“Before Age Caught Up With Me..”: Michael Jordan Unveiled How He Made the Tough Choice of Retiring From NBA Basketball After Deep Talks With His Father

NBA legend Michael Jordan shocked the world when he first announced his retirement after winning three straight titles with the Chicago Bulls. Ever since joining the Bulls, MJ had been brilliant on both ends of the court. However, he could not convert his individual brilliance into team success. And it is one of the few things his critics could possibly target. MJ wanted to cement himself as one of the best players ever like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, etc. But he did not have the rings they had. So he wanted to win so badly.

With the promotion of Phil Jackson from assistant coach to head coach, they started to look like a team. Make no mistake, Jordan was still the man of the team. However, the triangle offense helped take some pressure off him. And ‘Air Jordan’ led the Bulls to a three-peat from 1991 to 1993. Fans felt that there is no stopping the champions.

So when he announced his retirement in 1993, fans and the rest of the NBA world could not believe it. Many could not understand why MJ would retire after winning titles he very much desired. However, some could, with what had happened with his father.

Michael Jordan opened up about retirement talks with his father

Michael Jordan announced that he had lost the desire to play basketball. His father James Jordan was killed a few months before he announced his retirement. His parents had been a huge part of his success and tried to attend every possible game. Jordan once opened up about the deep conversations he had with his father about his retirement. The host Ahmad Rashad asked whether MJ knew that the title-winning game in 1993 would be his last game.

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Michael Jordan said, “No, I didn’t know. Although we had talked about, my father and I at that time. And right then it was just to enjoy the moment, you know. Maybe about a week and a half/two weeks later, we really started to entertain those thoughts. You know, about playing baseball and it’s a good time to leave. And try to do other things before age caught up with me.”?

The deep discussions with his father helped him make up his mind. After announcing his retirement from basketball, MJ tried his hands at baseball. He played minor league baseball even though he had an offer to play for a major league team. MJ wanted to earn his spot, and he worked hard every day. On the other hand, the Chicago Bulls struggled without their superstar.

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Much to the relief of all the Bulls fans, Jordan came back from his retirement to play in the NBA once more. After initial struggles with some rustiness on the hardwood, he continued his dominance. Then the Bulls again achieved a historic second three-peat from 1996 to 1998.