Michael Jordan was forced to carry around towels and clothes for players on varsity, resulting his parents feeling a certain type of way.
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The Michael Jordan that we see today is a far cry from the Michael Jordan that existed in the late 1970s. During that time, MJ was in high school and would try out for the Varsity basketball team as a sophomore who stood at merely 5’11.
He attended Emsley A. Laney High School, a school situated in Wilmington and the notion that the team didn’t recognize his talents is a bit false. In reality, the team was short on tall players. Since Jordan was below 6 feet tall, they passed on him and gave a Varsity spot to his friend Leroy Smith who was already 6’7.
This resulted in the future 3rd overall pick being pushed down to Junior Varsity. Despite showcasing his talents on JV, Varsity would not call him up to play for them during a crucial state playoff game.
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Jordan’s parents were subjected to watching their son be a towel boy for the Varsity team.
Michael Jordan was under the impression at the time that if he showed up for the Varsity play-off game, his coach would perhaps put him in for a while, given his immense individual success on JV. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
According to an interview with GQ in 1989, MJ was forced to sit at the end of the bench, carry a player’s uniform to the gym, and bring towels for the guys playing in Varsity. His parents, Deloris and James, were in the stands believing they would get to see their son play. This however, never happened.
In that same interview, Jordan described his parents as looking ‘depressed’. And rightfully so. It’s clear that Michael had all the raw talent in the world and not having your son be given a chance is tough for any parent to witness.
Eventually, Jordan would be given that chance in his junior year at Laney.
How Michael Jordan get the Varsity spot.
Michael Jordan got hit with a well-timed growth spurt. That sums up the reason as to why Laney gave him a chance and would rejoice at the instant success they experienced. He would be 6’3 in his junior year and would cap off his spurt at 6’6 by the time he was a senior.
He instantly became the best player on his team, racking up McDonald’s All-American honors all while leading the squad to a 19-4 record his senior year. He even averaged a triple double the same season.
Soon enough, Jordan was being coached by Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina and the rest is history.
