Various NBA players have been tipped to emulate Michael Jordan, but what happened to those who didn’t make it?

Ever heard of the name Harold Miner?

Once upon a time back in 1990, the young University of Southern California graduate rose to stardom in the NBA.

Many young players before and after Miner were dubbed the next Michael Jordan, and his was just the next name on the list to be compared to the all-time great.

A 12th-round pick in the 1992 NBA draft and the winner of two dunk contests, many have since wondered what exactly happened to the man dubbed ‘Baby Jordan’.

The truth is, like in many other high-level sports, your chance to shine at the top only lasts so long.

For Miner, that same sentiment was shared, with his career really only lasting four years in large part due to recurring knee injuries.

Even now, his name holds connotations for all the wrong reasons, with sportswriters who wanted to warn against dubbing any up-and-coming player the ‘next Jordan’ using the now 53-year-old as the most obvious example.

Miner’s coach at USC has since said the nickname was the worst thing to ever happen to him.

His jersey was retired by his university back in 2011 but, ever since then, Miner has lived a pretty normal life.

“When somebody compares you to the best player of all time, you’re going to take notice of it and it makes you feel like you’re on the right path,” he told ESPN back in 2023.

Harold Miner after winning the 1993 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. (Image: Getty)
“I grew up studying the game, watching the game, being in love with the game and being a fan of the game,” he continued.

“And it felt like basketball was turning on me.”

Countless knee problems meant Miner was forced to call it a day aged 25, as he recalls the moment he knew it was all over.

“I just didn’t want to deal with that, because I would just have to keep reliving it over and over and over and over again.” he explained.

“And why put yourself through that? Why torture yourself with that?

“I would cry because I always wanted to be an All-Star and I never made the All-Star team.”

His mother passed age 33 and from that point on, Miner has since been a stay-at-home father living in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For many, it represented a waste of a once promising career but, for the former Miami Heat star, it was always a case of never being able to recover from his brief flirtation with NBA superstardom.