Once home to Michael Jordan, what's behind the name of this New Hanover County school?

Cheryl M. Whitaker, Wilmington StarNews
·1 min read
The Nike Jumpman logo synonymous with Laney alum Michael Jordan is at center court of the school's newest gym, which opened in 2017.
The Nike Jumpman logo synonymous with Laney alum Michael Jordan is at center court of the school's newest gym, which opened in 2017.
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Emsley A. Laney High School was built in 1976, becoming the third public high school to be built at that time in New Hanover County, joining New Hanover High School (1922) and John T. Hoggard High School (1967).

Laney was built to serve the northwest portion of New Hanover County. It is located at 2700 N. College Road.

The school was named after Emsley Armfield Laney, a New Hanover County school board member and a business and community leader for several decades in Wilmington.

High-Schools.com list Laney as having 2,252 students and is the 17th largest public high school in North Carolina.

There were many notable alumni that attended Laney, but the school's most notable alumnus is Michael Jordan.

During Jordan's NBA basketball playing career, the six-time champion earned the nickname “Air Jordan” because of his extraordinary leaping ability and acrobatic maneuvers.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: What's behind the name of Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, NC