Photo Credit: Getty Images

Michael Jordan Wanted To Retire And Play Baseball Earlier But Larry Bird And Magic Johnson Kept Him From Doing So

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.

Turns out that if it wasn’t for Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Michael Jordan would have already made the move to baseball in 1992.

In the most recent episode of ‘The Last Dance’, it was revealed that Jordan told author Mark Vancil back in the summer of 1992 that he wanted to quit basketball and play baseball, but couldn’t do so because of the Olympics and because he wanted to one-up Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, and three-peat. 

“I’m going to shock the world. I’m going to quit and play baseball,” Michael Jordan said during the 1992 summer. “Well, I’d do it now except Bird and Magic never won 3 in-a-row. And I got to do the Olympics. But if it wasn’t for that, I’d be playing [baseball] this summer.”