When Jordan was about seven years old, in 1970, his family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, the town he would later consider to be his hometown. He began playing basketball at an early age, often with his older
Michael Jordan
brother Larry. "When I was younger," Jordan said on his Web site, "my motivation came from wanting to beat my brother. This inspired my extremely competitive nature."
As a freshman in high school, Jordan joined his school basketball team. It was on his high school team that Jordan chose the jersey number he was later to make famous as a pro, number 23. When later asked why he chose that number, he replied to the Associated Press, "I wanted to wear No. 45 in high school, but my older brother (Larry) wore that number. So I decided to go with half of 45, which is actually 22½." Jordan at first had trouble standing out on the school team. In fact, only a year after joining the team, as a tenth grader, he was cut from the varsity team. But this only pushed him to work harder at perfecting his game. As he later said on his Web site, "I think that not making the Varsity team drove me to really work at my game, and also taught me that if you set goals, and work hard to achieve them—the hard work can pay off."
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10 days ago
i do beloieve dat being cut is not the end of the world but i already read this book jordan was cut because of his siz. he was still btter than half the plp on his team.true he had to work 4 time more to be noticed but after he got taller there was no stopping him so dont take it like even if u never played basketball u can still make it on ur team i am never going to get cut beacause i work hard not to not after i get cut and get this mike was a beast plp he is not like some of u scrubs.
about 1 month ago
At what age did you start playing basketball? By: Darrence Co
3 months ago
u cant let other people define who u are, let others compromise u n tell u u cant play ball i was cut from my JV b ball team as a freshman, played sparringly in 8th grade, I cried like a baby for a whole month after that and didnt know how to go on not being a basketball player. Eventually i stopped being a lil punk and got over it. I knew what talent waited inside me ready to ignite, so i elevated my game over the summer to a point that far surpassed any level the other guys that made the basketball team were at, then i kept working and getting better and better and better. My family moved that summer to a different part of town, so i went to a school that was in the same district and area of my old school, I tried out for their basketball team, a team more respected than my prior team, and made it with ease. I later was promoted to varsity halfway through the year, just in time to play my school last year.......... In this game i let loose all my bent up anger and talent and completely stunned them by scoring and leading my team with 25 points and grabbing ten rebounds, more points and rebounds that i had ever scored in a b ball game up to that point in my life. We won the by ten and demolished them, we also won the district title. I dont know if i mention this but i got cut from jv and i had just beaten the VARSITY team baby!!!! and my life has really become great from this point. I went from a b-c student to straight A, became a ladies man, and accomplished my dreams. i just finished my senior year and have recieved offers to play ball at division one colleges, but will attend UCLA on an academic scholarship. In case u have not comprehended the point yet i just wanted everyone out their who has ever felt pain and dissapointment to know to never give up, anything is truly imposssible when u truly have faith in ur abilities thank you for taking the time to read my post GOD bless all and good luck
3 months ago
hey yall i love basketball and especially when it comes to a fine man named michael jordan who michael jordan yeah thats right and aint nobody can confuse wit me and him. but now im probably the same age as him now lolz cause we use to go to svhool together and boi did we enjoy eachother so jordan even though it was a one night stand there will alwyas be another me and you.
8 months ago
It goes to show that we all are a complex composition of events over which we have little control. Had MJ not been cut from his high school team would he have been the same player? We will of course never know. It is certainly the ultimate revenge fantasy of any highschool player. To use the trauma of such rejection that many of us have faced, namely being cut, and channeling it into such an intensely motivating force is truly inspiring. This force was evidently so great and to the extent that he molded himself into the greatest basketball player that has ever walked the face of the earth! The writers at Marvel Comics would have had a difficult time creating a more far-fetched character.
8 months ago
I quit my basketball team this year because I didn't think I would make the team. After reading this I know next year when I am a jr. I can make the team. Thank you michael you really inspired me. I know how it feels to have an older brother better than you in basketball. If I try my hardest and practice I know I can beat him now.
8 months ago
didnt mj also use the number 13 in highschool?
8 months ago
I recently got cut from the 8th grade basketball team. That was devestating for me i remeber going home crying because basketball is my life i want to play in the NBA when i grow up. Thats my dream. The thing that makes me angery the most is that i worked harder than all the guys who made the team. Since you being my favorite player of all time i remebered that you got cut to and if you didn't get cut from the 8th grade team i wouldn't play basketball ever again. i take this as motivation and im going to work harder than before and try to make the high scool team as a freshman.
9 months ago
all of you all don't have no life sean do you really think that jordan will talk to you, he got better things to do, he don't even know about this website and if yall got cut that means you all are weak as hell
10 months ago
I reliaze that being cut is just a step further in becoming better. I wanted to be around the team,the coach lets me practice with them still, but my title is manager. People have told me i deserved to be on the team even the coach reliazes it now ,but i am ready for next year.
10 months ago
hey whats up mj i feel you man it does make you work harder please write back i need to talk to you
11 months ago
Yo man I was UNFAIRLY cut from my basketball team the coach had me meat the JV bball coach and then let me practice with the varsity as a 9th grader but he seemed to be tryin to embarass me at try-outs. EVERYBODY was SHOCKED when i got cut some people say just for cutting me the coach should be fired but its alright because im gonna play aau again and get stronger
about 1 year ago
I just got kicked off my basketball team. I cried during school but after today there is going to be no more tears I am gonna work harder than everyone else and set my goals.
about 1 year ago
Yo I counld,t have put it better Mike Johnson. Now I know that impoosible is nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
about 1 year ago
By far the greatest to ever play or will ever play the game of basketball....As you can tell getting cut doesnt always mean "give up you wont make it" and Michael is a fine example of this!