Jim Wilson sat quietly in his modest condo, morning sunlight warming the room as he flipped through an old notebook filled with yellowed pages. The handwritten words transported him back to 1979, when the squeak of worn sneakers echoed through an empty gym. Michael Jordan, then a skinny sophomore, had just been cut from varsity, yet something in his eyes—determination blended with quiet desperation—compelled Coach Jim to believe in him. He remembered the worn sneakers, the silent tears, and the quiet pride he’d felt handing Michael that $50 bill for new shoes.
“Pay me back when you make it big,” he had joked gently, never truly expecting repayment.
Now nearly seventy and recently widowed, Jim Wilson stared at the daunting stack of medical bills piled on his kitchen table. His hands trembled slightly as he reread the diagnoses: spinal stenosis, nerve damage, a surgery bill totaling over $150,000. Insurance covered less than half. After a lifetime of self-reliance, Jim felt trapped, his pride battling a reality he couldn’t escape.
Emily, Jim’s daughter, watched him closely, sensing his struggle. Her father had given everything to his players, community, and family without ever asking for anything in return. But now, their options had dwindled dangerously low. She knew her father would never ask, especially not Michael Jordan, despite the deep history between them. Yet, Emily could not let it rest. Secretly, she reached out, sending heartfelt letters to Michael’s charities, his businesses, and even the Charlotte Hornets.
Weeks passed, silence deepening Jim’s sense of helplessness. Finally, Emily launched a GoFundMe campaign—anonymously at Jim’s insistence. Donations trickled in slowly, far short of the mounting bills. Each contribution felt like a painful reminder of his vulnerability, a stark contrast to his years as a respected coach who’d quietly shaped countless young lives.
Just as Jim prepared to leave the rehab facility, uncertain of his future, something extraordinary happened. A mysterious benefactor stepped forward, anonymously covering all medical expenses, rehab costs, and even retrofitting Jim’s condo for accessibility. The generosity stunned Jim and his children.
“Dad,” Emily whispered, eyes wide with shock, “do you think…it’s him?”
Jim shook his head slowly. “Michael doesn’t owe me anything.”
But deep inside, he wondered.
Days later, comfortably settled back home, Jim sat quietly reflecting when a gentle knock broke the silence. Emily opened the door, smiling mysteriously. Behind her stood a tall figure, sharply dressed yet instantly recognizable.
“Coach Wilson,” Michael Jordan said softly, stepping inside. “It’s been a long time.”
Jim stared in disbelief, emotion tightening his chest. “Michael?” he whispered, struggling to rise.
“Please stay seated,” Michael urged warmly, pulling up a chair beside him. “I owe you more than just money.”
Jim’s voice shook, overwhelmed. “You owed nothing. It was just $50.”
Michael smiled gently, shaking his head. “It wasn’t just the shoes. You gave me hope when everyone else gave up. I’ve carried your belief with me through every championship, every setback. You taught me that hard work and determination matter more than talent alone.”
Jim glanced down, humbled. “I just did what felt right. You made yourself great.”
Michael reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, worn keychain featuring a miniature basketball. “I carried this at every championship game,” he explained softly, pressing it gently into Jim’s hand. “It reminded me where I started, who helped me begin.”
Jim’s eyes filled with tears, memories flooding back vividly—the early mornings, Michael’s determined eyes, those first white-and-blue sneakers. “I never thought something so small could matter so much,” he murmured.
Michael smiled gently. “You taught me that. The smallest kindnesses sometimes create the biggest ripples. I never forgot.”
They sat quietly for a moment, absorbing the weight of shared memories. Finally, Michael stood. “Care to shoot some hoops, Coach? I’ve reserved a gym.”
Jim laughed softly. “Not exactly in playing shape these days.”
“Just one shot,” Michael encouraged. “Like old times.”
Later, at the local community center court, Jim sat in his wheelchair beneath the basket. Michael handed him the ball. “One more lesson, Coach.”
With shaky hands, Jim took aim. The first shot missed, clanking loudly. Michael caught the ball smoothly, passing it back. “Again.”
Jim focused, remembering the countless mornings coaching Michael’s form. This time, the ball arced perfectly, sinking through the net with a satisfying swish.
Michael grinned, eyes bright. “There it is. The shot that launched a legend.”
Jim smiled back, his heart light for the first time in months. Watching Michael chase down the ball like a teenager again, he realized that the bond between them had never faded. Gratitude, he now understood, flowed in circles, quietly returning when needed most.
