The parents of Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players in history, had significant impacts on his energy both on and off the court.
James Raymond Jordan Sr., Michael’s father, played a crucial role in inspiring his son’s love for basketball and even helped him develop his baseball skills.
Unfortunately, he was tragically murdered in 1993. On the other hand, Deloris Jordan, Michael’s mother, is known not only as a devoted mother but also as an advocate for education, health, and community service.
She founded several charities, including the James R. Jordan Foundation, to support underprivileged children and honor her late husband.
This article will provide details about both parents and their contributions to Michael Jordan’s success on and off the court.
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Who Was James Raymond Jordan Sr.?
James Raymond Jordan was born on July 31, 1936, in Wallace, North Carolina. While at Charity High School, he met Deloris, and the two began dating.
Jordan Sr. joined the Air Force after graduation and married Deloris in 1956. Together they had five children.
Jordan Sr. left the Force and got a job at a textile mill in Wallace, where their fourth child, Michael, was born.
In 1963, the family moved to Brooklyn, where Jordan Sr. received mechanic’s training on the G.I. Bill, and Deloris found work at a bank.
They had their fifth child, Roslyn while living in Brooklyn. The family moved back to North Carolina in the 1960s due to increased crime in Brooklyn.
Jordan Sr. played a significant role in inspiring his son Michael’s basketball career and traveled across the United States to follow his son’s success at North Carolina University and later with the Chicago Bulls.
However, Jordan Sr. was also a big baseball fan and had played semi-pro. He envisioned his son becoming a baseball star and taught Michael how to play the sport from a young age.
This significantly influenced Michael’s decision to try baseball after his first retirement from the N.B.A.
James Raymond Jordan Sr. Death
On July 23, 1993, James Jordan Sr. was murdered while napping in his car on U.S. Highway 74 in North Carolina.
Daniel Andre Green and Larry Martin Demery noticed Jordan’s newly purchased red Lexus SC400 and shot him while he slept.
The two stole the car and several of Jordan Sr.’s belongings, including two N.B.A. championship rings given to him by his son Michael Jordan.
Jordan Sr.’s body was found in a swamp in South Carolina 11 days later and was identified through dental records provided by his family dentist. Green and Demery were captured and sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime.
Demery claimed that they only intended to tie up Jordan Sr. and that Green shot him for no reason.
In 2018, Christine Mumma, executive director of the Center on Actual Innocence, claimed that evidence showed Green was not responsible for the murder, and a hearing was set for December of that year.
Jordan Sr. was buried at Rockfish A.M.E. Church in Teachey, North Carolina, on August 15, 1993.
Who Is Deloris Jordan?
Deloris Jordan, also known as Deloris Peoples, was born in September of 1941, is known as the mother of the basketballer of all time, Michael Jordan.
However, she is more than just a mother; Mrs. Jordan advocates for education, health, and community service.
She has established multiple charities and served as the President and creator of the James R. Jordan Foundation for almost two decades.
Deloris Jordan grew up in Rocky, North Carolina, and attended School in Rose Hill, North Carolina.
She met James Raymond Jordan Sr. at a school basketball game in 1954, and they fell in love, got wedded, and started a family.
They welcomed five children, including Michael Jordan, who became one of N.B.A.’s most successful basketball players.
Deloris Jordan Charitable Work
After her husband’s murder in 1993, Deloris Jordan co-founded the Michael Jordan Foundation with her son to raise money for disadvantaged children.
She also started Michael Jordan Education to encourage students to improve their grades and attendance.
Later, in 1996, the Chicago Bulls team collaborated with the family to build a youth center to honor James Jordan Sr.
Through James R. Jordan Foundation, Deloris Jordan started several programs, such as the S.T.E.A.M. program, the Time Out Summer Camp, the A-Team Scholars program, the Vision for Families Programme, and the Reading Together Programme.
Additionally, her foundation partnered with Chicago-area elementary schools. In 2009, she founded the James R. Jordan Foundation with other worldwide organizations.
Mrs. Jordan established the Nairobi Women and Children’s Wellness Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. She is presently the founder, chairperson, and President of the organization.
