Michael Jordan was used to being the hero. On the court, he’d rescued games with last-second shots; off it, he’d built a fortune and a legacy. But when it came to his family, he’d always been just “Mike”—the little brother, the son, the sibling who’d made it big. Still, he never forgot where he came from, or the people who helped him get there.
It was a spring night in Chicago when Michael learned a secret that would test both his love and his humility. He was unwinding after a charity dinner, the city lights twinkling outside his penthouse window, when his nephew Jamal called. The boy was excited about a basketball game, but then, in that innocent way teenagers have, he let something slip.
“Mom’s hardly ever home these days,” Jamal said. “She’s got this other job, cleaning offices at night. She made me promise not to tell anyone.”
Michael’s heart clenched. His sister Roslin had always been a force—protective, proud, and fiercely independent. She’d been there for him through every up and down, from childhood scrapes to NBA championships. The idea of her working two jobs in secret, struggling while he lived in luxury, was unthinkable.
He wanted to call her right then, to offer help. But he knew Roslin. The Jordans were raised on pride and self-reliance. Confronting her would only embarrass her, maybe even drive her away. So Michael did what he did best: he made a plan.
First, he learned the details. Roslin worked during the day at a community college, then cleaned offices at night. Her husband’s business had failed, and their daughter Jasmine was battling lupus—a chronic illness with expensive treatments that insurance barely covered. They were drowning in medical bills, and Roslin was holding it all together on grit and love.
Michael moved quietly. He arranged for Roslin’s husband, Marcus, to get an interview at a reputable construction company—one with excellent health benefits. He set up a health initiative at the college, targeting families with chronic illnesses. He made a sizable, anonymous donation to the school, with the condition that support staff like Roslin receive raises. He even called in a favor to ensure Roslin could have her Sunday nights off, so she could attend family dinners again.
He told no one, not even Roslin. He wanted her to feel the relief, not the shame of being “rescued” by her famous brother.
But secrets have a way of surfacing. One night, Michael decided to see for himself. He waited in the lobby of an office building Roslin cleaned, hoping to talk to her quietly. A security guard, surprised to see the basketball legend sitting alone, snapped a photo. The image—Michael Jordan, alone in a dark office building—went viral overnight.
Suddenly, the world was speculating. Why was Michael Jordan there? Why was his sister working two jobs? Wasn’t he helping her? The media frenzy was instant and intense, and Roslin’s private struggle became public spectacle. Reporters camped outside her house. Her children were bombarded at school. The family’s pride and pain were dissected on talk shows and in social media threads.
Roslin was furious. She confronted Michael, demanding to know how much he’d done. Marcus’s new job, the health program, the raise at the college—all of it traced back to Michael’s quiet interventions. She felt exposed, humiliated, and angry that her little brother had stepped in without asking.
Michael listened, his own pride wounded. He explained that he’d only wanted to help, to honor the family’s values without undermining her independence. “You never ask for help, Ros,” he said. “But I can’t watch you suffer when I can do something about it.”
The siblings argued, cried, and, finally, talked. For the first time, Roslin admitted how hard it was to balance pride and need. She wanted to be strong, but she was exhausted. Michael confessed that his need to help was as much about love as it was about guilt—he couldn’t bear to see his family struggle when he had the means to help.
The viral photo, unintended as it was, had forced them to confront the real heart of their relationship: the tension between giving and receiving, between pride and vulnerability.
The story didn’t end with a simple solution. The media storm faded, but the lessons remained. Roslin decided to accept help—on her terms. She left her night job, focused on her family, and, with Michael’s support, took a new role running a foundation to help other families facing similar struggles. Marcus thrived in his new job and later launched his own business, inspired by the second chance. Jasmine’s health improved with better care, and Jamal’s basketball dreams flourished with his family’s support.
The Jordan family released a statement, emphasizing their values: “We are proud of our work ethic and our independence, but more than that, we are proud to support each other as family.”
In the months that followed, Roslin and Michael’s story inspired thousands. Donations poured into the foundation. Other families reached out, saying they too had struggled in silence, too proud to ask for help. The siblings spoke openly about their journey, using their platform to highlight the importance of both self-reliance and community.
One year later, Michael gave Roslin a framed copy of the viral photo. On the back, he wrote: “Family means never standing alone. Thank you for teaching me that strength comes in many forms.”
Roslin smiled every time she saw it. She knew now that accepting help wasn’t weakness, and giving it wasn’t charity—it was love, plain and simple.
“Thanked Her For Lending Us Michael Jordan”: Still Reeling From James Jordan’s Death, Deloris Was Shocked to Hear About Son’s Decision
Michael Jordan and Deloris Jordan.
Credits: USA Today Sports
The year 1993 was beyond turbulent for the Jordan family. Granted Michael Jordan won his third championship but behind the scenes, Deloris and James struggled with their relationship. The continued failure of MJ’s father’s business along with the numerous cheating accusations only increased the turmoil.
Then, all of a sudden, they were hit by a piece of news that would crumble Michael’s world. James Jordan was murdered during an armed robbery. His body was found days later and it took another 10 days to identify him.
The trauma of it all left the Jordan household in shambles. Michael drifted apart from his family, especially from Deloris. Though the distance and issues would increase gradually, the signs were clear from the time Deloris visited Kenya and was cut off from the rest of the world. Michael Jordan took a decision that would shock the world but Deloris wouldn’t come to know about it for days.
Michael Jordan retired without telling his mother
In October of 1993, a little over two months after James’ death, Deloris was in Kenya with the then-Bulls vice president Steve Schanwald. The two were visiting the African nation along with some children. They were visiting remote places in the country and were therefore not connected to the outside world for a few days.
When the duo returned to Nairobi, Steve Schanwald saw a bus driver reading a newspaper. The back page of the Newspaper featured the news of MJ’s retirement. At first, he thought it was a bad joke. But once he was sure MJ had actually retired, Schanwald thanked Deloris for letting her son represent the Bulls for all those years.
Deloris, however, was unaware of her son’s decision. It seemed Michael had been so hasty to announce his retirement, he had not informed his mother about it. Roland Lazenby, in his book Michael Jordan: The Life, reported Shcanwald’s account.
Steve Schanwald: “I got off the plane and got on the bus that was going to take us to have lunch. The bus driver was reading a newspaper, a tabloid called the Daily Nation, Kenya’s national newspaper. On the back page, there was a picture of Michael, and the headline said, ‘Michael Jordan Retires.’ I thought it was somebody’s idea of a bad joke. But two days earlier, Michael had announced his retirement. Apparently, Michael’s mom didn’t know. I went up to her and thanked her for lending us her son for nine great years. She said, ‘What are you talking about?’ I said, ‘Mrs. Jordan, your son retired two days ago.’ She said, ‘He did? I don’t believe it!’ So I went and got the newspaper and showed her. That was how we found out about Michael retiring.”
Jordan played minor league baseball after his first retirement
After his hasty retirement in 1993, MJ tried his hands at baseball. As a kid in Wilmington, he was more of a baseball player than a basketball athlete. James Jordan believed his son could play in Major Leagues. But as fate would have it, MJ quickly lost his edge in baseball, and by the time he was 14 James immediately understood his son’s career in Major League seemed impossible.
But upon James’ death, MJ retook the sport he had played as a child and began playing for the Chicago White Sox minority team. Though he would not show any exceptional skills at the sport, he was still decent. It was likely his way of fulfilling James Jordan’s wishes one last time.
