three years and followed in his father’s footsteps. He joined the military in 1975. There, he did three tours of Iraq and reached the ranks of Command Sergeant Major in the Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps.

Larry Jordan:

Larry Jordan was the third of five children. Born in 1962 in Wallace, North Carolina, Larry was the other athletic kid in the family. He used to give MJ a tough time, and helped him shape up to be the competitor he is today. Larry stopped growing past 5’8,” and once Michael outgrew him, that was the end of Larry winning competitions against his brother.

During his docuseries, Last Dance, Michael credited Larry for a lot. He said,

“I don’t think from a competitive standpoint, I would be here without the confrontations with my brother… So my determination got even greater to be as good if not better than my brother.” 

Michael Jordan’s Sisters:

Deloris E. Jordan:

Deloris E. Jordan was born in 1959 and was the second child out of five. She is named after their mother, Deloris Jordan. She became an author and published her memoir in 2001, titled ‘In My Family’s Shadow: Sister of Sports Phenom Michael Jordan.’ In the memoir, she called out their father for sexually abusing her when she was younger.

This caused a rift in the family, which was later resolved. Deloris has had two life-threatening suicide attempts, and has been divorced twice. She currently lives in Pennsylvania and is a real estate agent, a minister, and a motivational and inspirational speaker.

Roselyn Jordan:

Rosely Jordan was the youngest of five siblings. Born in 1964, Roselyn is a published author, and has also written books with their mother.

Roselyn has three books to her name, ‘Salt in His Shoes’, ‘Michael’s Golden Rules,’ and ‘Did I Tell You I Love You Today?’