Michael Jordan
6× NBA Champion • Basketball Icon
Before
5'10"
15 years old (sophomore)
Final Height
6'6"
Michael Jordan is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time. But early in high school, things looked very different. His story is one of rejection, determination, and using failure as fuel.
Growing Up in Wilmington
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1963, Michael Jeffrey Jordan moved with his family to Wilmington, North Carolina when he was young. He was the fourth of five children in a close-knit, hardworking family.
His father, James, worked as an equipment supervisor at General Electric. His mother, Deloris, worked at a bank. They instilled in their children the values of hard work, discipline, and never giving up.
Young Michael was competitive in everything — from board games with his siblings to backyard basketball with his older brother Larry. But there was one problem: he wasn't very good at basketball yet. And he certainly wasn't tall.
The Cut That Changed Everything
As a sophomore at Laney High School in Wilmington, Michael Jordan stood at just 5'10" — average height, but short for basketball. He tried out for the varsity team with dreams of playing alongside the school's best players.
The coach posted the roster on the gymnasium wall. Michael scanned the list, looking for his name.
It wasn't there.
He'd been cut. Relegated to the junior varsity team while his taller friend, Leroy Smith, made varsity.
"I went to my room and I closed the door and I cried," Jordan later admitted. "It was the first time I'd ever been cut from a team, and it hurt."
Some of his classmates teased him. "Not good enough for varsity, Mike?" they'd joke in the hallways. The rejection burned deep.
But instead of quitting, Jordan made a decision: he would use this failure as motivation. Every single day.
The Growth — Physical and Mental
Over the next two years, something remarkable happened. Michael Jordan grew. And grew. And grew.
By his junior year, he'd shot up to 6'3". By his senior year, he was 6'6". The late teenage growth spurt transformed his body, but it was his mindset that truly changed the game.
Jordan practiced obsessively. He'd wake up early to shoot before school. He'd stay late after practice. He studied the game, worked on his weaknesses, and pushed himself harder than anyone else.
"Getting cut was the best thing that ever happened to me," Jordan said years later. "It made me hungry. It made me prove people wrong."
By his senior year, Jordan was dominating high school basketball. College scouts came calling. He accepted a scholarship to the University of North Carolina, where he hit the game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship as a freshman.
From Rejection to Legend
In 1984, the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft. What followed was the most dominant basketball career in history:
- 6 NBA Championships - 5 MVP Awards - 10 Scoring Titles - 14 All-Star Selections - 2 Olympic Gold Medals
Jordan didn't just become a great player. He became a global icon, transforming basketball into a worldwide phenomenon. His Air Jordan sneakers became cultural symbols. His competitive fire became legendary.
But he never forgot that day in high school when his name wasn't on the list.
"Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I'd close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it," Jordan said. "That usually got me going again."
The Lesson
Michael Jordan's story teaches us that early setbacks don't define your future. Being 5'10" and getting cut from your high school team at 15 doesn't mean you can't become the greatest of all time.
What matters is how you respond.
Jordan used rejection as fuel. He grew — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. He developed an unmatched work ethic and an unshakeable belief in himself.
"I've failed over and over and over again in my life," Jordan famously said. "And that is why I succeed."
For teenagers facing rejection, feeling too short, or doubting themselves: your story isn't written yet. Sometimes the people who achieve the most are the ones who had to overcome the most.
Growth happens in its own time. But greatness? That's a choice you make every single day.
"I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
— Michael Jordan
Timeline
Birth
Born in Brooklyn, New York
Childhood
Moved to Wilmington, NC; competitive from young age
15
5'10" tall, cut from varsity basketball team
16-18
Grew to 6'6", dominated high school basketball
18
Scholarship to University of North Carolina
19
Hit game-winning shot in NCAA Championship
21
Drafted 3rd overall by Chicago Bulls (1984)
Career
6× NBA Champion, 5× MVP, Greatest of All Time
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