Michael Jordan Trivia
*Jordan wore four jersey numbers in his career: his customary #23, #45 after his return from his first retirement, #9 in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics, and #12, an “emergency uniform” worn during a game against the Orlando Magic during the 1990–1991 season after his uniforms were stolen from the visitors’ locker room. Wearing a jersey with no last name, Jordan scored a game-high 49 points in a victory over the Magic.
* Jordan’s #23 jersey was retired by his old franchise, the Chicago Bulls and also by the Miami Heat franchise.
* Jordan wore #23 because he admired his bigger brother Larry, who wore #45 at Laney High School. 23 is half of 45, rounded up, because he wanted to be at least half the player his brother was.
* Jordan’s participation in the 1990 Three-Point Shootout was notable: he scored 5 points, the worst score in the contest’s history. However, this dismal performance received little attention because it occurred on the same night that Mike Tyson was knocked out by Buster Douglas.
* Jordan wore his UNC shorts under his uniform during NBA games. This is referenced in Space Jam as a supposed good-luck charm.
* In the 1997 NBA playoffs, Dikembe Mutombo—one of the league’s premier shot blockers—pointed out that Jordan had never dunked on him. Jordan later received a pass from Luc Longley, soared to the basket, and slammed the ball over Mutombo’s reaching hand. Jordan waved a finger at the center, mimicking Mutombo’s famous antic which the NBA had deemed taunting, and took the technical foul.
* Jordan’s college basketball coach was Dean Smith, whose college basketball coach was Phog Allen, whose college basketball coach was the inventor of basketball, James Naismith.
* Larry Martin Demery, one of the two assailants charged and convicted in the murder of Michael’s father, was wearing a Jordan T-shirt at the time of his arrest.
* An African American professional basketballer also named Michael Jordan who plays in the German BBL was so frequently compared with the NBA legend because of his namesake that he allowed inclusion of his second name to his handle, and was from then on loosely referred to as Michael-Hakim Jordan.
* As a high school sophomore, Michael Jordan was cut from the varsity basketball team at Laney High School.
* Jordan’s final All-Star appearance in 2003 marked the first time in his career in which he was not voted a starter but played for the whole season. That starter turned out to be Vince Carter, who gave up his starting spot to Jordan.
* When Jordan suffered a serious foot injury in 1986, he spent his time not only rehabilitating his foot but also in school, where he finally obtained his bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
* Jordan’s first sport was baseball, where he was a very successful little leaguer.
* Jordan is known to be a very generous tipper.
* In 1992, Jordan recorded a video clip alongside with Michael Jackson for the latter’s song “Jam”.
* Jordan and his family are the proud founders of the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club. The Club is eponymous to Jordan’s father and his life long commitment for children and his family.
* Jordan has been a guest host on Saturday Night Live.
