Michael Jordan’s father James Jordan was closer to his Bulls teammates than his son, per $1.6 million NBA retiree

Michael Jordan was notoriously cold towards his teammates but apparently, his father was the exact opposite, a former Bull tells the tale.  

The Bulls legend was no stranger to distance. He was notoriously cold towards his own brothers and despite the closeness to his father, he was still viewed by almost everyone as distant.

His teammates have often complained about his desire to be competitive. For some, it was often too much, and as per Michael himself, it’s just his drive, his motor. He cried when he talked about his desire to win.

People often overlook this fact but he was perhaps the most driven individual in the NBA. But his father, James Jordan was the complete opposite.

As per one of Michael’s former teammates, Will Perdue, a center for the Bulls, Jame Jordan was far closer to teammates than many expect.

Also, read Michael Jordan: The only player to scoop 5 honors in a single season, 4 times!

James Jordan was a real one, he would bond with Michael’s Bulls teammates more than him

Michael would destroy his teammates in practice, this is a story we are all familiar with. But unlike him, his father was a sweetheart. During an interview with CBS Sports Perdue said this of James:

“As far as M.J.’s dad, he was the nicest person. You’d be so surprised … his dad was always around the practice facility. As soon as practice was over, Michael would be gone, but his dad would drive separately, and his dad would stay behind and hang out with us. I remember numerous occasions when we were at the Berto Center, the practice facility, him and I would just sit down and have conversations about anything and everything. 

If you were there shooting late, he might come out and rebound for you, he might come out and just start talking to you when you’re shooting free throws, walk with you as you walk off of the floor. He might come in the locker room, he had the run of the joint. He was so genuine, he was such a gentleman. Quite honestly, a lot of the players had stronger and better relationships with him than they had with Michael, and a lot of it was that he made himself more available than Michael did.”

Former Chicago Bulls center Will Perdue on Michael Jordan’s father, James Jordan

Was Michael Jordan really a monster to his teammates?

Unlike the 5-time MVP, James was kind and gentle. He could often strike a deeper chord with the Bulls players. And that is not surprising to us at all.

Will Perdue won’t mind the distant relationship with Michael, being his teammate helped him amass a $1.6 million net worth and won three championships.

What do you think about this story? His father’s softness might shine a light on an act, a facade maybe? Was Michael really that cold? Let us know.

Also read: 10x scoring champ Michael Jordan had 33 more games where he put up 45+ points than when he scored 15 or less