Michael Jeffrey Jordan is hands down one of the greatest professional basketball players to ever play the game! But before Jordan made it to the NBA, he was just a college kid with hoop dreams. He played for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for three years and was apart of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982. It was in 1984 when all the magic began, Jordan was official when he was drafted to the Chicago Bulls NBA team. The sports world had no idea this was the beginning of an era in basketball that would be unforgettable... history in the making.
It didn't take long before Michael Jordan became a superstar, he was the player who had it all- high scoring capabilities, great defense and he could leap from the free throw line with his tongue hanging out for a slam dunk in your face! Jordan soon earned the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness." Michael Jordan was so great and so influential NIKE gave him his own signature shoe. The Air Jordan sneaker was introduced to the world in 1985 and still remains very popular today. In 1991, Michael Jordan won his first championship with the Chicago Bulls and although he was born in Brooklyn, New York, Chicago quickly became his new home. He was an inspiration to many and that was proven true when his "Like Mike" ad campaign came out that same year in 1991 for Gatorade. Everyone wanted to be like Mike- little girls and boys everywhere, grown men, athletes... everyone on the planet was singing the song "Like Mike, the fight to be like Mike, I wanna be like Mike!"
Jordan's fame kept rising and in 1992 he played in the Summer Olympics on a team dubbed the "Dream Team," which is to date one of the best Olympic basketball teams ever. He was joined by fellow basketball greats Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird and David Robinson. After his Olympic appearance, Jordan followed up his first NBA championship win with two more back-to-back championship wins in 1992 and 1993, it was a "Three-Peat" and the sports world went wild. Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993-1994 season to pursue a career in baseball and signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. Jordan cited the death of his father earlier that year as one reasons for his decision to leave the game he so loved.
Michael's love for the game brought him back to the court in 1995 and he rejoined the Bulls for an instant replay- he led his team to yet another "Three-Peat," winning NBA championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998! Michael Jordan was no doubt undeniable, he and the Chicago Bulls were unstoppable. Michael's 1996 championship win was one of the most memorable moments in basketball for him and his fans alike, it was his first championship win without his father, the image of him cradling his trophy with tears in his eyes forever sticks out in our minds. Another memorable MJ moment was the "flu game." Mike led the Bulls to a victory over the Utah Jazz during the NBA finals while he battled the flu, and teammate Scottie Pippin literally had to hold Jordan up because he was so weak.
Jordan retired from basketball for a second time in 1999 when Bulls coach Phil Jackson's contract was expiring and team members Scottie Pippin and Dennis Rodman were doubtful to return to the team. Still, Jordan couldn't resist the game of basketball and returned again in 2000, this time as part owner and President of Operations for the Washington Wizards. But that wasn't enough, playing the game was in his blood so he returned to the court as a player in 2001 to play for the Wizards. Jordan led his team in scoring, assists and steals, no surprise there, but it was a torn cartilage in his right knee that forced his season to end after only playing 60 games.
Air Jordan's final season of professional basketball came in 2002-2003. He received a 4-minute standing ovation during his final home game at the United Center and he finished his final minutes in Philadelphia against the 76ers in April 2003. He played in his final All-Star game in 2003, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star history. Kobe Bryant has sense broken that record. The Miami Heat retired jersey number '23' even though Jordan had never played for them. Jersey number '23' will forever be associated with Michael Jordan and a Chicago Bulls '23' still remains one of the NBA's most popular jerseys worn by fans everywhere.
Since MJ's retirement from the NBA, he has become quite the entrepreneur with businesses like the Brand Jordan clothing line, Michael Jordan's Steakhouse restaurant, and Michael Jordan Motorsports which is a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team that competes. Many Jordan fans are aware of his love for motorcycle riding. In March 2010 MJ became the first NBA player to ever become the majority owner of a league franchise when he was approved by the NBA Board of Governors to buy the Charlotte Bobcats.
There is no doubt Michael Jordan is one of sports greatest athletes and one of basketballs greatest players of all time. He is a household name and one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesperson for such brands as NIKE, Hanes, Ballpark Franks, Gatorade, Wheaties, Chevrolet and more. He appeared in the film Space Jam (1996) alongside Bugs Bunny and there are now 21 models of his Air Jordan sneaker in countless colors, not including the retro Jordan’s that have been released which puts his sneaker count well over the 100 mark.
Michael Jordan is a 5-time MVP, he has 10 All-NBA First Team designations, 9 All-Defensive First Team honors, 14 NBA All-Star game appearances, 3 All-Star game MVP awards, 10 scoring titles, 3 steals titles, 6 NBA Finals MVP awards, the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, he holds NBA records for highest career regular scoring average and highest career playoff scoring average, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN in 1999 and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press' list of athlete of the century... whew! Michael Jordan was finally inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. He indeed was the greatest to ever do it.
The "Jordan era" is one we will never forget and for Chicago Bulls fans that time holds an even more special place in our hearts. You didn't have to be a sports fan to know who Michael Jordan was. Since his retirement, the Jordan brand has continued to soar, his shoes are even more popular today than they were then, with an even younger fan base. MJ's game is surely missed on the court and many of basketball's rising stars try to emulate him. While there have been some comparisons seen in players like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, there is and will only be one Michael Jordan. As we celebrate the upcoming NBA All-Star weekend we also celebrate MJ's 53rd birthday on February 17th! What are the odds of Michael Jordan's birthday falling during the NBA All-Star weekend every year.. he is forever connected to basketball. Michael Jordan... Leader, Influencer, Greatest of all time.
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