3 MICHAEL JORDAN MICHAEL JORDAN GOT CUT GOT CUT OR DID HE OR DID HE One of the most famous and often-repeated stories from Michael’s younger days was that he was cut from the Laney High School basketball team Michael himself has repeated the tale admitting that he went home and cried when he heard the news The story is seen as an early example of his ability to turn someone doubting him into the motivation that fueled his greatness But did it really happen Was Michael Jordan not good enough to make his high school basketball team The truth is not exactly Michael wasn’t actually cut from the team as a sophomore he was placed on the JV squad rather than the varsity team As the coach Clifton Pop Herring explained to Sports Illustrated it was rare for a sophomore to make the varsity roster and the only one who did was 6-foot-7 much taller than the 5-foot-11 Michael Michael joined the varsity for his junior and senior years and was an instant star averaging 27 points 12 rebounds and six assists per game in his final season Sometimes good things come to those who wait 8
4 MICHAEL GOES MICHAEL GOES TO CHAPEL HILL TO CHAPEL HILL When it came time to choose a college Michael considered UCLA a school that had many dominant teams during his childhood and Virginia home to star Ralph Sampson But in the end he decided to stay close to home and play for the legendary Dean Smith at North Carolina It proved to be a wise decision As a freshman the player known by many as Mike Jordan averaged 13 4 points per game and was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year In Coach Smith’s team-oriented offense it was hard for any one player to dominate the score sheet in coming years it would be joked that the only person who could hold MJ under 20 points was Dean Smith But even he couldn’t keep Michael from playing the hero At the end of his freshman season with the Tar Heels trailing the Georgetown Hoyas by one point in the final seconds of the NCAA national championship game Michael connected on a game-winning jump shot to give Smith the first title of his storied career It was also just the first in a long line of unforgettable moments courtesy of Michael Jordan 11
