Michael Jordan’s mother ‘locked him in a car’ at 12 years old to make sure he learned his lesson

Michael Jordan is the NBA’s greatest player, and he has been a successful businessman after his career too. He took a lot of lessons away from his mother Deloris Jordan to reach where he is now.

The Bulls legend has accomplished what NBA players dream of doing in his career. Six championships, six Finals MVP’s, five NBA MVP’s, an obvious Hall of Fame induction, and much more has cemented Jordan’s legacy as the greatest NBA player of all time.

So, why was his career so confusing? Well, he retired thrice in his career, to give you some context. If that sounds weird to you, that’s because it is. His first retirement was by far the most surprising as it came only nine years into his career, and he had just started to win at the highest level, coming off of his first threepeat.

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Michael Jordan learned discipline from his mother at 12-years old

Jordan’s commitment to basketball and his love for the game is part of why he became so successful. However, he was also extremely disciplined and dedicated to his craft.

He learned this discipline from an early age with his mother. Jordan has a strong connection with his mom, Deloris Jordan, and she missed no chance to help her son grow into the person and athlete he became.

Once, Jordan was suspended from school as a 12-year old for picking a fight with other students, and his mom took decisive action to make sure it never happened again.

Since Jordan was suspended, Deloris wanted to ensure that her son wouldn’t be sitting around, using the suspension as an opportunity to be lazy and do whatever he wanted. Instead, she made sure he read a lot during his time off.

“He tells me it would be considered child abuse today,” Deloris explained. “But it was a tough age and I knew I had to set the precedent. I took him to work and made him stay in the car all day and read.”

“I could see him from the bank window, I wanted him to know I was always watching him. We went to lunch, and then after dinner, I knew a lady at the library, so he stayed there and read some more. We didn’t have any more trouble from him after that.”

Deloris played a key part in Jordan’s development, and she is a big reason for his success. She took every opportunity to make Jordan better, even when he was suspended from school.

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