Michael Jordan shocked the basketball world when he stepped away from the NBA after the 1993 season and pursued a career in professional baseball for two years. Even some of his teammates said they were stunned by the announcement. But there was one person who knew it was coming: Jordan’s dad.
During episode 7 of “The Last Dance” documentary on ESPN, Jordan said his father was the only person who knew about the plans.
“After we won the (1993) championship, I sat in the gym with my father. In the back of my mind, I knew that was probably my last game. And nobody really knew except my father and myself,” Jordan said in the documentary.
Michael said he viewed his father as a friend as much as a dad.
“He was my rock. We were very close. He constantly gave advice.”
Jordan’s father was murdered on July 23, 1993, just over a month after the Bulls won their third title.
Many have wondered what drove MJ to leave basketball to pursue a career in baseball. Some have wondered whether his father’s death played a role in the decision, but according to Jordan, the decision to walk away came earlier than that.
“At that time, we were coming off three championships. I fulfilled my responsibility to the city, to the Bulls, to my teammates,” Jordan says. “I told Phil (Jackson), ‘I have no more challenges, I have no motivation, I was done.'”
Jordan later returned to basketball for a partial 1994-1995 season and retired a second time after winning three more championships. He later returned with the Washington Wizards to end his career.
But this information gives some context and background to the story that has left many asking questions for decades.
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