That evening, as Michael said goodbye, Jim felt an immense sense of peace. He hadn’t just received help; he’d reclaimed a part of himself he thought lost.
At the door, Michael paused, turning back briefly. “Coach, thank you—for everything.”
Jim nodded, tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Michael. You’ve given me back more than you’ll ever know.”
As the door closed, Jim sank into his chair, clutching the tiny basketball keychain. Michael’s words echoed softly in his mind:
Sometimes, the smallest kindnesses create the biggest ripples.
Jim knew it was true because, after all, he’d seen it first in a skinny teenager named Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan’s 4 Siblings: All About His Brothers and Sisters
Michael Jordan has two brothers, Ronnie and Larry, and two sisters, Deloris and Roslyn
Mark Cornelison/Lexington Herald-Leader/Tribune News Service/Getty
Michael Jordan at the 2009 NCAA men’s basketball championship
Michael Jordan is considered one of the greatest basketball player of all time — and he credits his success, in part, to his four siblings.
Michael is the fourth child born to Deloris Jordan and James R. Jordan Sr., who died in 1993. He has two older brothers — James Jr. (known as “Ronnie”) and Larry — and two sisters — older sister Deloris and younger sister Roslyn. The five siblings spent most of their childhood in Wilmington, North Carolina, growing up on five acres of land. It was in that backyard that the Jordan siblings played — and where Michael’s legendary competitive nature was born.
“That competitiveness within me started when I was a kid,” Michael said in the 2020 ESPN docuseries The Last Dance.
The siblings played everything from football to baseball to basketball, Larry told ESPN in 2009. But it wasn’t just fun and games: The competition became particularly intense between Michael and his brother Larry, who was just 11 months older.
“We used to compete an awful lot in the backyard,” Larry said in The Last Dance. “My brothers hated losing, but not on the same level like me because if you beat me back then, we had to fight — and that’s just the way I was.”
Though their parents often broke up fights between the brothers, Michael credits those battles with setting off his drive. That ambition would eventually lead him to six NBA championships, five NBA MVP awards and an induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“When you come to blows with someone you absolutely love, that’s igniting every fire within you,” Michael said in The Last Dance.
So, who are the siblings behind Michael Jordan’s success? Here is everything to know about Michael’s brothers and sisters: Ronnie, Larry, Deloris and Roslyn Jordan.
Michael and his four siblings grew up playing sports
Deloris Jordan
Michael Jordan and his siblings on the cover of ‘Family First’
Growing up in Wilmington, North Carolina, all five of the Jordan siblings were involved in sports. With both parents working full time, Deloris and James Sr. viewed athletics as a way to keep their kids out of trouble and a way to teach them valuable lessons.
“They always wanted all of us to play organized sports so that we learned more about life,” Michael said in The Last Dance.
“We had five kids, and the wife and I both worked, and we would worry at times about the kids being home,” James Sr. said in archival footage. “So we thought one of the things that we could do was get them involved in sports. Drop them off at the Little League field or the gym and keep them involved in the community.”
Michael’s mother, Deloris, made sure that all of the siblings supported one another in their athletic efforts: The girls would attend the boys’ basketball games and the boys would be there for the girls’ softball games.
“That was a family rule,” Larry told ESPN in 2009. “We had to go out and support each other, so there was never any jealousy on my part.”
They are intensely competitive
Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty
Michael Jordan in 1997
Michael is known as a legendary competitor both on and off the basketball court — and that characteristic dates back to his childhood. The entire family was competitive by nature.
“As a family, we were naturally tough,” Ronnie, Michael’s oldest brother, said in The Last Dance. “We hated to lose.”
Michael also spoke about his family’s competitive spirit in his 2009 Hall of Fame Induction speech.
“I got two brothers — James and Larry — they’re 5’4”, 5’5” in height,” Michael, who is 6’6”, joked. “They gave me all I could ever ask for as a brother in terms of competition.”
He continued: “And the competition didn’t stop there. My sister, who is one year younger than me, Roz, never wanted to be home by herself. She took classes, extra classes, to graduate from high school with me, to go to University of North Carolina with me, and to graduate prior than me. And you guys sit there asking me where is my competition or where did my competitive nature come from? It came from them.”
But out of the five siblings, the two who were most competitive were Michael and his closest brother, Larry.
“We had numerous battles,” Larry recalled to ESPN. “If I lost, I had to keep playing until I won. That’s why, more often than not, it would end in a fight. … I won most of them until he started to outgrow me. And then that was the end of that.”
Larry was originally considered the best basketball player in the family
Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images Michael Jordan and James Jordan
