Michael Jordan wasn't actually cut from his high school basketball team - as a 5'10" sophomore, he was placed on the junior varsity squad instead of varsity, which was standard practice. He used the perceived slight as motivation and made varsity the following year.
The Truth About Jordan's 'Cut From the Team' Story
It's one of the most repeated stories in sports motivation: Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, was cut from his high school basketball team. Coaches use it. Motivational speakers love it. There's just one problem—it's not exactly true.
What Actually Happened
In 1978, a 5'10" sophomore named Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. The roster had room for 15 players. Jordan didn't make the cut.
But here's the crucial detail everyone leaves out: he made the junior varsity team. That's not being cut—that's being placed at the appropriate level for a shorter sophomore competing against older, more developed players.
Coach Clifton Herring later explained the decision was purely practical. The varsity squad already had several strong guards, and at Jordan's height, JV made more sense. The team needed taller players for varsity that year.
The Motivation That Changed Everything
Did Jordan see it as a slight? Absolutely. And that perceived rejection lit a fire that never went out.
Jordan threw himself into the JV season with ferocious intensity. He dominated games, averaging over 25 points. He grew four inches over the summer. By his junior year, there was no question—he was varsity material.
The rest, as they say, is history:
- McDonald's All-American by senior year
- National championship at North Carolina
- Six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls
- Five MVP awards
- Two Olympic gold medals
Why the Myth Persists
Jordan himself has contributed to the legend. In interviews and his Hall of Fame speech, he's referenced being "cut" without clarifying the JV detail. The simplified version makes a better story—the greatest player ever, rejected by his high school coach.
It fits the narrative we love: underdog proves everyone wrong. The truth is less dramatic but arguably more instructive. Jordan wasn't rejected outright. He was told "not yet." The difference matters.
The Real Lesson
What makes Jordan's story inspiring isn't that he overcame being cut. It's that he transformed a minor setback into rocket fuel for an unprecedented career. Most sophomores placed on JV would shrug and move on. Jordan took it personally—and stayed angry about it for decades.
That chip-on-the-shoulder mentality defined his entire career. Teammates, opponents, and coaches all described the same thing: Jordan remembered every slight, real or imagined, and used them to destroy the competition.
So no, Michael Jordan wasn't cut from his high school basketball team. He was placed on JV as a sophomore, which was completely normal. What wasn't normal was how he responded—and that's the real story worth telling.