Michael Jordan is arguably the most famous basketball player to ever live. But while most details and anecdotes surrounding His Airness are common knowledge, some details surrounding his personal life, especially concerning his father, remain quite mysterious still.
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James Jordan‘s mysterious death and the rumors revolving around the same remain a blot of intrigue in the legacy of Michael Jordan. Stories regarding gambling debts and business troubles have routinely done their rounds on the internet and have shrouded the entire narrative involving James and Michael Jordan.
In this regard, Roland Lazenby might be the most well-accepted source when it comes to documenting Michael Jordan. The author of Michael Jordan: The Life, narrated one perspective that doesn’t border on the unrealistic, unlike most common sources. And this includes MJ’s sister Deloris Jordan and scares associated with James Jordan’s mishaps in managing business and finances.
Also read: After Phil Knight’s Disapproval, Michael Jordan’s Father Split with Nike Over $2 Million Dispute
It was only when James Jordan went missing in 1993 that the Jordan family became fully aware of his business failure.
MJ’s father was clearly a very secretive man. For his very own daughter to get the startling revelation that payroll cheques had bounced for instance only upon his mysterious disappearance is surprising.
Lazenby describes Deloris Jordan’s plight in Michael Jordan: The Life and provides a shocking glimpse into the turmoil in the Jordan family. “Mr. Jordan’s fifty-seventh birthday had come and gone by the time his older daughter took a phone call from his secretary on August 2. She told Sis that she was alarmed. While James Jordan usually checked in every day, the secretary had not heard from him in almost two weeks. It was then that the daughter learned of the dire circumstances of her father’s business. Payroll checks had bounced, causing employees to walk off the job. The secretary also told the daughter that Mr. Jordan had missed his flight to Chicago on July 23.”
The fact that James Jordan’s close family was in the dark surrounding the situation he found himself in is alarming to say the least. Unfortunately, Michael Jordan’s father’s disappearance wasn’t a mere “man missing” incident. Later in 1993, James was found in a state of extreme decomposition.
James Jordan’s disappearance around his 57th birthday was brought to his daughter’s attention by his secretary. The information came in the form of a warning and also tipped the family of possible financial trouble.
This wasn’t the first instance of James’ apparent financial incompetence coming to the fore, however. After the failure of ‘Flight 23’ retail brands, the control of which was vested with James Jordan as part of MJ’s Nike deal, there were losses to the tune of $2 million that had been accrued.
Michael Jordan and Nike cut ties with James Jordan and MJ’s father started his own business with the settlement money.
From what he had earned from his buyout by Nike, James went his own way in the world of business. And it was this that tanked spectacularly and revealed itself to his family as James went missing.
While the excerpt provides no additional details regarding James Jordan’s passing, it certainly provides a deep dive into the circumstances under which he went missing. There was certainly a lot going wrong, and there weren’t many aware of what was truly taking shape.
Did the financial issues have anything to do with James’ eventual death as conspiracists may suggest? Or was it merely an issue that bothered him seriously during his last days? One might never know.
