Michael Jordan: 7 Facts About the Basketball Legend - Page 5 of 9

Jordan’s decision to switch to baseball was inspired by his father

The idea behind Jordan’s surprising decision to leave basketball for a baseball career in 1993 had taken root a few years earlier. His dad, James, had always loved baseball, and with Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders having some success as two-sport athletes, James suggested his son could do the same. As such, when James was killed in a carjacking incident in July 1993, Jordan sought to honor his dad’s wishes by picking up a glove.