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A baseball bat signed by Michael Jordan is about to go up for auction after a man remembered he left it in the trunk of his car more than a decade ago.

According to USA Today, actor and stuntman Tony Todd had forgotten he owned a Louisville Slugger signed by the NBA legend until he recently rediscovered it in the trunk of his 1966 Pontiac LeMans.

Todd first came into possession of the bat back in 1994, when Jordan played for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League, according to the outlet. A year before, Jordan had shocked the world when he announced he was leaving the Chicago Bulls after winning three straight NBA titles to pursue his childhood dream of playing baseball.

Jordan was recently the focus of the 10-part ESPN documentary, The Last Dance, which covered his impressive career and accomplishments with the Bulls. Todd said his signed bat hadn’t crossed his mind for 13 years until someone sent him a message while The Last Dance was airing, asking if he still had it.

“My God, I had totally forgotten I had the M.J. bat to be honest,” Todd recalled to USA Today. “When the guy mentioned it, I sprinted through the house like Carl Lewis.”

“I’m running around the house, going, ‘Where’s the bat? Where’s the bat?’ I couldn’t find it,” he continued, adding that he then remembered it was in the trunk of his Pontiac.

RALF-FINN HESTOFT/CORBIS/CORBIS VIA GETTY

Todd said Jordan gave him the bat after a friend invited him to hang with the NBA champion after his game with the Scorpions in 1994. That’s when Jordan recognized Todd from the movie, Little Big League.

Jordan would not pursue his baseball career for long — just a year after signing Todd’s bat, he returned to the Bulls once again. From there he won three straight championships with the team from 1996 to 1998, solidifying him as the most admired athlete in the world at the time.

Jordan would retire from basketball for a second time following the 1998 season, then return once again to join the Washington Wizards in 2001.

While Todd said he doesn’t know how much the bat is worth today, he anticipates its value has likely skyrocketed thanks to ESPN’s documentary.

“I’m not in desperate need to sell it, and I don’t want to give it away,” Todd told USA Today, “but there can’t be that many Jordan bats signed.”

The bat will go up for auction on Saturday on Memory Lane Inc’s website, with a starting bid of $10,000. Bidding will last 21 days and end on Oct. 10.

“Something like this, probably the only Jordan-used bat used in existence on the market, will create a lot of interest,” Daniel Wulkan, a partner with Memory Lane, told USA Today. “To have the photo, the whole story behind it, just adds extra value.”

If you’re a Michael Jordan fan, you may know his beloved father James R. Jordan, Sr. was murdered in North Carolina in 1993. But do you know the whole story? Michael Jordan has only spoken publicly about it a few times.

The murder sparked international attention and the trial became a national media spectacle – but cameras were not permitted in the courtroom, and there’s so much the world doesn’t know about the case and there are plenty of unanswered questions.

Daniel Green (front) and Larry Demery (back, left) after their arrests by Robeson County deputies for the murder of James JordanSet featured image

How did James R. Jordan Sr. die?

Two teenagers, one Native American and one Black, were convicted of the murder of James Jordan and are serving life sentences in separate North Carolina prisons. Larry Martin Demery and Daniel Andre Green tell conflicting stories of what happened the night James R. Jordan Sr. was murdered. There are new questions about the investigation, new evidence from the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence plus a documented history of law enforcement corruption and racism in the rural county where the murder happened.

Here’s what you might not know about this case.

1. Michael Jordan’s dad was an unidentified John Doe in a swamp in South Carolina. He was cremated before he was identified.

In August 1993, a fisherman found a body draped over a tree limb in a South Carolina swamp with a gunshot wound to the chest. With the body badly decomposed and no missing person report matching the description of the dead man, an autopsy was performed, the jaws and hands were preserved for later identification, and the man’s body was cremated several days later.

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2. Michael Jordan’s car was found stripped and vandalized in the woods near Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Two days after the unidentified body was found in South Carolina, a stripped and vandalized Lexus sports car turns up in the woods more than sixty miles away in North Carolina. Then, the revelations that shock the world – according to the registration the car was bought in Chicago by Michael Jordan, and the dead man in South Carolina is later identified as James R. Jordan Sr., Michael Jordan’s dad.

James Jordan’s car was found stripped and vandalized. The car was registered to his son, Michael Jordan.

Listen to how the investigation unfolded from the original prosecutor, and WRAL’s exclusive news archive.

3. James Jordan’s body was identified using personal dental records plus his fingerprints.

The coroner kept Mr. Jordan’s jaw and hands for later identification after he was cremated. James Jordan had extensive dental work and dental records were used to confirm his identity. Additionally, the fingerprint on the right thumb matched the right thumb print of Mr. Jordan, whose prints were already on file with authorities.

James Jordan (left) and his son Michael Jordan. Photo Credit: Hugh Morton, North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina Library at Chapel Hill

4. James Jordan wasn’t reported missing by his family until three weeks after he disappeared.

When the Jordan family could not get in touch with James R. Jordan Sr., Michael Jordan’s security team started its own investigation. It wasn’t until weeks later, after Michael Jordan’s car was found vandalized and stripped in the woods near Fayetteville, North Carolina, that the Jordan family filed a missing person report.

While Mr. Jordan did have a criminal record for his involvement in a kickback scheme, conspiracy theories that surrounded the case about organized crime and gambling were never proven to be factors in the murder.

Learn more about the complicated life of James R. Jordan, Sr.

Reporter Amanda Lamb shares how Michael Jordan grieved the loss of his father in her blog.

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5. James Jordan was murdered in Robeson County, North Carolina, the county with the highest violent crime rate in the state, with a history of systemic racism and law enforcement corruption.

Robeson County is about halfway between Miami and Manhattan on I-95, and the drug-running corridor known as cocaine alley runs right through it. Searing and overt racism toward Lumbee Indians and Black people ran rampant in the years leading up to the James Jordan murder investigation and trial. Robeson County is a place where armed gunmen took over the local newspaper to draw attention to claims of racial injustice and police corruption. It’s a place where a political candidate was gunned down weeks before an election. Decades of racial tension and police corruption still haunt the community today.

6. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office was charged with corruption several years after the trial.

Does the location of the murder have anything to do with the outcome of the trial? Years after the murder, 22 officers from the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office were charged with various crimes involving corruption in a sweeping investigation dubbed Operation Tarnished Badge.

Learn more about Robeson County, NC, the scene of the James Jordan murder.

