From a very young age, Michael Jordan felt a strong desire to play sports. He developed drive and willpower in the neighborhoods of Wilmington, North Carolina. Basketball and baseball became his passion, as he loved outdoor sports.
He also showed creativity to handle his schoolwork while focusing on basketball. In an interview with Playboy, Jordan explained that he used his allowance to pay his brothers, James and Larry, to do his homework.
A story of determination, ambition, and vision
According to The Sports Rush, Jordan sacrificed his allowance to have more time to play, showing that his athletic ambitions were clear from the start. He admitted: “No, but I had the ambition to be a star. All I wanted to do was play all the time. I used to give my allowance to my brothers so they would wash the dishes and clean the house.”
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Jordan stood out from his siblings because he preferred being outdoors, while they spent time helping their father in the garage. His brothers became “mechanics,” following Mr. James’s footsteps.
“My father was a mechanical person. He always tried to save money by working on everyone’s cars. My older brothers would go out and work with him… He would ask for a nine-sixteenth wrench, and they would get it,” Jordan recalled.
This frustrated Mr. Jordan when young Michael couldn’t help. “I’d go out, and he’d say: ‘Give me a nine-sixteenth wrench,’ and I had no idea what he was talking about.” Yet, Michael Jordan always shared a warm and supportive relationship with his father, staying by his side until his death.
