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Published 18:11 IST, May 20th 2020

Who is Larry Jordan? Michael Jordan's brother was key to his basketball greatness

Who is Larry Jordan? Here is a look into the life and background of NBA legend Michael Jordan's eldest brother and mentor - Larry Jordan.

Reported by: Daniel Arambur
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Michael Jordan's The Last Dance offered NBA fans some insight into the life of the NBA legend during his tenure with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. The Last Dance takes viewers through the life of Michael Jordan when he dominated the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. The ESPN-produced, Netflix-hosted docu-series features interviews from several personalities including the likes of Barack Obama, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan's mother. The series also shows that there is one person apart from his father who Michael Jordan had immense respect for - his brother Larry Jordan. Here's a look at who is Larry Jordan. 

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Who is Larry Jordan? Michael Jordan brother

Also Read | The Last Dance all episodes ratings jump to 5.6 million viewers on average as Jordan's series winds up

Michael Jordan siblings

Who is Larry Jordan? Michael Jordan brother

Michael Jordan talks about his elder brother Larry Jordan in the opening episodes of the recently concluded show, The Last Dance. The Chicago Bulls great credits his elder brother Larry for helping him develop a ‘winning mentality’ during his younger days. MJ was quoted as saying "I don't think from a competitive standpoint, I would be here without the confrontations with my brother (Larry). When you come to blows with someone you absolutely love, that's igniting every fire within you. And I always felt I was fighting Larry for my father's attention. When you going through it, it's traumatic, because I want that approval, I want that type of confidence. So my determination got even greater to be as good if not better than my brother." Michael Jordan said he wanted to emulate his elder brother as he ended up taking the number 23 jersey at North Carolina because Larry wore 45.

During an interview with ESPN, Larry Jordan heaped praise on his younger brother. He was quoted as saying "His level of play was just so much higher than the rest of us. People ask me all the time if it bothered me, but I can honestly say no because I had the opportunity to see him grow. I knew how hard he worked."

Who is Larry Jordan? Michael Jordan siblings

Michael Jordan has four other siblings. The eldest was James Jr. (called Ronnie), followed by Deloris, Larry, Michael, and Roslyn. Larry Jordan is 11 months older than Michael and the two grew up playing basketball every evening in their backyard. Michael Jordan brother Larry Jordan is 5’8” and had a 44” vertical leap. He also played for North Carolina before Michael showed up but did not make it to professional basketball.

Also Read | The Last Dance all episodes: Series director reveals Karl Malone and Bryon Russell refused to be interviewed

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Michael Jordan siblings

Who is Larry Jordan? Michael Jordan brother

Also Read | Michael Jordan father asked him to forget sports for getting suspended from school

Updated 18:11 IST, May 20th 2020

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