NBA: Man who killed Michael Jordan’s father to be freed from jail

One of the men who killed Michael Jordan’s father will be a free man 27 years after the brutal murder that shattered the NBA legend.

James Jordan and Michael Jordan.

One of the two men who killed Michael Jordan’s father nearly 30 years ago was granted parole on Wednesday.

Larry Demery — who was sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for the murder of James Jordan — will be a free man on August 6, 2023, the North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission announced on Twitter.

Then just shy of his 18th birthday, Demery and his partner-in-crime Daniel Green, also a teenager, came upon Jordan on July 23, 1993, as he napped in his car on the side of a North Carolina highway.

They shot the 56-year-old man and stole the cherry-red Lexus his basketball star son had recently bought him. His remains were found in a swampy area of McColl, South Carolina that August.

The murder was devastating for the NBA legend, who was extremely close to his father. He retired shortly after, though he said he’d already made the decision before the tragedy.

“He was my rock. You know, we were very close. He constantly gave me advice,” Michael says on The Last Dance documentary that aired earlier this year.

“He’s a voice of reason that always drove and challenged me, that’s the type of father I had,” he added as he fought back tears.

Both Demery and Green were convicted of first-degree murder — but accused each other of being the triggerman.

As part of a plea deal, Demery testified against Green at trial, saying he was the shooter. However, Green, who was also sentenced to life in prison, claimed Demery asked him to help dispose of Jordan’s body but that he wasn’t there during the killing.

Larry Demery is seen in 1996 and his most recent mugshot.

Daniel Green is still serving out his life sentence. Source: Getty Images

The state’s current sentencing laws eliminates parole for crimes committed on or after October 1, 1994. However, offenders sentenced under the previous guidelines are still eligible.

Demery’s release is contingent on him remaining in good standing as a prisoner. Green won’t be eligible for parole until October 2021, according to local outlet WRAL.

James Jordan had travelled to Wilmington, North Carolina and hit the road for the three-hour drive back to Chicago on July 22, 1993.

On July 23, 1993, he was supposed to arrive in Chicago for a charity event, but never showed up at the airport. Deloris Jordan, Michael’s mum, hadn’t heard from her husband, immediately setting off alarm bells.

“I was off doing my thing, and my mum said she hadn’t talked to him in some time,” Jordan says.

“He drives and goes down to Wilmington to visit old friends, stay a couple of days, drive back, but my mother’s always in dialogue with him.

“When she got worried, we all got worried.”

James Jordan's body was found draped over a tree limb in Gum Swamp. Source: Getty Images

Larry Demery sits next to his lawyer during a 1995 hearing at Robeson County Courthouse in Lumberton, North Carolina, after pleading guilty to the murder of James Jordan.

UGLY MEDIA FALLOUT FROM MURDER

Speculation ran rife in the days after James’ body was discovered. Michael became an unlikely target, with several media outlets alluding to his gambling habit as a potential motive behind the grisly murder.

“When his dad was murdered, all the articles, the speculation that came out, it was not journalism’s finest hour,” former NBA Vice President of Public Relations Brian McIntyre says on The Last Dance.

The Jordan Rules author Sam Smith adds: “That was really bad, that was really unfair.

“Imagine your father gets killed and they’re blaming you? That was really cheap-shot stuff.”

The speculation saw Jordan’s relationship with the media reach breaking point. The Bulls superstar was understandably furious at being linked to his father’s murder.

“It did hurt, but you had people that were throwing darts who wanted to hurt me anyway,” Jordan says on The Last Dance.

“It wasn’t from the people that I loved, or people that knew me and people that care. It was the people that got tired of me being on top.”

James and Michael Jordan at the 1988 NBA All-Star game where Michael was named game MVP. (Photo by Robert Mora/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Bulls legend issued a statement at the time as the speculation continued to mount, expressing his disbelief people would attempt to link his gambling to his father’s demise.

“There isn’t a thimble’s worth of evidence to connect that horrible incident to Michael Jordan’s gambling or any other aspect of Michael Jordan’s behaviour,” sportscaster Bob Costas says on The Last Dance.

Despite the theories linking the death to Michael’s gambling habits, police at the time said the incident had no relevance and it “could have been any one of us”.

Shortly after the death of his dad, Jordan stepped away from basketball before returning to the league in 1995 and leading Chicago to another three-peat to finish his career as a six-time NBA champion.

— New York Post, additional reporting by James McKern