Michael Jordan, who started the Air Jordan brand, used to fight his brother Larry Jordan after their fierce pickup games.
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Michael Jordan is a fierce competitor. The documentary Last dance made that part of him famous to the world. The world finally knew to what extent MJ would take things. The kind of challenges he regularly pushed himself through.
He often took on normal statements as declarations of war. He would then use those statements to dominate his opponents.
The credit for the birth of Michael Jordan’s fierceness goes to his father James Jordan. But the credit for sharpening his skills to back up his mentality goes to Larry Jordan.
Michael Jordan and Larry fought each other after one-on-one games
Larry and Michael grew up going at each other in pickup games. The two were absolute rivals. And things would often turn sour following their battles. In fact, their games were so intense that they would often end in fights. Michael’s mother Deloris fondly recalled their one-on-one games and rivalry.
In the book Michael Jordan: The Life, writer Roland Lazenby revealed the altercations between the brothers. He wrote how the two fierce competitors would often meet on the court built by their father.
Larry was the older one and therefore naturally stronger. But Michael, even though younger, had a height advantage.
It took MJ a while to figure out how to use his height advantage. However, once he did learn to use his height, Larry found out the harsh truth of life. Standing at just 5’7″, Larry wasn’t physically built for basketball.
But his dominance remained until Jordan was unable to exploit his height. Once Michael mastered that, it was game over for Larry. But throughout the years, the two fought so fiercely, so ardently, that Michael came out of it a warrior.
For years to come, his battles with Larry, a stronger, better opponent, helped MJ fight his doubts. If he could take Larry as a kid, he could take on anybody.
MJ reminded his brother about the Air Jordan brand
The two brothers were evenly matched growing up. But with his growth spurt, Jordan quickly left his older brother behind.
Michael always revered his brother and spoke fondly of him. But frankly, the Chicago Bulls legend was far beyond any talent before and after him.
Once, when Jordan was already an NBA sensation, the brother again indulged in a nostalgic one-on-one. During that game, Michael Jordan paused mid-game, pointed at his brother’s shoes, and reminded him whose name was on the shoes.
Safe to say, Larry was wearing Air Jordans. So, Mike definitely had all the bragging rights.
Do you think Larry could have been as good as Jordan if he was close to MJ’s height?
