Who is Ms. Etta? Michael Jordan fulfills former high school teacher’s emotional final wish during hospice care

Michael Jordan may be one of the most famous athletes in sports history, but for one of his former teachers, he was still the same student she remembered from high school in North Carolina. Ms. Etta, a former teacher at Emsley A. Laney High School, is currently receiving hospice care at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare. During her final days, she had one special wish. She wanted to speak with Jordan one more time.

According to local outlet WECT 6, staff members at the hospice center tried hard to reach the basketball legend. At first, it seemed almost impossible. Then social worker Wendy received a call from an unknown number. The person on the line asked, “Is this Ms. Etta?” It was Michael Jordan himself. Wendy quickly drove to see Ms. Etta so the two could connect through FaceTime, creating a moment her family will never forget.

Michael Jordan shares emotional final conversation with former teacher Ms. Etta

What started as a simple phone call soon became an emotional reunion between a teacher and her former student. Staff members at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare told WECT 6 that Jordan and Ms. Etta spent time laughing together, sharing old memories, and teasing each other like old friends. The room reportedly became emotional as family members and caregivers watched the touching moment unfold.

In video shared by WECT 6, Ms. Etta sat comfortably on a couch while Jordan appeared on the screen wearing a blue t-shirt and smiling warmly during the conversation. For her family, the moment meant far more than speaking to a celebrity. It was personal. It was about reconnecting with someone who had once been part of her everyday life before the championships, fame, and worldwide success.

Jordan graduated from Laney High School in 1981 before becoming the face of the Chicago Bulls dynasty and winning six NBA championships. His early struggles at school, including famously being cut from the varsity basketball team as a sophomore, later became one of the most talked-about stories of his career.

Even after becoming a global icon, Jordan has continued giving back to Wilmington. In 2024, he partnered with Novant Health to open a third Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic in his hometown after donating $10 million to improve healthcare access.

A year earlier, Jordan also donated $10 million to Make-A-Wish Foundation for his 60th birthday, marking the largest single donation in the charity’s history.

This time, though, the wish came from someone who knew Michael Jordan long before the world did.



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