# Why Was Michael Jordan Cut From His High School Basketball Team?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-michael-jordan-cut-from-his-high-school-basketball-team/204926>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 1, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-michael-jordan-cut-from-his-high-school-basketball-team/204926 "2003-10-01T14:44:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-michael-jordan-cut-from-his-high-school-basketball-team/204926/1 "2003-10-01T14:44:22Z")

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I’ve read that during his sophomore year, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. What was the reason for this?

It’s hard to imagine that he was cut because he wasn’t ‘good enough’ to play for the team, but I suppose it may be possible. What was the real reason?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-michael-jordan-cut-from-his-high-school-basketball-team/204926/2 "2003-10-01T15:04:26Z")

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Here are some links about it:

> **[Dwyer & Michaels](https://97x.com/2dorks/)**
>
> Dwyer & Michaels

[http://www.basket-ball.com/basketball-article-4.html](http://www.basket-ball.com/basketball-article-4.html)

…

I am having a hard time finding online the specific reasons why he was cut in his sophomore year. The only hint is that at the time, Jordan was around 5’10" or so. He grew to 6’2" before junior year tryouts, and three more inches before graduating high school. Jordan may just have been physically immature as a high school sophomore – not so much in height, but in coordination, strength, raw basketball skill, etc.

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**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-michael-jordan-cut-from-his-high-school-basketball-team/204926/3 "2003-10-01T15:38:13Z")

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Read the second link again. Jordan was cut from his **Varsity** team but still played on **JV**.

Just a hlaf-truth coaches like telling to kids that don’t make it.

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**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-michael-jordan-cut-from-his-high-school-basketball-team/204926/4 "2003-10-01T17:20:29Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Surreal \*  
> \*\*It’s hard to imagine that he was cut because he wasn’t ‘good enough’ to play for the team, but I suppose it may be possible. \*\*

Well, yeah, that was pretty much it. A high school sophomore has to be pretty damn good to make the varsity, and Jordan just wasn’t there yet. As the articles briefly discuss, baseball had been his preferred sport, and he hadn’t spent enough time on the court to perfect the skills we saw later in his life.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-michael-jordan-cut-from-his-high-school-basketball-team/204926/5 "2003-10-01T18:31:36Z")

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So he could be the subject of glurgy inspirational e-mails?

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**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-michael-jordan-cut-from-his-high-school-basketball-team/204926/6 "2003-10-01T21:01:16Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \*  
> \*\*So he could be the subject of glurgy inspirational e-mails? \*\*

Hey, you!!

Remember to check the thread title before posting.