It’s one of the most shared anecdotes in sports: Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. The story is true—but there’s more to it than most people know.
In 1978, Jordan tried out for the varsity team at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina as a 5’10″ sophomore. He didn’t make the varsity roster—not because he wasn’t good, but because the coach believed he needed another year to physically mature. Jordan was instead placed on the junior varsity team, where he absolutely dominated, routinely scoring 30+ points per game. His older friend Leroy Smith, who was 6’7″, made varsity—primarily to add height to the roster.
Rather than let the disappointment break him, Jordan used it as fuel. He reportedly cried when he saw the varsity list—then went to work. Every day after school, Jordan would practice for hours, pushing himself to be the best. By his junior year, he made the varsity team and quickly became a local sensation. Within two years, he was a McDonald’s All-American and headed to UNC.
Jordan has said in interviews that being cut was the best thing that ever happened to him, because it lit the competitive fire that became his trademark. It’s more than just a feel-good story—it’s the foundation of a mentality that produced six NBA championships, five MVPs, and an unrelenting drive to win.
