Michael Jordan Was Once Told To Consider A Career In The Military

Shandel Richardson | Oct 14, 2024

Mar 4, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Former North Carolina Tar Heels great Michael Jordan during a half time announcement that Jordan's Jumpman Brand is teaming up with Carolina Football. The Tar Heels defeated the Blue Devils 90-83 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It's pretty safe to say Michael Jordan did well for himself playing the game of basketball.

A six-time NBA champion, Jordan is often considered the player in league history. Before he became a superstar, he said he had many doubters. They began changing their opinion during his freshman season at North Carolina.

"I went into college, my first year, 1981, we won a national championship and I hit the shot to win it all," Jordan in an interview with MTV. "From that point on, it was like, well, I overcame a lot of expectations. A lot of people didn't feel that I could go to a Division I school and do so well."

MJ knew he had it from when he hit that winning shot in 1981...

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Jordan played three seasons at UNC before he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the No. 3 pick in 1995. He then became one of the key figures that helped the NBA go global.

Jordan is a billionaire mostly because he ignored some bad advice he received in high school. He explained how he was once told to attend college so he could have something to fall back on in case basketball didn't pan out.

"My principal told me to go to the Air Force Academy, so that once I finish school, I got a job," Jordan said. "I didn't listen to him as you can see."

Who knows, maybe Jordan would have been the greatest pilot the Air Force ever saw.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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