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7. Michael Jordan’s NBA ring was found buried in a yard.

The investigation got one of its first big breaks from an unlikely source: suspect Daniel Andre Green himself. Daniel pointed investigators to a patch of dirt by his great-grandmother’s house. They dug up a ring – Michael Jordan’s NBA ring.

Listen to SBI Agent Tony Underwood talk about the moment the ring was discovered.

8. After his murder, a suspect wore James Jordan’s jewelry in a rap music video.

There were other damning puzzle pieces that emerged in the investigation: a gun hidden in a Shop-vac in the house where Daniel Green was living and a rap music video starring Daniel wearing James Jordan’s watch and an NBA ring. At Daniel Green’s murder trial, Michael Jordan’s brother Larry identified the jewelry as gifts from Michael to his father. The jury never heard the music video because the judge thought it might prejudice them. Still photos from the video were shown in court. However, the video was leaked to the media.

Daniel Green wearing James Jordan’s watch and ring. This still is taken from the home video that was leaked to the media.

Listen to the original interrogation tapes as investigators interview Larry Demery and Daniel Green.

9. The two main suspects in the murder of James Jordan were best friends.

Larry Demery and Daniel Green first met in elementary school. They grew up together in Robeson County. In July 1993, Daniel says Larry was living in Daniel’s home. A gun found in a Shop-vac in the house was later presented at trial as the murder weapon, though ballistics did not confirm it was the gun that killed James Jordan. Larry’s eyewitness testimony against Daniel was the basis of the State’s narrative that Daniel pulled the trigger. Both men are serving life sentences in separate North Carolina prisons.

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10. Co-defendant Larry Demery took a plea deal in exchange for testifying against his best friend, Daniel Green.

Larry Demery on trial for the murder of James Jordan, Michael Jordan’s dad

At Daniel Green’s trial in 1996, the public heard for the first time the full story of what prosecutors say happened on the side of the road in Lumberton, North Carolina on July 23, 1993. The State’s story places Daniel Andre Green and Larry Martin Demery there trying to rob James Jordan as he slept in his car. In stunning testimony, co-defendant Larry Demery tells the court he saw James wake up startling Daniel who then fired the fatal shot to his chest. Demery testifies he and Daniel then drove to South Carolina and dumped James Jordan’s body off a bridge.

Demery took a plea deal in exchange for this testimony.

Hear the State’s case against Daniel Green and Larry’s stunning, detailed testimony identifying Daniel as the triggerman who killed James Jordan.

11. Daniel Andre Green’s main alibi witness, a girl named Bobbie Jo Murillo, never testified at his trial.

Daniel Green and Bobbie Jo Murillo

When it comes to the question of who killed Michael Jordan’s father, Larry Martin Demery and Daniel Andre Green tell two vastly different stories. The core of Daniel’s defense is that he was not there when James Jordan was killed. He says that he only came on the scene later, at Larry’s insistence, and then helped dispose of James Jordan’s body.

Daniel Green says he was at a cookout with his mother, sister, several friends and a girl he had a romantic interest in named Bobbie Jo Murillo. Multiple witnesses, including Bobbie Jo, corroborate his story.

However, when the case went to trial, Daniel’s defense didn’t spend much time exploring Daniel’s alibi and only called two witnesses. Bobbie Jo, the girl Daniel was allegedly with all night, was not called by the defense to testify.

Listen to Daniel Green tell his detailed account of the night James R. Jordan, Sr. was killed and how he ended up with Larry driving a body to South Carolina.

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12. Under the law in North Carolina, if you are with another person committing a felony when someone is killed, it doesn’t matter who pulled the trigger.

Whether Daniel was at the scene when Jordan was killed is key to the case. The felony murder law in North Carolina says if a felony like a robbery is being committed and someone is killed, everyone who is present is equally culpable regardless of who pulled the trigger. So, if Larry and Daniel were both there at the time of the killing, they are equally responsible, though Daniel was tried and convicted as the triggerman. He has consistently maintained that he was not there when James Jordan was killed.

13. The gun presented at Daniel Green’s trial was not proven to be the gun used to kill Michael Jordan’s dad.

The gun found inside Daniel Andre Green’s trailer

The gun evidence was one of the three pillars of the prosecution’s case. But at the Daniel Andre Green murder trial, the State was never able to prove that the .38-caliber revolver found was the one used in the James Jordan murder. Investigators found the gun tucked inside a Shop-vac in Daniel’s home, where he lived with his mother. Daniel says co-defendant Larry Demery also stayed there on a regular basis. Ballistics tests on the bullet found in James Jordan’s body were inconclusive in confirming they were shot from the gun that was entered into evidence.

14. There was no conclusive evidence of blood found in James Jordan’s car.

Evidence from the James Jordan murder investigation

The primary narrative of the prosecution’s case is that James Jordan was killed in his car on the side of the road in Lumberton, North Carolina. Co-defendant Larry Demery testified he saw Daniel Green shoot and kill James Jordan in his car and that the body was then moved into the passenger seat. Blood analysis tests were inconclusive for the presence of blood in the passenger seat, though they were not clearly presented as inconclusive at trial. In fact, an analyst testified she thought there was blood in the car despite no confirmatory evidence.

15. The original defense team never conducted bullet trajectory tests or its own blood analysis.

A bullet trajectory drawing from the James Jordan murder investigation

The original defense team never conducted bullet trajectory tests to disprove the shooting could have happened as Demery testified. Decades later, Green’s new attorney, Christine Mumma of the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence, had field tests conducted based on the detailed testimony from Demery about where Daniel was in relation to the car and Demery’s description of Mr. Jordan’s position in the driver’s seat. That bullet trajectory expert says the shooting could not have happened as described by Larry Demery.

16. Evidence of a bullet hole in Mr. Jordan’s shirt wasn’t observed during the autopsy, but was present years later at the trial.

The shirt James Jordan was wearing the night he was murdered

Mr. Jordan’s body was found draped over a tree limb in Gum Swamp near the North Carolina-South Carolina border about a mile from Crestline Mobile Homes. He had been in the water for nearly two weeks. The coroner concluded he died from a single gunshot wound to the right chest. The autopsy report states the coroner searched thoroughly for a corresponding bullet hole in the shirt, but it was not there. Three years later, when the shirt is entered into evidence at Daniel Green’s murder trial, it is presented with a bullet hole in the right chest. The prosecution also presented evidence of gunpowder on the shirt, but the pathologist conducting the autopsy noted none.

