Photo Credit: Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune

Jerry Reinsdorf Continued To Pay Michael Jordan His NBA Contract Salary When Jordan Played Baseball For A Great Reason

On October 6, 1993, Michael Jordan announced his retirement from basketball, due to a loss of desire to play the game, and the death of his father.

The sudden retirement of the world’s greatest player, while at his absolute prime at the young age of 30, sent a shockwave throughout the entire NBA world.

To surprise fans, media and officials even more, Jordan signed a Minor League Baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox to pursue the dream of his father, who had always envisioned his son as a baseball player.

Just like the Chicago Bulls, the Chicago White Sox franchise also was owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, who still was so grateful for what Jordan had achieved with his Bulls, that he heartwarmingly went on to pay Michael his basketball contract salary.

“Along with the Bulls, I owned the Chicago White Sox,” Reinsdorf said. “When Michael was signed to play baseball, I continued paying him his basketball contract, which was something over $3 million per year,” Jerry Reinsdorf revealed.

There was no reason to pay him other than he was underpaid his entire career. And he made a lot of money, for a lot of people.”