Michael Jordan’s NBA journey is what he’s remembered for to this day. His two iconic three-peats with the Chicago Bulls continue to be the best NBA team performance of all time, in terms of efficiency. However, Michael Jordan’s basketball journey before he joined the NBA was filled with hurdles.

In a recent podcast episode, the retired UNC coach reveals unheard details of how the University of North Carolina recruited a 19-year-old Michael Jordan.

How UNC recruited Michael Jordan from High School

Retired UNC coach Roy Allen Williams recalls the recruiting process of a 19-year-old Michael Jordan. The host asks the retired coach, “He (MJ) wasn’t the ‘can’t miss’ prospect. He blew up in the summer between his Junior and Senior year in high school. And I guess that’s when the recruitment deal picked up. There were rumors that he was an NC State fan growing up.”

“When did you feel like Michael was going to come to UNC?” he was asked.

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The retired UNC coach and the then Assistant Coach replied, “We knew we had to keep recruiting that year. We had James and we had Sams but we needed another big-time player. We had our summer camp and almost no players in the camp. You know, like very few. So, we decided that we were going to call around the state. We picked a bunch of prospects and called to ask them if they wanted to come to our camp.”.

He further adds, “Michael Brown was the athletic director at Hanover County Public Schools in Wellington. He had called and said, “I think we’ve got a kid down here at Laney High School who’s got a chance to be special. So that year, I went to see some other player in Florida who wasn’t that good. Coach Gunther went to see Michael. After Coach Gunther got back from his trip, he told me “All he did was shoot long jump shots. But he’s really got some skills.”.

He then invited Michael to the camp and watched him play with the other potential recruits. The retired UNC coach said, “The first game I watched him play I was like “Oh my gosh. Then I went over to him after the games and said, “Son, you’ve had a good afternoon. You want to stay in and play the next session? And he (MJ) said “Yeah I’d like to”.”. After all the games ended, he said this to Michael to seal the deal, “You’re gonna ride back with me, son. You don’t have to walk in the sun.”

Later on, when one of his peers asked him if he had seen anyone he could recruit, the retired UNC coach said, “I think I just saw the best 6 foot 4 inch high school player I’ve ever seen.”. But what made Roy Williams so sure of the 19-year-old Michael Jordan’s potential?

What was so special about the 19-year-old Michael Jordan?

The retired UNC coach explains, “Apart from being athletic, having long arms, shooting touch and all that stuff…Michael had the viciousness. He tried to win every one of those games and kill all those juniors in high school.”.He further says, “Coach Smith used to say this about Tiger Woods, “Tiger Woods and Michael are the only two that had the whole package. Even Jack Nicklaus couldn’t hit a wedge.”.

Roy Williams explained that Michael was already ‘there’ mentality-wise, and he just kept getting better with time. He recalled when a young Michael Jordan told him that he wanted to be the best player to have ever played at North Carolina State. Michael Jordan made it very clear to UNC assistant coach Roy Williams when he said, “You’ll never see anyone outwork me.”, which he did.

Michael Jordan became one of the most decorated NBA players of all time. He’s considered by many as the most competitive sports athlete of all time, and continues to inspire millions of people around the world with his journey.

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What are your thoughts on Michael Jordan’s UNC recruitment story? Let us know in the comments below!