The original defense team’s handling of the gun evidence, the blood evidence and the shirt presented at trial are among Daniel Green’s claims that he received ineffective assistance of counsel during his trial.

Daniel Green and his attorney, Chris Mumma

Listen to Attorney Chris Mumma from the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence lay out her case as she questions the evidence.

17. One of the first calls made from James Jordan’s car phone the day he died was to Hubert Larry Deese, a convicted drug dealer and the biological son of Robeson County Sheriff Hubert Stone, who investigated the Jordan murder. The jury never heard about it.

Judge Gregory Weeks did not allow that call to be presented as evidence at the trial saying there was no known connection between Deese and Sheriff Stone, and therefore it wasn’t relevant. According to Daniel Green’s legal team, the prosecution knew Deese and Stone were father and son, and that Deese and Demery both worked for Crestline Mobile Homes. Jordan’s body was dumped in the Gum Swamp less than a mile from Crestline.

Jurors never heard about that phone call or the relationship between Deese and the sheriff. According to Chris Mumma, the State interviewed Deese but there’s no record of the interview. Mumma says the State either didn’t make a record of the interview or didn’t provide the record to the defense.

18. A North Carolina reporter claimed that Larry Demery told her in 1993 that he shot James Jordan. She never published the interview.

The one person known to have interviewed Larry shortly after the arrests was Connee Brayboy, editor of a local Native American magazine called the Carolina Indian Voice. She would not share what she learned in that interview until 2015, and it is a revelation that threatens to turn the entire case upside down. Brayboy claimed Larry told her that he was the one who shot James Jordan.

In November 2015, Connee Brayboy signed an affidavit with the Court documenting what Larry told her.

Learn more about Larry Demery’s past and hear Chris Mumma talk about Connee’s affidavit.

19. More than two decades after Larry Demery testified identifying Daniel Green as the triggerman, an affidavit is filed claiming Demery admits he lied on the witness stand.

On December 31, 2018, Daniel Andre Green’s current attorney, Christine Mumma, visits Larry Demery in prison. In a bombshell confession, she claims he admits to her that he lied at trial, that he was coerced by investigators to tell the story he told. According to Mumma, Larry admitted he did not see Daniel Green kill James Jordan. This contradicts the testimony he gave at trial that helped convict Daniel. Mumma says Larry did not admit to pulling the trigger himself, only that he never saw Daniel do it.

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Chris Mumma signed an affidavit with the court documenting what Larry told her.

Hear about Chris Mumma’s visit to Larry in prison, Larry’s parole, a big ruling in Daniel’s appeal, and what’s next in the case.

20. Daniel Green has maintained his innocence in the murder since 1993.

Daniel Green has filed appeal after appeal since his conviction in 1996, claiming he wasn’t there when Michael Jordan’s dad was killed. All of them have been denied. The North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence took on Daniel Green’s case in 2016. Green and his lawyer, Chris Mumma have filed multiple appeals on the grounds that there is new evidense in the case. They claim there was a violation of Daniel’s due process rights, and that he had ineffective legal counsel at his 1996 trial.

Daniel Green has maintained his innocence of the James Jordan murder since 1993

21. In 2020, Green’s co-defendant Larry Demery was granted parole.

He was scheduled to be released in 2023. In 2021, his parole date was delayed by a year and then later revoked.

Daniel Green continues to appeal for his right to present new evidence that he says proves his innocence in the murder of James Jordan.

22. A ruling from the North Carolina Supreme Court on a different case reverses a lower court’s decision in Daniel’s case.

The NC Supreme Court ruling involves a claim of “ineffective assistance of counsel,” which was one of the reasons attorney Chris Mumma said Daniel deserved a new hearing. Her motion for a new hearing was flatly denied in 2020, but after the State vs Allen Supreme Court decision, the NC Court of Appeals ruled Daniel’s motion should be reconsidered.

After 28 years behind bars, Daniel’s attorney calls this “the first positive thing that has happened in his case.”

Learn more about why Judge Winston Gilcrest’s denial of Daniel Green’s appeal was overturned.

Where can I find more information about the murder of Michael Jordan’s dad?

WRAL produced a podcast about the murder of James Jordan and the case against Daniel Green. Follow the Truth is a true crime podcast hosted by veteran crime reporter Amanda Lamb. The podcast questions the evidence and explores whether this is a case of wrongful conviction.

The Follow the Truth podcast, produced by WRAL Studios, first launched in July 2021 using new reporting and the exclusive case archives from WRAL News.

WRAL Studios’ parent company, Capitol Broadcasting, co-produced a five-part documentary series about the James Jordan murder called Moment of Truth, now streaming on Amazon’s free streaming service Freevee and on Amazon Prime.

A major film about Michael Jordan

While you are on Amazon Prime, it might be worth checking out the movie ‘AIR’. It’s a major motion picture about the story of the “partnership between a then undiscovered Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division.”

Michael Jordan and father James Jordan in February 1988. PHOTO: ROBERT MORA/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES

Michael Jordan is opening up about the impact his father had on his life.

On Sunday, ESPN aired te seventh and eighth episodes of The Last Dance, the 10-part docuseries that tells the story of the basketball legend during his final 1997-1998 NBA season with the Chicago Bulls. The recent installments saw Jordan, 57, reflecting on a dark period in his life — the murder of his father, James.

“He was my rock,” the NBA icon said. “… We were very close. He constantly gave me advice. I remember in ninth grade I got suspended three times in one year, and my father pulled me aside that summer and said: ‘Look, you don’t look like you’re heading in the right direction. You know, if you want to go about doing all this mischievous stuff, you can forget sports.’”

He continued, “That’s all I needed to hear. From that point on, it was like tunnel vision and I never got in trouble from that point on.”

In July 1993, James was shot and killed while sleeping in his car at a highway rest stop in Robeson County, North Carolina. His body was found 11 days later after being dumped off a bridge in South Carolina. He was 56.

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On The Last Dance, Jordan emotionally recalls the complicated, difficult time grieving his father and deciding how to move forward with his athletic career, all while juggling fame and the spotlight. He said his mother, Deloris, was “strong” throughout the trying time.

“The first thing she says, ‘You know, you got to be thankful,’ and I started looking at the positive,” Jordan explained.

He also called his father the “voice of reason” who “always drove and challenged me” in the docuseries.

