Byron Nelson
In 1993, Michael Jordan took home three consecutive championships. He was destined to hold a spot among the greatest ever. However, the tragic death of James Jordan led to his retirement from basketball.
The Bulls legend chose to bring his talents to baseball, where he began a career with the minor league team of the Chicago White Sox.
But before that, reporters asked him if he would stay in the NBA if he were offered $100 million, but Michael said he wanted three times more.
In 1993, Michael’s father, James Jordan, was killed in a robbery attempt. That incredibly tragic event turned his son’s life upside down.
Michael Jordan is retiring from the NBA at the height of his career and with three consecutive titles and an Olympic gold medal behind him. However, his premature decision to leave the sport left a few wondering if MJ would stick around for more money. Then Jordan revealed the price.
In his book Michael Jordan: The Life, Roland Lazenby revealed that when Michael announced his retirement, there was a widespread rumor that he would remain for more money. The owners of the NBA team urged Jerry Reinsdorf to give Michael more money, but it didn’t work.
At a press conference, a journalist asked MJ if it would stay for $100 million. However, Michael thought $100 million was too low to keep him in the NBA.
“Some NBA owners had mentioned quietly to Reinsdorf that maybe the league itself should offer him a major compensation package to lure him back to basketball. Afterward, a reporter asked Jordan if he could be lured back to basketball with a $100 million contract offer. “If I played for the money,” he said testily, “it would be $300 million, according to Roland Lazenby via TheSportsRush.com.
Speaking of Jordan, Icon DJ Scream was a guest on the All Takes Matter podcast with Skinny and Jamal. During the interview, ‘The Big Facts Co-Host was asked who some of his favorite sports figures weregrowing up?
“I’ve never witnessed anything on the basketball court like what Jordan did. I just haven’t witnessed that’s not to knock anyone. There have been some amazing basketball players. I value my athletic brand and what you do on the court; I’m really big on respect, but at the same time, on the court, it’s more like a gladiator sport. I’ve seen that man take people’s souls, over and over again. Nobody excited and inspired than Jordan,” said Scream.
“The crazy thing is, and I’m going to be honest, I forget this sometimes because he’s become such a brand. I watched the first episode of the Shaquille O’Neal Documentary on [HBO], but I must remember my fascination with Jordan. So, my second fascination past that was Shaquille O’Neal. He did many unmatched things when you go deeper into his legacy, but probably Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. “
Jordan’s former teammate Horace Grant was a guest on on Scoop B Radio Overtime shared that Jordan was the devil in practice.
“In terms of the way he practiced, we thought that we were the Detroit Pistons or the New York Knicks,” Grant said. “This guy practiced so hard and if you weren’t on his team in practice you were his enemy.”
“Man let me tell you, we thought this guy was just the devil, when I say the devil that’s out of respect.”
Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had another opinion of Jordan in practice.
“He was the Angel when it came to winning championships. MJ was a force in practice every day, unbelievably competitive never seen anyone compete the way he did in practice every day. He set a competitive tone that was not for everyone, but he made our team tougher and helped prepare us for the playoffs. He helped prepare us for big moments and raised the bar for us. It wasn’t always easy, but it was effective, ” Kerr told me.
