The year was a big one for NBA great Michael Jordan. It marked his third-straight year that he was named NBA Finals MVP, a first in the league's history.
But it was also a time of immense grief for the Chicago Bulls superstar. His father and biggest supporter, James Jordan Sr., was brutally murdered on July 23, , a death that led to Michael's brief retirement, which spanned from October to February
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James' death would irrevocably change his son's life, altering his career path and the way Michael carried himself for the rest of his years. As Michael told the New York Times in , "You never know, someone might be following you. I'm very aware of that. It's second nature now."
What happened to James Jordan Sr.?
James had been driving home from a friend's funeral in the early morning hours of July 23, , when he decided to pull over for a nap in his red Lexus, according to the Chicago Tribune. It was there on a highway in Lumberton, North Carolina around 2 a.m. that Daniel Andre Green and Larry Martin Demery, both 18, noticed their target. They later claimed they only
Michael Jordan's dad was murdered 25 years ago; convicted killer maintains innocence
Michael Futch, The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer | The Columbus Dispatch
LUMBERTON, N.C. — Monday marks a quarter century since the murder of basketball legend Michael Jordan’s father, and still the case won’t rest.
James R. Jordan Sr., 57, was fatally shot in the chest while napping in his red Lexus sedan on the shoulder of U.S. 74, just outside of Lumberton, in the early hours of July 23, His body was found 11 days later, across the state line in a South Carolina creek.
Three years later, on Feb. 29, , a Robeson County jury convicted Daniel Andre Green of first-degree murder. Green, now 43, was sentenced to life in prison after the jury declined to put him on death row.
Green’s co-defendant, Larry Martin Demery, faced the same charges but turned state’s evidence, testifying against his best friend as the state’s star witness. He told the jury that Green shot Jordan once with a caliber revolver when Jordan awoke and saw the teens standing by his car.
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Demery, now 42, pleaded guilty in April to being a p
22 facts about the murder of Michael Jordan's dad
If you’re a Michael Jordan fan, you may know his beloved father James R. Jordan, Sr. was murdered in North Carolina in But do you know the whole story? Michael Jordan has only spoken publicly about it a few times.
The murder sparked international attention and the trial became a national media spectacle – but cameras were not permitted in the courtroom, and there’s so much the world doesn’t know about the case and there are plenty of unanswered questions.
How did James R. Jordan Sr. die?
Two teenagers, one Native American and one Black, were convicted of the murder of James Jordan and are serving life sentences in separate North Carolina prisons. Larry Martin Demery and Daniel Andre Green tell conflicting stories of what happened the night James R. Jordan Sr. was murdered. There are new questions about the investigation, new evidence from the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence plus a documented history of law enforcement corruption and racism in the rural county where the murder happened.
Here’s what you might not know about this case.
1. Michael Jordan’s dad was an unidentified John Doe in a swamp in South Carolina.
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The new Michael Jordan documentary entitled "The Last Dance" is headed to Netflix
Michael Jordan’s father James Jordan Sr. was tragically murdered on July 23, Michael’s father’s death came just days after winning his third NBA championship as the Bulls topped the Suns in the finals.
James Sr. was sleeping at a rest stop in North Carolina when he was shot to death, per TMZ. His body was found 11 days after the murder in the water in South Carolina where he had been dumped off a bridge. The Chicago Tribune reported that James Sr. spent the day at a funeral for a former co-worker and visited with friends later in the evening. Larry Demery and Daniel Green were later charged with committing the murder.
Decades later, it is still unclear why the men brutally murdered James Sr. WECT 6 News reported that Demery is being considered for parole after his initial sentence of life in prison.
Jordan Retired From the NBA After His Father’s Death
Michael would retire from the NBA a short time later in The Bulls star conducted an interview with Oprah after heading into retirement. Michael noted at the time that he did not want to kn
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