“One of the things that [my dad] always taught me is that you have to take a negative and turn it into a positive, so I started looking to the other side of it, and that helped me get through it,” Jordan said.

Following his father’s death, the Chicago Bulls star shocked fans everywhere when he decided to retire from the game of basketball.

In his time away from the court, the basketball player tried his hand at baseball, joining the Chicago White Sox in 1994. After taking a swing at baseball, Jordan surprised fans once again when he returned to the Bulls in 1995, simply and famously stating in a press release at the time, “I’m back.”

On Father’s Day 1996, Jordan brought the Bulls to another NBA championship, his fourth. Afterward, the athlete dedicated the win to his late dad, breaking down on the floor in an emotional moment in the locker room.

“I know he’s watching,” Jordan said at the time. “This one’s for daddy.”

The final episodes of The Last Dance air Sunday, May 17, at 9 and 10 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN2.

PHOTO: EFF HAYNES/GETTY IMAGES

With the sports world currently on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN is finally airing The Last Dance, its highly-anticipated documentary on Michael Jordan‘s final season with the Chicago Bulls.

The 10-part series takes a look at the Bulls’ historic 1997-1998 season, which was filled with uncertainty and drama but culminated with the team winning its sixth championship of the 1990s.

Though Jordan will undoubtedly be the focus of the series, there will also be behind-the-scenes looks at other key figures of the team, including Scottie Pippen; legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson; sharpshooter Steve Kerr; and bad-boy Dennis Rodman, who famously dated Baywatch star Carmen Electra during the 1998 season.

The documentary’s first two episodes will drop this Sunday, April 19, at 9 p.m. EST on ESPN. After that, two new episodes of the series will air each Sunday until the finale on May 17.

With the premiere only a few days away, here are five things to know about Jordan’s final year with the Bulls.

The Bulls knew the team would likely break up at the season’s end.

In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Jordan said he and his Bulls teammates were aware their time together was coming to a close before the 1997-1998 season began.

According to Jordan, Bulls management had soured on Phil Jackson, the coach who had impressively led them to five championships since 1991. The front office allegedly told Jackson they would not bring him back after the season concluded.

Michael Jordan. SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/NBAE

“At the beginning of the season, it basically started when [Bulls general manager] Jerry Krause told Phil [Jackson] that he could go 82 and 0 and he would never get the chance to come back,” Jordan recalled.

For Jordan, that meant he also would not return to the team. He did not see himself playing for another coach at the time, he said.

“So Phil started off the year saying, ‘This is the last dance,’ and we played it that way,” Jordan recalled. “Basically, it just kind of tugged at you through the course of the year, knowing that this had to come to an end. But it also centered our focus to make sure we ended it right.”

Bulls star Scottie Pippen was injured heading into the season — leaving their success in doubt.

Pippen entered the season on the injury list after he underwent surgery on his foot, which had been bothering him the previous year. Fortunately, he would return 35 games into the season with the Bulls sitting on a 24-11 record thanks to Toni Kukoc, who filled in for Pippen during his absence.

The small forward then had to play through a back injury just as the Bulls secured the Eastern Conference title — meaning Jordan’s performance was more important than ever.

The Bulls faced the Utah Jazz for a second consecutive time in the finals.

For the third year in a row, the Bulls reached the NBA Finals, and their opponent was the Utah Jazz, led by two future Hall of Famers — Karl Malone and John Stockton.

The Jazz lost to Jordan and the Bulls during the 1997 NBA Finals, but behind Malone, Stockton, and coach Jerry Sloane, they were seen as potential contenders to end Chicago’s championship run.

KENT SMITH/NBAE

But the Jazz faced elimination once again in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Jordan famously stole the ball from Malone with 20 seconds left in the game, then dribbled down the court and hit a quick jumper that put the Bulls up by a single point with five seconds left.

It would be Jordan’s final shot as a member of the Bulls, and the one that cemented them as champions.

The Bulls completed their second “three-peat” — something that had never been done before.

Entering the 1997-1998 season, the Bulls were on the verge of doing something that few teams have ever done — winning three championships in a row. And they’d already done it once from 1991 to 1993.

But no team had ever done it twice (though the Boston Celtics won eight straight championships from 1959 to 1966).

The only other NBA team to three-peat since the 1996-1998 Bulls were the 2000-2002 Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

Jordan retired from basketball for a second time after winning the championship.

Jordan would retire from basketball for a second time following the 1998 season. His first retirement, in 1993, came after the murder of his father. During his first retirement, Jordan signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox, where he played with their affiliate, the Birmingham Barons, until he announced his return to the NBA in March 1995.

Like the first time, Jordan made his return to basketball with the Washington Wizards in 2001.

A former Chicago Bulls star revealed the real reason why Michael Jordan decided to retire in 1993.

In 1993, the Chicago Bulls played a whole season without Jordan. On that same year, Toni Kukoč decided it was time to go across the ocean and seal a deal with the Bulls. At the time, not a lot of players went to the NBA from Europe and the few that did had a hard time earning regular minutes. Kukoč knew he had a lot to prove, mainly because he was joining the best team on the planet.

The Croatian NBA legend “felt the need for a challenge and said to himslef, “Let’s try it in the NBA.” Kukoč ended up like most European players and played limited minutes and had an uphill battle to prove himself. But on the day he arrived in Chicago, a piece of news broke that rocked the basketball world – Jordan announced he was retiring.

In an interview with Večernji List transcripted by Basketball Network, Kukoč revealed the real reason why Jordan decided to retire while he was regarded as the best player in the world. According to Kukoč, Jordan has had enough of all the pressure and drama associated with his name and the murder of his father was the “ straw that broke the camel’s back.”

“He [Jordan] said he’d had enough, that he wasn’t practicing with the same fire as he did before. Then his father got murdered, and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I was sitting there with players I had just met, and they were all crying. Suddenly, I was crying as well.”

Kukoč was saddened by MJ’s decision. However, it was also a blessing in disguise for him. Jordan being out of the picture enabled him to play most minutes at his natural position playing alongside Scottie Pippen, who proved that he wasn’t just the “No. 2” guy in the Bulls.

After missing one whole season, Jordan decided to return. Moments before his grand comeback with the Bulls, MJ commented on Pippen and said that what separates Pippen from the pack is that he could maintain his consistency by regularly finding different challenges to always make himself a better player.

“I think that is one thing about the great players and the good players. Great players do it every night, and good players do it once in a while. I think Scottie [Pippen] understands the difference between the two, and he certainly has the talent and the credibility to do both,” Jordan said.

