Early life Tyson was born in Brooklyn, New York City.

He has a brother, Rodney, who is five years older than he is. [7] His sister, enise, died of a heart atta!k at a"e #$ in %&&'.[(] Tyson)s father is listed as *+er!ell Tyson* on his birth !ertifi!ate,[&] b,t the -an Tyson had known as his father was .i--y /irk0atri!k. /irk0atri!k was fro- 1rier Town, North Carolina 2a 0redo-inantly bla!k nei"hborhood that was anne3ed by the !ity of Charlotte[%']4, where he was one of the nei"hborhood5s to0 baseball 0layers. /irk0atri!k -arried and had a son, Tyson)s half6brother .i--ie 7ee /irk0atri!k, who wo,ld hel0 to inte"rate Charlotte hi"h s!hool football in %&89. :n %&9&, .i--y /irk0atri!k left his fa-ily and -oved to Brooklyn, where he -et Tyson)s -other, 7orna ;-ith Tyson. <ike Tyson was born in %&88. [%%] /irk0atri!k fre=,ented 0ool halls, "a-bled and h,n" o,t on the streets. ><y father was ?,st a re",lar street ",y !a,"ht ,0 in the street world,@ Tyson said. /irk0atri!k abandoned the Tyson fa-ily aro,nd the ti-e <ike was born, leavin" Tyson)s -other to !are for the !hildren on her own.[%#] /irk0atri!k died in %&&#.[%A] The fa-ily lived in Bedford6;t,yvesant ,ntil their finan!ial b,rdens ne!essitated a -ove to Brownsville when Tyson was %' years old.[%$] Tyson)s -other died si3 years later, leavin" %86year6old Tyson in the !are of bo3in" -ana"er and trainer C,s )B-ato, who wo,ld be!o-e his le"al ",ardian. Tyson later said, *: never saw -y -other ha00y with -e and 0ro,d of -e for doin" so-ethin"C she only knew -e as bein" a wild kid r,nnin" the streets, !o-in" ho-e with new !lothes that she knew : didn)t 0ay for. : never "ot a !han!e to talk to her or know abo,t her. +rofessionally, it has no effe!t, b,t it)s !r,shin" e-otionally and 0ersonally.*[%9] Thro,"ho,t his !hildhood, Tyson lived in and aro,nd hi"h6!ri-e nei"hborhoods. B!!ordin" to an interview in etails, his first fi"ht was with a bi""er yo,th who had 0,lled the head off one of Tyson)s 0i"eons.[%8] Tyson was re0eatedly !a,"ht !o--ittin" 0etty !ri-es and fi"htin" those who ridi!,led his hi"h60it!hed voi!e and lis0. By the a"e of %A, he had been arrested A( ti-es.[%7] He ended ,0 at the Tryon ;!hool for Boys in .ohnstown, New York. Tyson)s e-er"in" bo3in" ability was dis!overed there by Bobby ;tewart, a ?,venile detention !enter !o,nselor and for-er bo3er. ;tewart !onsidered Tyson to be an o,tstandin" fi"hter and trained hi- for a few -onths before introd,!in" hi- to C,s )B-ato.[%#] Tyson dro00ed o,t of hi"h s!hool as a ?,nior.[%(] 2He and on /in" wo,ld later be awarded honorary o!torates in H,-ane 7etters fro- Central ;tate Dniversity in %&(&.[%&] /evin Rooney also trained Tyson, and he was o!!asionally assisted by Teddy Btlas, altho,"h he was dis-issed by )B-ato when Tyson was %9. Rooney event,ally took over all trainin" d,ties for the yo,n" fi"hter.[!itation needed] Tyson)s brother is a 0hysi!ian assistant in the tra,-a !enter of the 7os Bn"eles Co,nty6Dniversity of ;o,thern California <edi!al Center.[#'] He has always been very s,00ortive of his brother)s !areer and was often seen at Tyson)s bo3in" -at!hes in 7as Ee"as, Nevada. Fhen asked abo,t their relationshi0, <ike has been =,oted sayin", *<y brother and : see ea!h other o!!asionally and we love ea!h other*G and, *<y brother was always so-ethin" and : was nothin".*[#%]