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Michael Jordan would’ve gotten 13 years in jail if he killed the man who murdered his father, according to John Salley

Samir Mehdi
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Michael Jordan would’ve gotten 13 years in jail if he killed the man who murdered his father, according to John Salley

John Salley once claimed Michael Jordan would’ve served a similar term to O.J. Simpson if he had the man who killed his father, killed. 

Michael Jordan was already contemplating leaving the NBA behind after winning his second straight championship following an NBA Finals win over Clyde Drexler and the Blazers in 1992. During that ‘92 summer, he would tell Magic at the Barcelona Olympics that he was considering retirement as he’d lost some love for the game. 

Even in an interview with Playboy that same year, MJ claimed that he probably had 4 more years left in him before hanging up the Js. However, something unfortunate took place during the summer of 1993 that would speed up his retirement from basketball, that being the murder of his father, James Jordan. 

This led to Michael Jordan retiring from the NBA and pursuing Minor League Baseball in hopes of getting to the Major League. Baseball was a sport that his father always wanted him to play and he chose this path from 1993 to 1995 to honor him.

Also read: “Michael Jordan had more games with 45 points scored than games with less than 15 points!”: Bizarre stat reveals just how prolific a scorer the Bulls GOAT was

When talking about this situation on VladTV, an interesting angle to it all is brought up to John Salley, MJ’s former Bulls teammate who played with him for 17 games in the ‘96 season. 

Michael Jordan would’ve ended up behind bars if he tried to get the convicted murderer killed. 

Vlad interviewed Jayson Williams, a man who lost his sister in a brutal attack. A book was referenced where it is written that Jordan confessed to Williams that if he had a chance to have his father’s killer murdered, he might not have backed away from going through with it. 

When asked about his thoughts on this being Jordan’s potential mindset, John Salley used O.J. Simpson an analogy, saying, “Look what happened to O.J. O.J told 2 guys to show up with him, he’s gonna go get his stuff. Next thing you know, O.J gets 13 years in jail.” 

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Essentially, Salley doesn’t believe that Jordan had any intention on ever going through with or even considering something as drastic as what was suggested by Williams in that book. 

In an interview, Daniel Green, the man who was convicted of killing James Jordan, claimed that if Michael Jordan wanted him dead, he most definitely would’ve been. Hence, even Green doesn’t believe the 6x champ had any motive to commit a crime of his own against him.

Also read: Michael Jordan earned $7 million 32 years ago but had to put on 15 pounds of muscle to bear Isiah Thomas and Pistons’ physicality

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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