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Michael Jordan's parents, James Jordan and Deloris Jordan, were a match made in heaven. The two met in high school for the first time in 1954 when James told Deloris he knew he would marry her. James was on the Charity High School basketball team at the time. He offered Deloris and her cousin a ride back home when the two had one of their first interactions.
James almost drove past Deloris' house. She was sitting in the backseat, and the former couldn't resist offering her a sweet compliment once he engaged in an interaction with her. Here's what he said (via SI Vault):
"Oh, I didn't realize I had somebody else in here. You're pretty cute."
She replied saying:
"You're pretty fresh."
"Could be. But someday I'll marry you," he said.
That was the beginning of their love story and close bond. They wound up dating for two years before marrying in 1956 after moving to Virginia. James Jordan worked in the Air Force and got transferred there.
The following year, Deloris gave birth to James Ronald Jr. They had two more kids later on: daughter Deloris and son Ronny. The couple moved to Brooklyn in 1962 for 18 months so James could complete his mechanic's training.
Their three kids lived with James' mother in North Carolina, where the parents eventually returned to raise them. James and Deloris had Michael Jordan in 1963 and daughter Roslyn a year later.
Deloris and James Jordan were vital in helping Michael Jordan become successful on and off the court
In any interview or documentary, Michael Jordan has never failed to give credit to his parents for his success on and off the court. Just like they did with all their other kids, James and Deloris pushed MJ to play organized sports under the belief that it would help him learn life lessons.
Jordan and his older brother Larry got into sports professionally, but only the former succeeded. James and Deloris pushed MJ to pursue sports to keep him busy, as they were both working and couldn't keep a close eye on their kids at all times.
It proved vital in Michael Jordan's success on the court and instilled the competitive fire in him as a kid that remained with him forever, even beyond his NBA career. Jordan won six championships in two separate three-peats.
He won five MVPs and is now known as the greatest player in the sport's history. James Jordan was crucial in MJ's sports career, while his mother, Deloris, proved his inspiration as a business mogul. She was vital in helping him land the shoe deal with Nike before he entered the league, contributing greatly to him achieving billionaire status.
Click here to read SI Vault's article on James and Deloris Jordan.
