Michael Jordan’s high school love letter revealed

By Dan Devine

Michael Jordan's tough-guy reputation will no doubt survive this revelation, but it's no less surprising and not the least bit less charming that a recently revealed high school love note Michael penned in 1980 shows him to be just as smitten as we all were, when gathering our thoughts as we prepared a note meant for the object of our teenaged affection.

Yes, Michael Jordan wrote notes. Letters, to be more specific, including an alternately sheepish and smooth bit of romantic correspondence that he apparently wrote as a student at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, N.C., in the early 1980s, well before he embarked on his Hall of Fame NBA career with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.

In the letter, which sold at auction for $5,100.66 in December 2004 and was posted Thursday by the folks at the great site Letters of Note, Jordan apologizes to his "dearest Laquette" for making her "look pretty rotten," then goes on to extol her beauty, explicitly point out when he had made a joke, offer her "his best love" and sign the whole shebang with his full name, including his middle initial. (If you want to compare and contrast the handwriting, here's a page from MJ's high school yearbook; the signature looks like a match to me.)

Want to check out the adorable emotional jumble for yourself? See the handwritten note and read a full transcript after the jump.

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(And here is the text of Jordan's note)

Michael Jordan

My Dearest Laquette

How are you and your family doing, fine I hope. I am in my Adv. Chemistry class writing you a letter, so that tell you how much I care for you. I decide to write you because I felt that I made you look pretty rotten after the last night. I want to tell you that I am sorry, and hope that you except my apologie. I know that you feelings was hurt whenever I loss my necklace or had it stolen.

I was really happy when you gave me my honest coin money that I won off the bet. I want to thank you for letting me hold your annual. I show it to everyone at school. Everyone think you are a very pretty young lady and I had to agree because it is very true. Please don't let this go to your head. (smile) I sorry to say that I can't go to the game on my birthday because my father is taking the whole basketball team out to eat on my birthday. Please don't be mad because I am trying get down there a week from Feb. 14. If I do get the chance to come please have some activity for us to do together.

I want you to know that my feeling for you has not change yet. ← (joke) I am finally getting use to going with a girl much smaller than I. I hope you my hint. Well I have spent my time very wisely by write to you. I hope you write back soon. Well I must go, the period is almost over. See you next time around, which I hope comes soon.

With my Best Love

Michael J. Jordan