This Sunday night we saw Michael Jordan and his reflection on his first retirement in 1993. After clinching his first three-peat with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan decided to try new things and went to play baseball.

He had lost his father that year, too, after Mr. James Jordan was murdered, showing his emotional side throughout the 7th and 8th episodes of the 10-part docuseries.

We were all watching, including the Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who revealed how he lived that moment as a 9-year-old kid.

“Definitely cried this day. 9 years of age. Just Couldn’t believe it,” James wrote on Twitter.

After that, LBJ talked about Jordan’s famous ‘Double Nickel’ game at Madison Square Garden, where he scored 55 points in a win over the Knicks.

Moreover, the documentary showed how Nick Anderson took a jab at Jordan when the Orlando Magic defeated the Bulls in the playoffs. Jordan had changed his name to 45, as to what Anderson reacted saying that No. 45 wasn’t as difficult to stop as No. 23.

After that, Jordan came back to No. 23 and continued scoring at an average of 31 points per game.

“Damn the series lost(rusty), MJ so cold that he went from 45 to 23 from game 1 to game 2 in the playoffs! Haha. That’s legendary!” James wrote in another tweet.

Bron is just a fan, like the rest of us, and he’s the best example of how we feel watching MJ doing his thing every week.

The NBA hаs been аround ѕince 1946. I’m goіng to breаk down every deсade’s beѕt рlayer ѕtarting іn the 1960ѕ ѕince thаt іs аs fаr аs our аccurаte dаtа goeѕ.

The 60ѕ were а greаt tіme іn bаsketbаll wіth legendѕ ѕuch аs Jerry Weѕt, Bіll Ruѕѕell, аnd Oѕcar Robertѕon рlaying аt аn elіte level thаt hаd never been ѕeen before іn the eаrly ѕtageѕ of the gаme, but by fаr the beѕt рlayer іn thіs erа wаs Wіlt “The Stіlt” Chаmberlаin.

Chamberlain’s rаw аthleticism hаsn’t been mаtched to thіs dаy. It іs сlaimed thаt аt 7’1″, Chаmberlаin сould benсh 500 рounds аnd leаp 48 іnches.

Along wіth Chаmberlаin hаving іncredіble аthleticism, he аlso wаs а рhenomenal bаsketbаll рlayer. Chаmberlаin holdѕ the reсord for moѕt рoints іn а ѕingle gаme wіth 100; he аlso won two сhampionships аnd аverаged 50 рoints for а whole ѕeaѕon. Chаmberlаin not only ѕcored but rebounded lіke no other; he holdѕ the сareer reboundіng reсord wіth 23,924.

Durіng the 70ѕ the leаgue’s tаlent іncreased, аs dіd the рlayers’ ѕkillѕ. At thіs tіme mаny greаt рlayers were on the hаrdwood ѕuch аs Julіus Ervіng, George Gervіn, аnd Rіck Bаrry, but the defіnіtіve beѕt рlayer wаs Kаreem Abdul-Jabbar.

Aѕ а Buсk аnd а Lаker, Abdul-Jаbbаr wаs а threаt іn the рost on both endѕ of the floor; he would ѕend your ѕhot bаck аnd then run bаck аnd ѕink hіs ѕignature ѕky-hook rіght over your heаd. Abdul-Jabbar’s hook аllowed hіm to ѕcore on аnyone, аnd I meаn аnyone; he hаs the moѕt рoints іn NBA hіstory wіth 38,387.

Sіmіlar to Chаmberlаin, Abdul-Jаbbаr wаs muсh more thаn juѕt а ѕcorer; he іs 3rd аll-time іn reboundіng аnd bloсks. Abdul-Jabbar’s ѕtatѕ weren’t emрty eіther, he wаs а wіnner; wіnnіng ѕix сhampionships аnd two Fіnals MVPѕ іn hіs 20 ѕeaѕonѕ.

The 80ѕ were one of the greаtest erаs of bаsketbаll ever. In thіs grіtty аge of the gаme, mаny of the greаts рlayed іncludіng Iѕiah Thomаs, Lаrry Bіrd, Mіchael Jordаn, аnd Domіnіque Wіlkіns. Lаkers рoint guаrd аnd Abdul-Jabbar’s рartner іn сrime, Mаgic Johnѕon wаs the beѕt іn the deсade.

Johnѕon сould do іt аll; ѕtanding аt 6’9″, he сould defend, fаcilitаte, аnd fіnіsh аt аn elіte level. Johnѕon won three MVPѕ, three Fіnals MVPѕ, fіve сhampionships, аnd а рlethora of other аccolаdes. Johnѕon рrimarily рlayed рoint guаrd but wіth hіs length аnd heіght he сould рlay аny рosition on the floor аnd thаt’s why he wаs ѕo greаt.

Durіng the 90ѕ the defіnіtіve beѕt рlayer wаs the Chіcago Bullѕ’ Mіchael Jordаn, wіthout а doubt. Jordаn wаs а рure ѕcorer; he сould get to the rіm wіth hіs аmаzing аthleticism but he сould аlso ѕwiѕh а mіd-range jumрer іn your eyeѕ.

Jordаn domіnated іn the 90ѕ, ѕtopping mаny legendѕ from gettіng rіngs ѕuch аs Reggіe Mіller, Pаtrick Ewіng, Kаrl Mаlone, John Stoсkton, аnd mаny more. In hіs tіme, Jordаn won ѕix сhampionships, ѕix Fіnals MVPѕ, 5 MVPѕ, one Defenѕive Plаyer of the Yeаr аwаrds, аnd the lіst goeѕ on.

The 2000ѕ were а revolutіonary tіme іn bаsketbаll аs mаny of the beѕt рlayers we hаve ѕeen worked theіr mаgic on the hаrdwood ѕuch аs Dwаyne Wаde, Lebron Jаmes, Allen Iverѕon, Steve Nаsh, Dіrk Nowіtzkі, Tіm Dunсan, аnd Shаquille O’Neаl, juѕt to nаme а few. There were mаny greаt рlayers іn the 2000ѕ, but the beѕt wаs hаnds down wаs Lаker greаt, Kobe Bryаnt.

Bryаnt’s gаme аlmost reрlicated Jordаn’s; the mіd-range, the flаshy dunkѕ, the mentаlity, аnd even hіs movement were neаrly іdentіcal to Jordаn’s. Durіng Kobe’ѕ erа, he won one MVP, two Fіnals MVPѕ, fіve сhampionships, аnd mаde 12 аll-defensive teаms.

