Michael Jordan had always kept a box in the corner of his study—a battered old thing, filled with mementos from a life lived in the spotlight. There were championship jerseys, newspaper clippings, and thousands of letters from fans. Over the years, he’d read many, responded to some, and tucked the rest away, each a small reminder of the people he’d inspired.
One rainy afternoon, as Michael sorted through the box, a faded envelope caught his eye. The handwriting was childish, the paper yellowed by time. He opened it gently.
“Dear Mr. Jordan,
My name is Tommy and I’m 12 years old. I know you get a lot of letters, but you mean a lot to me. My family doesn’t have much, but my dad says hope is priceless, and you give me hope. I watch you play every chance I get. I hope one day I can be as good as you. You make me believe anything is possible. Thank you for being my hero.”
Michael paused, moved by the sincerity. He turned the letter over and noticed a note on the back, written in a different hand: “Tommy passed away last year from cancer. He never stopped talking about you. Thank you for inspiring him.”
The words hit Michael harder than any buzzer-beater. He sat quietly, the letter trembling in his hands. Championships, trophies, fame—all of it paled in comparison to the impact he’d had on a boy he’d never met.
He couldn’t shake the feeling. Who was Tommy? What had his life been like? What had basketball meant to him and his family? Michael found the return address on the envelope: a small town in rural Indiana. Without hesitation, he called his assistant. “Find out if Tommy’s family still lives here,” he said, giving the address.
A few days later, Michael’s assistant confirmed it: Tommy’s parents still lived in the same modest house. Michael booked a flight to Indiana, determined to meet them. This wasn’t about publicity or appearances. It was about honoring a connection that transcended the game.
The drive from the airport took him through fields of corn and quiet neighborhoods. When he arrived, he saw a basketball hoop hanging above the garage, a child’s bike in the yard. He knocked on the door, heart pounding.
A woman in her late forties answered. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Mr. Jordan?” she whispered.
Michael nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I found a letter from your son, Tommy. I wanted to come and say thank you.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she called for her husband. Soon, the three of them sat in the living room, surrounded by photos of Tommy—on his bike, with his friends, and always, always with a basketball. Tommy’s parents shared stories: how their son would stay up late watching Bulls games, how he’d insisted on wearing his “23” jersey to every doctor’s appointment, how he’d practiced free throws in the driveway even when he was weak from treatment.
“He believed in you,” Tommy’s father said quietly. “Even on the hard days. You gave him something to hold on to.”
Michael listened, humbled. He realized that, in all his years chasing greatness, he’d never truly understood the reach of his own influence. He’d thought basketball was about winning. But for Tommy—and so many others—it had been about hope.
Before leaving, Michael handed Tommy’s parents a framed, signed basketball and a note: “To Tommy, who inspired me more than he’ll ever know. —Michael Jordan.”
As he walked back to his car, Michael felt a mixture of sorrow and gratitude. He had come to honor Tommy, but he had been given a gift in return: a deeper understanding of what really mattered.
Back in Chicago, Michael couldn’t stop thinking about Tommy. He called his team and said, “Let’s do something in his name.” Together with Tommy’s parents, he helped organize a charity game in Chicago to raise money for childhood cancer research. The event was intimate but powerful, drawing families, survivors, and fans from around the region.
During the game, Michael spoke to the crowd. “Tonight isn’t about basketball,” he said. “It’s about hope. It’s about the way one person’s courage can inspire us all. Tommy reminded me that greatness isn’t just about what you do on the court, but about how you touch the lives of others.”
The event raised more money than anyone expected. But more importantly, it brought people together. Tommy’s parents were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. “We never thought our son’s story would mean so much to so many,” his mother said, hugging Michael tightly.
Inspired by the success, Michael and Tommy’s family launched the Tommy Hope Foundation, offering scholarships and funding for families facing childhood cancer. Each year, they held a community basketball tournament in Tommy’s memory. Kids who had battled illness played alongside pros and local heroes, their laughter echoing through the gym.
As the years passed, Michael stayed closely involved. He visited children in hospitals, wrote letters to families, and never forgot the lesson Tommy had taught him. He watched as scholarship recipients grew up, some becoming athletes, others doctors or teachers—but all carrying with them the hope that had once lit up a young boy’s life.
One summer, as Michael watched the tournament finals, a small boy tugged at his sleeve. “Mr. Jordan, my name’s Ethan. I got a scholarship from your foundation. I just wanted to say thank you.”
Michael knelt down, looking Ethan in the eyes. “You keep playing. You keep believing. That’s what Tommy would want.”
As the gym filled with cheers, Michael realized that this—these moments of connection, these ripples of kindness—were his real legacy. Not the rings or the records, but the lives he’d touched, the hope he’d helped ignite.
And as long as there were children like Tommy, like Ethan, who dared to dream, Michael knew his work would never be done.
Tommy Conlon has been enthralled by The Last Dance, the 10-part story of Jordan’s epic career
Michael Jordan in action for the Chicago Bulls. Photo: Brian Bahr/AFP via Getty Images
At the start of this odyssey into Michael Jordan, one veteran chronicler of his life and times says that only two other sportsmen in history stand comparison: Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali.
The chronicler is American so it is surprising that he has omitted Tiger Woods, and perhaps less so that he has omitted Pele, Maradona, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Usain Bolt and Roger Federer among others could be in the conversation too.
