“Same man who cut me now works at my camp and I give him the dirty jobs”: How Michael Jordan gave Clifton ‘Pop’ Herring, his high school basketball coach, once becoming a Chicago Bull

Michael Jordan hilariously talks about being cut from the high school varsity basketball team by Clifton Herring and later giving him a job. 

When Michael Jordan finally wrapped up his illustrious NBA career for the third and final time, it was quite unfathomable to think about the legendary Chicago Bull not being the greatest of all time. Of course, now with LeBron James on the rise in that debate, a small percentage of fans believe the 4x champ has overtaken the UNC graduate. 

Given the way Michael Jordan made his way to the top, it makes it all the more impressive that he accomplished what he did. The 6’6 guard has talked at length, both in interviews and on his ‘Last Dance’ docuseries about his experiences in high school and what he had to do to finally be able to show off his talents against the best in the country.

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Perhaps the most famous story Jordan has about his time in high school would be the fact that, not only did he not make varsity as a freshman, but was cut and placed in junior varsity as a sophomore. 

Michael Jordan recounts the time he was cut from the varsity team. 

Michael Jordan took to ‘Late night with David Letterman’ in 1989 to talk about various things ranging from his current series against the Cavs to his time as a high schooler in North Carolina. Here, he would recount the time he was cut by the varsity head coach, Clifton ‘Pop’ Herring, as a sophomore. 

“I was about 5’10 and I really couldn’t make a layup and chew gum at the same time. I thought I should’ve been on the team. That was my freshman year. My sophomore year I barely made the team and didn’t start to play until middle-way of the season. The same guy who cut me became my head coach at my camp and I gave him the dirty jobs.” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAVMPBvG4eQ&list=PL99mMSsFTVx5sX1fwbm8FtJBvtbe9jDes&index=6

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‘Pop’ was quite close to Michael Jordan actually, as he only sent Jordan to junior varsity to further hone his skills, as he did recognize the raw talent the eventual 6x NBA Finals MVP had within him.