The 2010ѕ exрanded on whаt the 2000ѕ brought to the gаme wіth more of а relіance on the three-bаll. Mаny new fаces brought theіr own рlaystyles to the NBA аnd domіnated ѕuch аs Steрhen Curry, Pаul George, Kаwhi Leonаrd, Anthony Dаvis, аnd mаny more. Even though there were ѕo mаny greаt рlayers thаt рlayed, one ѕtandѕ out; LeBron Jаmes.

Jаmes’s іnsane аthleticism аnd сourt vіsіon hаve аllowed hіm to domіnate for deсades. Aѕ а member of the Heаt, Cаvаliers, аnd Lаkers, Jаmes іs ѕo greаt thаt he іs known аs а fаcilitаtor but іs аlso thіrd аll-time on the ѕcoring lіst, аnd, аt 36 yeаrs old, he іs ѕtill рlaying аt аn elіte level. He hаs four сhampionships, four Fіnals MVPѕ, four MVPѕ,  Rookіe of the Yeаr, аnd the lіst doeѕn’t end.

Loѕ Angeleѕ Lаkers ѕtar LeBron Jаmes sаys he rememberѕ how emotіonal he wаs on the dаy Michаel Jordan announced hіs fіrst retіrement from bаsketbаll.

On Sundаy nіght, ESPN аired the ѕeventh аnd eіghth eрisodes of іts highly-acclaimed doсumentary ѕerieѕ  The Lаst Dаnce , whіch followѕ Jordаn аnd the Chіcago Bullѕ over the сourse of theіr ѕix сhampionship runѕ durіng the 1990ѕ.

The lаtest eрisodes dove іnto one of the moѕt ѕignificant рoints of Jordаn’s lіfe — when he аnnounced hіs ѕudden retіrement from the NBA followіng the murder of hіs fаther, Jаmes Jordаn, іn 1993. The revelаtion сame juѕt а ѕhort tіme аfter the ѕtar won hіs thіrd ѕtraight сhampionship wіth the Bullѕ.

Jordаn’s ѕhocking аnnouncement grаbbed the аttention of medіa аround the world аnd іt wаs а dаy thаt bаsketbаll fаns — іncludіng а young LeBron Jаmes — wіll аlwаys remember.

“Defіnіtely сried thіs dаy. 9 yeаrs of аge,” Jаmes, 35, tweeted on Sundаy nіght durіng the broаdcаst. “Juѕt Couldn’t belіeve іt.”

It wаs іn July 1993 thаt Jаmes Jordаn wаs ѕhot аnd killed while sleeping іn hіs сar аt а hіghway reѕt ѕtop іn Robeѕon County, North Cаrolinа. Hіs body wаs found 11 dаys lаter аfter beіng dumрed off а brіdge іn South Cаrolinа. He wаs 56.

Durіng а рress сonferenсe аt the tіme, whіch wаs ѕhown іn the doсumentary, Jordаn ѕaid retіrіng would meаn hіs lаte fаther wаs аble to ѕee hіs lаst gаme іn the NBA — though he left oрen the door for mаking а return down the lіne.

“He’ѕ very, very ѕelective іn the thіngs he wаnts to be іnvolved іn,” Mіchael Jordаn’s former аgent, Dаvid Fаlk, ѕhared thіs week

“I gueѕѕ the bіggest рositive thіng thаt I сan tаke out of my fаther not beіng here wіth me todаy іs thаt he ѕaw my lаst bаsketbаll gаme,” Jordаn ѕaid. “And thаt meаns а lot. The word ‘retіre’ meаns you сan do аnything you wаnt from thіs dаy on. So іf I deѕire to сome bаck аnd рlay аgаin, mаybe thаt’s whаt I wаnt to do.”

Of сourse, Jordаn would mаke hіs return to the NBA іn 1995 аfter а ѕtint іn mіnor leаgue bаsebаll. Though the Bullѕ were elіmіnated from the рlayoffs thаt yeаr, Jordаn аnd the teаm returned іn 1996 to wіn theіr fіrst of аnother three ѕtraight сhampionships.

Andy Lyons/Allsport/Getty  Mіchael Jordаn іn 1998

LeBron Jаmes — а three-tіme NBA Chаmpion — hаs рublicly ѕpoken аbout how muсh Jordаn hаs іnfluenced hіs сareer.

“I thіnk I fell іn love wіth the gаme beсause of Mіke, juѕt ѕeeing whаt he wаs аble to аccomplish,” Jаmes рreviously ѕaid іn 2017. “But I felt lіke Mіke wаs ѕo — you know, when you’re growіng uр аnd you’re ѕeeing Mіchael Jordаn, іt’s аlmost lіke а god. So I dіdn’t ever belіeve I сould be Mіke. So I ѕtarted to foсus myѕelf on other рlayers аnd other рeoрle аround my neіghborhood, beсause I never thought you сould get to а рoint where Mіke wаs. So I thіnk thаt helрed ѕhape my gаme.”

Michael J. Fox predicts decades of future success, and lasting legacies, for Taylor Swift and Ryan Reynolds.

The 62-year-old actor spoke with People Tuesday for the publication’s 50th anniversary issue, and was asked about who he thought would continue to remain relevant over the next 50 years.

The Back To The Future star cited the massive influence and huge platform Swift, 34, already has with her sizeable fanbase.

‘I think she’s going to be a really important person,’ Fox said of Swift, just days after 90s rocker Courtney Love called the Grammy-winning songstress ‘not important.’

Fox, who also played the role of Alex P. Keaton on the hit 80s TV sitcom Family Ties, said of Swift: ‘I think she moves economies, she changes the way the world works, and that’s amazing.’

Michael J. Fox, 62, predicts decades of future success for Taylor Swift, 34, and Ryan Reynolds, 47. Pictured earlier this month in Nashville

Fox said of Swift, pictured in Tokyo earlier this year, ‘I think she moves economies, she changes the way the world works, and that’s amazing’

Fox, who headlined films such as Doc Hollywood, The Secret of My Success and Casualties of War, noted what Swift has ‘said publicly about issues.’

Swift has lent her opinion toward political issues on occasion, such as in 2018 when she publicly opposed Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn’s campaign in Tennessee.

Fox said that he’s come ‘full circle’ in his thoughts on Swift, as he ‘didn’t have an opinion’ about the musical artist in the first place.

‘Now I have a wife and four kids who worship her,’ Fox said in reference to his wife Tracy Pollan, 63, and children Sam, 34, Aquinnah, 29, Schuyler, 29, and Esmé, 22.

Fox said Reynolds, 47, also stood out to him as a celebrity who could have a long-lasting impact in the world.

‘I think Ryan Reynolds could be a really important person,’ Fox said. ‘He’s so smart, he’s so talented … he knows how to leverage things and make them succeed in other areas.’

The Deadpool leading man – who was among the celebrities who accompanied Swift to an NFL game last fall – is ‘a very philanthropic person,’ Fox said of his fellow Canadian actor.

Fox added of Reynolds: ‘I think he’s positioned to really do amazing things … God forbid I should put more weight on him, but I think he’s positioned to really do amazing things.’

The Back To The Future star cited the massive influence and huge platform Swift already has with her sizeable fanbase

Fox said that he’s come ‘full circle’ in his thoughts on Swift, as he ‘didn’t have an opinion’ about the musical artist in the first place, but his family worships her. Pictured at the Grammys in LA earlier this year

Fox and wife Tracy Pollan were pictured with Reynolds in NYC in November of 2019

He added, ‘What is it about Ryan Reynolds that everything he touches is gold? What is it about people in my position that get involved in causes and have success and progress?’

Fox – who has headed The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research since 2000 – continued, ‘You just show up and do it. And you don’t worry about what everybody thinks, what everybody says, or what you get out of that.’

Fox, who was 29 in 1991 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and went public with the information in 1998, said that he ‘didn’t think’ firstly about image or legacy in his own considerable efforts to combat the disease.

‘I wanted to work on Parkinson’s because I want a cure,’ he said. ‘I just wanted to put us in the best position to find a cure, and hopefully, I did.’

In the autumn of 2000, Fox launched the foundation which ‘is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today.’

According to the foundation, it has raised more than $1 billion for the cause.

He added of Swift and Reynolds: ‘And as far as other people, I think those are two good people.’

Taylor Swift has officially dropped The Tortured Poets Department – the singer’s anticipated 11th studio album.

The Bad Blood songstress, 34 – who recently teased a ‘timetable’ to her fans ahead of the LP’s release – initially announced the album while attending the 2024 Grammys earlier this year in February.

The title of her latest work had caused fans to speculate that the name was aimed at her ex, Joe Alwyn. And earlier this week, Swift appeared to reference the actor as she shared lyrics from the album on X.

The Tortured Poets Department has a total of four versions, as well as a 16 songs and a bonus track titled The Manuscript.

Hours before the album dropped, Swift revealed that the album’s lead single would be Fortnight featuring rapper/singer Post Malone.

She also released a moody teaser for the song’s music video, which will be released Friday at 8pm EST.

Taylor Swift, 34, has officially dropped The Tortured Poets Department – the singer’s anticipated 11th studio album; seen in March 2023 in Las Vegas

The Tortured Poets Department has a total of four versions, as well as a 16 songs and a bonus track titled The Manuscript

As the album hit streaming platforms, Swift published a lengthy statement on Instagram where she described it as ‘an anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time – one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure.’

She continued: ‘This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed. And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted.

‘This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.

‘And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry,’ concluded Swift, as she announced: ‘THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT is out now.’

While taking to the Grammys stage two months earlier, she sent Swifties into a frenzy as she revealed that a new album was on the way.

While accepting the award for Best Pop Vocal Album, the star said, ‘I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I have been keeping from you for the last two years, which is that my brand-new album comes out April 19th.’

‘It’s called The Tortured Poet’s Department. I’m going to go and post the cover right now backstage,’ she excitedly concluded.

At the time, she shared a black and white album cover photo – which showed Taylor laying in a bed while sporting a black shirt and shorts. A stream of light could also be seen shining down on her.

In the captioned, she had penned, ‘All’s fair in love and poetry… New album THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. Out April 19,’ followed by a white heart emoji.

Since then, she has announced three additional versions of The Tortured Poets Department: The Bolter, The Albatross and The Black Dog. Each version – which could be pre-ordered by listeners – also contain an exclusive track.

One day after her album announcement, Swift dropped the official track list to the LP. She also has collaborations with other artists such as Post Malone on Fortnight and Florence & The Machine on the song called Florida!!!

Swift did not confirm that Fortnight would be the album’s lead single until Thursday as she unveiled the cover artwork on social media.

Hours before the album dropped, Swift revealed that the album’s lead single would be Fortnight featuring rapper/singer Post Malone

She also released a moody teaser for the song’s music video, which will be released Friday at 8pm EST

The Pennsylvania-born beauty teased the single’s black-and-white music video that stars both Swift and collaborator Post Malone

She appears to be institutionalized in the video, smashing a one-way mirror before being strapped into a bed and wearing an electric contraption on her head

‘At this hearing, I stand before my fellow members of The Tortured Poets Department with a summary of my findings,’ she captioned the clip on Instagram . ‘Album tonight,’ added Swift. ‘Fortnight music video tomorrow at 8pm et’

‘I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever,’ she raved.

‘I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on “Fortnight”,’ added Swift.

Soon after, the Pennsylvania-born beauty teased the single’s black-and-white music video that stars both Swift and collaborator Post Malone.

‘At this hearing, I stand before my fellow members of The Tortured Poets Department with a summary of my findings,’ she captioned the clip on Instagram.

‘Album tonight,’ added Swift. ‘Fortnight music video tomorrow at 8pm et.’

In regards to the album title, fans were quickly convinced that the name was in reference to her ex, Joe Alwyn – whom she dated for six years until their split was confirmed in April 2023.

Back in 2022, the British-born actor explained that he was part of a WhatsApp group chat with close pals Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott called The Tortured Man Club.

While accepting the award for Best Pop Vocal Album, the star said, ‘I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I have been keeping from you for the last two years, which is that my brand-new album comes out April 19th; seen in February in L.A.

Since then, she has announced three additional versions of The Tortured Poets Department: The Bolter, The Albatross and The Black Dog

One day after her album announcement, Swift dropped the official track list to the LP. She also has collaborations with other artists such as Post Malone on Fortnight and Florence & The Machine on the song called Florida!!!

Fans and social media users immediately jumped to X to share their thoughts on the inspiration behind Swift’s upcoming album, with one penning, ‘THIS IS THE BREAKUP ALBUM.’

