Larry Jordan on when he knew Michael was destined for greatness: "I would go for base hits, and Michael would go for home runs"

Michael and Larry Jordan were born just eleven months apart, which is why they were the closest of James Sr. and Deloris' five children. But they were also the two who always competed against each other.

Mike and Larry became basketball standouts at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. However, as the older Jordan brother said, baseball was their first love.

"We had this barbecue pit that we'd use as the backstop, and we'd play baseball with a tennis ball, and we had numerous battles," Larry recalled . "If I lost, I had to keep playing until I won. That's why, more often than not, it would end in a fight."

Larry was better, but Mike got the awards

Unlike basketball, where Larry almost always beat Michael, their baseball duels were competitive. While the older brother said he still got the better of his younger sibling in baseball, he admitted that Michael would always get the accolades.

At 12, Michael led his baseball team in the state tournament and was named MVP. He earned a trip to the famed Mickey Owens Baseball Camp in Missouri. Mike was also named North Carolina's "Mr. Baseball" by the Dixie Youth Association.

"I was the guy who would go for base hits, and Michael would go for home runs," Larry added. "He always had that little glamour about him."

Growth spurt changed everything

Larry remained the better athlete in James Jordan Sr.'s household until Mike was 15 years old. That's when MJ had that five-inch growth spurt that transformed him from a 5'10" high school sophomore to a 6'3" junior.

As a result, he started beating Larry in their one-on-one basketball games. And that's when he decided to pursue hoops instead of bats.

Michael ended up playing for Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina. His penchant for making big plays saw him hit the championship-winning shot during the 1982 NCAA men's basketball title game against Georgetown. Mike would go on to have back-to-back All-American First Team seasons, and after his junior year, he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the No.3 overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft.

In the NBA, MJ was the ultimate home run hitter. He made one big shot after another for the Bulls, leading them to six NBA championships during the '90s.

Related: Michael Jordan's HS coach on how good his older brother was: "If he had been 6-2, Michael would have been known as Larry's brother"