Overview
- Speaking on the All The Smoke podcast, Horace Grant said Michael Jordan stepped away because of trauma and burnout after his father’s killing and not due to gambling or a secret suspension.
- Grant added that Jordan still showed up to Chicago Bulls practices during his baseball break, keeping close ties with the team.
- Coverage notes Jordan joined the Birmingham Barons in the Chicago White Sox system, a move eased by owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s control of both the Bulls and White Sox.
- Heavy’s report recalls that James Jordan was shot and killed by Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery, a loss Michael later called a dark period in his life.
- ES and Yahoo highlight there is no evidence for the long-running gambling conspiracy, while ESPN host Mike Greenberg has recalled Jordan seeming content in the Barons clubhouse.