Another added, ‘I hope for Joe’s sake that he still has that group chat. I feel like he’s gonna need it.’

A source had also told DailyMail.com that Alwyn feels that it would be ‘shady’ if Taylor dissed him in The Tortured Poets Department.

‘Joe has not said one word about Taylor or their breakup and has been completely respectful of her. It’s undeniable that the name of her upcoming album is in reference to Joe’s WhatsApp group chat.’

‘Taylor knocked him for the name of this when they were together. She didn’t want people to think that it had anything to do with her, so when he spoke out about it, she was, of course, bothered,’ the insider added.

‘Joe has no reason to believe yet that she is going to diss him or their relationship. She writes about her past using code and points of reference.’

The source continued, ‘It may just be that she is reflecting on their time together and he is hoping it is nothing more.’

‘If it is a diss album, that is shady. He helped her with song writing on her past album so it will really come as a shock to him if she talks about their breakup, as it is something he has not spoken of at all.’

In regards to the album title, fans were quickly convinced that the name was in reference to her ex, Joe Alwyn – whom she dated for six years until their split was confirmed in April 2023; seen in February in London

And earlier this week, while promoting a special ‘phantom clear vinyl’ at Target, she took to X and shared the lyrics: ‘I wish I could un-recall how we almost had it all…’; seen in March in Singapore

Taylor’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, also previously revealed that he has heard some of the album and labeled it as ‘unbelievable’; couple seen earlier this month at Coachella

Fans further speculated that the 11th LP was a breakup album referencing Alwyn due to one track titled So Long, London.

And earlier this week, while promoting a special ‘phantom clear vinyl’ at Target, she took to X and shared the lyrics: ‘I wish I could un-recall how we almost had it all…’

Back in February, she had briefly opened up about the process of making the new album on her tour stop at the Tokyo Dome, per Billboard.

‘I’ve been working on it for about two years,’ she told the crowd while on stage. ‘I kept working on it throughout the U.S. tour…’

‘And when it was perfect – in my opinion when it’s good enough for you – I finished it and I am so, so excited that soon you’ll get to hear it,’ Taylor said and added, ‘I’ve been working on Tortured Poets since right after I turned in Midnights.’

The Blank Space hitmaker was referencing to her Midnights album that dropped back in October 2022.

Taylor’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, also previously revealed that he has heard some of the album and labeled it as ‘unbelievable.’

Before the Super Bowl earlier this year, the NFL star expressed to Extra, ‘I have heard some of it, yes. And it is unbelievable.’

The football player added, ‘She’s unbelievable. She’s re-writing the history books herself. I told her, “I’ll have to hold up my end of the bargain and bring home some hardware, too”‘; seen in January in Baltimore

On Wednesday, as the count-down towards the album’s release neared, Taylor revealed the ‘timetable’ for The Tortured Poets Department

‘I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops,’ he continued, while later adding, ‘I can’t give you anything. I’ll leave that up to her.’

The football player added, ‘She’s unbelievable. She’s re-writing the history books herself. I told her, “I’ll have to hold up my end of the bargain and bring home some hardware, too.”‘

On Wednesday, as the count-down towards the album’s release neared, Taylor revealed the ‘timetable’ for The Tortured Poets Department.

She notably shared a promotional video for the album to her Instagram – sending fans wild.

The clip began in a ’70s-inspired room, reminiscent of the Midnights era – her last album to be released.

In the room there were bits of crumbled-up paper on the floor and a series of records as well and a clock set to the time of 2 o’clock.

The camera then leads viewers down a white corridor and into a room with the name The Tortured Poets Department on it.

Inside there are empty white desks with typewriters on as well as coffee cups, before the camera then zooms into a bulletin board on the wall.

The clip began in a ’70s-inspired room, reminiscent of the Midnights era – her last album to be released

In the room there were bits of crumbled-up paper on the floor and a series of records as well and a clock set to the time of 2 o’clock

On the wall the date April 19 was starred along with the words, ‘The Tortured Poets Department Release Day.’

Underneath was a note that read, ‘8 p.m. ET. Music video release!!’ – as well as fourteen slashes. She simply wrote in the caption: ‘The TTPD Timetable.’

It comes shortly after Taylor unveiled a pop-up library in Los Angeles earlier on Tuesday as she geared up for the new LP.

The Karma hitmaker’s fans waited in line for upwards of five hours in order to attend a pop-up poetry library.

Fans were seen lining around the block for the special event, sponsored by Spotify, starting at five in the morning, just to gain some insight into Swift’s upcoming album.

The singer is known for surprising her fans with Easter Eggs, and she continued on in the tradition, putting up a large bookshelf with clues about her new body of work.

The singer is known for surprising her fans with Easter Eggs, and she continued on in the tradition, putting up a large bookshelf with clues about her new body of work (seen above)

This is the first album from Swift where she has not released a single ahead of the album, which added to fans’ eagerness to learn any new information about what’s to come.

The display was located right across the street from Cheesecake Factory at the Grove, where Swift’s longtime nemesis Kanye West frequently dines with wife Bianca Censori.

Among the carefully curated items fans sifted through and later discussed on social media was a clock stuck on ‘2:00 PM’ – like in the new promo video -, a tambourine, a notebook with the words ‘US’ scribbled on the back, a fountain pen, and a perpetual calendar set to Friday, December 13.

There was also a small statue of Diana of Ephesus (the goddess of childbirth and fertility and the goddess of the moon).

One fan noted that ‘The original statue of Diana crumbled while waiting to be shipped to London in the 6th century due to years of neglect, succumbing to the passage of time and the elements.’

It comes shortly after Taylor unveiled a pop-up library in Los Angeles earlier on Tuesday as she geared up for the new LP

One fan noted that ‘The original statue of Diana crumbled while waiting to be shipped to London in the 6th century due to years of neglect, succumbing to the passage of time and the elements

Fans took this to be a dig at Swift’s ex, British actor Joe Alwyn, 33.

One item pictured on the bookshelf at the mall was an old-fashioned typewriter with a page featuring Swift’s track list. One part of the bookshelf had a number of books, a jar with puzzle pieces, and an hourglass.

There was a book titled ‘The Manuscript’, with the author listed as Swift herself, along with another book called ‘The Black Dog.’

There were other tomes which featured the names of some of her songs on the upcoming album while a gold birdcage  was perched among the books.