Michael Jordan's height joke by the man himself that has become the stuff of legend: "My father is 5-10 but the milkman is about 6-7"

Michael Jordan's height played a big role in his legend. In a game that had been dominated by big men up until that point, Jordan's dominance at 6-foot-6 helped the NBA transition to a perimeter-focused game.

During his legendary 1989 postseason series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, in which he averaged 39.8 points and hit 'The Shot'—one of the most iconic shots in NBA history. Later, Jordan stopped by "Late Night with David Letterman."

During his appearance on the show, Jordan joked about being the only tall member of his family:

"I'm the tallest. My father's about 5-10, my mother's about 5-5. Everyone else is about 5-6 1/2, 5-7. The milkman's about 6-7."

Watch Michael Jordan comment on being the tallest in his family below:

Michael Jordan's parents' height

Michael Jordan's height was listed as 6-6 throughout his playing career. The six-time NBA champion's family was not anywhere close to his height, however. Jordan was eight inches taller than his father, James Jordan, and one foot and one inch taller than his mother, Deloris Jordan.

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While the Chicago Bulls legend joked that the mailman was closer to his height than anyone else in his family, the actual cause of his height advantage over his family is unknown. Jordan did, however, have cousins who were closer to his height than the rest of his family.

Michael Jordan's height and athleticism made him an NBA legend

Michael Jordan's height may not be the first thing that comes to mind when discussing his legendary career. After all, 6-6 is not exceptionally tall for a basketball player. Jordan's combination of height and athleticism, however, transformed the game.

Prior to his emergence, the NBA was predominantly dominated by big men who dominated in the paint. While Magic Johnson was able to win five championships as a point guard and emerged as the face of the NBA, the LA Lakers star was listed as 6-9, a much bigger size than the average guard.

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Jordan's dominance throughout his career helped the league transition into a game played on the perimeter rather than in the paint. Many of the stars who followed cited Jordan as their inspiration. Nearly two decades after he retired, the game is dominated by wings who rely on athleticism more than size.

Watch Jordan's highlights below: