Startling story of Michael Jordan's brush with death in prison during a stunt with a samurai sword resurfaces after 41 years
An incident from Michael Jordan's past has come to light nearly 41 years later. It has now been revealed that the basketball icon volunteered for a life-threatening situation. Still naive about what he was getting into, the six-time NBA champion was reportedly sliced by a samurai sword after a freak stunt accident.
In 1982, Jordan was still a freshman for the UNC Tar Heels, just enjoying his newly profound fame after hitting a clutch basket against the Georgetown Hoyas in the NCAA Finals.
As a local celebrity in Chapel Hill, the young Jordan was invited to grace a traveling prison ministry show with his presence. Playing basketball with a few prisoners, the show was not done yet, and he volunteered to do a stunt that required putting a watermelon on his stomach while a guy wearing a black belt tried to slice it with a samurai sword.
The swordsman named Michael Cain did what he had to do and sliced the watermelon but left Jordan with a gash that required three stitches to patch up, according to an SB Nation story.
But the most interesting part is that Cain did this stunt more than 1,750 times and had an accident in only 16 of them. Michael Jordan adds a number to that infamous Cain list of sliced people.
Michael Jordan's college numbers and accolades
The North Carolina Tar Heels became NCAA champions in 1992 during the freshman year of Michael Jordan and they honored him by retiring his #23 jersey number.
In that span, Jordan made his mark by hitting the game-winning basket against Patrick Ewing's Georgetown Hoyas and became the ACC Rookie of the Year in 1982.
Jordan also was able to add accolades along the way, getting the National College Player of the Year in 1984 and, in the same year, became ACC Player of the Year and ACC Athlete of the Year.
As a freshman, he was able to average 13.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Jordan then improved by doing 19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks before entering the 1984 NBA draft.
In 2002, Jordan kept on getting recognition for his college playing days by being named a part of the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team, where the ACC honored their 50 greatest players at that time.
Among his notable teammates in Jordan's tenure with the Tar Heels were Sam Perkins, James Worthy, Brad Daugherty and Kenny Smith.