Michael Jordan's father asked him to forget sports for getting suspended from school

The latest episodes of Michael Jordan's The Last Dance focus on Jordan's NBA retirement in 1993 and his baseball stint after that. Jordan even discussed his father's influence on him, which was why he chose to play baseball. However, Michael Jordan also revealed an incident where his father threatened to not let him play sports again at all.

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Michael Jordan father threatened to stop him from playing sports if he did not stop getting into trouble?

In The Last Dance's latest episodes, Michael Jordan recalled the time when he was getting suspended a lot. As per Jordan, his father pulled him aside when he was in ninth grade and was suspended three times in one year. James Jordan told him that he feels he is not 'headed in the right direction' and will have to forget about sports if he wants to continue getting into trouble. Jordan revealed that the threat was all he needed and never got into trouble after that. 

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Did James Jordan death make Michael Jordan start playing baseball?

This week's The Last Dance also focuses on Jordan and his sudden decision to play baseball. Jordan revealed that before his father's tragic death, they had been discussing him playing baseball. Jordan wanted a break from the NBA and was considering baseball. His father told him to 'go for it'.

When Jordan had retired in 1993, there were many speculations about his reason to do so, including his gambling addiction. Later, Jordan had revealed that his father's murder had caused him to retire and play baseball. His father had gotten him into baseball and wanted to see him as an Major League Baseball (MLB) player one day. Jordan's brother, Larry, also added that he thought both of them would eventually become MLB players. 

Also read | Michael Jordan retirement: Did Michael Jordan quit sports? Jordan could have ended up as an NFL player