Michael Jordan For other people named Michael Jordan, see Michael Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. Jordan Jordan (disambiguation). is a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame, having been enshrined in 2009 for his individual career, Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also and again in 2010 as part of the group induction of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team (“The known by his initials, MJ,[1] is an American former pro- fessional basketball player. He is also a businessman, and Dream Team”). principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. Jordan is also known for his product endorsements. He Jordan played 15 seasons in the National Basketball As- fueled the success of Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers, which sociation (NBA) for the Chicago Bulls and Washington were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today.[5] Wizards. His biography on the NBA website states: “By Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam as acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball himself. In 2006, he became part-owner and head of bas- player of all time.”[2] Jordan was one of the most effec- ketball operations for the then-Charlotte Bobcats, buying tively marketed athletes of his generation and was con- controlling interest in 2010. In 2015, Jordan became the sidered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the first NBA player in history to become a billionaire. world in the 1980s and 1990s.[3] After a three-season stint at the University of North Car- olina, where he was a member of the Tar Heels’ national 1 Early years championship team in 1982, Jordan joined the NBA’s Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of De- star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His loris (née Peoples), who worked in banking, and James R. leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from Jordan, Sr., an equipment supervisor. His family moved the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the to Wilmington, North Carolina, when he was a toddler.[6] nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive Jordan is the fourth of five children. He has two older players in basketball.[4] In 1991, he won his first NBA brothers, Larry Jordan and James R. Jordan, Jr., one older championship with the Bulls, and followed that achieve- sister, Deloris, and a younger sister, Roslyn. Jordan’s ment with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three- brother James retired in 2006 as the Command Sergeant peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball Major of the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne [7] before the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season to pur- Corps in the U.S. Army. sue a career in baseball, he returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three additional championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998, as well as an NBA-record 72 2 High school regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in January 1999, but returned Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilm- for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a mem- ington, where he anchored his athletic career by playing ber of the Wizards. baseball, football, and basketball. He tried out for the Jordan’s individual accolades and accomplishments in- varsity basketball team during his sophomore year, but at clude five Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, ten All- 5'11” (1.80 m), he was deemed too short to play at that NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First level. His taller friend, Harvest Leroy Smith, was the only Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances, sophomore to make the team.[8] three All-Star Game MVP Awards, ten scoring titles, Motivated to prove his worth, Jordan became the star of three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP Awards, and the Laney’s junior varsity squad, and tallied several 40-point 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. Among games.[8] The following summer, he grew four inches (10 his numerous accomplishments, Jordan holds the NBA cm)[2] and trained rigorously. Upon earning a spot on the records for highest career regular season scoring average varsity roster, Jordan averaged about 20 points per game (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scor- over his final two seasons of high school play.[9][10] As a ing average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was senior, he was selected to the McDonald’s All-American named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th Team[11] after averaging a triple-double: 29.2 points, century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the 11.6 rebounds, and 10.1 assists.[12] 1 2 4 PROFESSIONAL CAREER As a freshman in coach Dean Smith's team-oriented sys- tem, he was named ACC Freshman of the Year af- ter he averaged 13.4 points per game (ppg) on 53.4% shooting (field goal percentage).[15] He made the game- winning jump shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown, which was led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing.[2] Jordan later described this shot as the major turning point in his basketball career.[16] Dur- ing his three seasons at North Carolina, he averaged 17.7 ppg on 54.0% shooting, and added 5.0 rebounds per game (rpg).[9] He was selected by consensus to the NCAA All- American First Team in both his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984) seasons. After winning the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984, Jordan left North Carolina one year before his scheduled graduation to enter the 1984 NBA draft. The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick, after Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers). One of the primary reasons why Jordan was not drafted sooner was because the first two teams were in need of a center.[17] However, the Trail Blazers general manager Stu Inman contended that it was not a matter of drafting a center, but more a matter of taking Sam Bowie over Jordan, in part because Portland already had a guard with similar skills to Jordan, Clyde Drexler.[18] In 2005 ESPN, citing Bowie’s injury-laden Jordan playing for the Laney High School varsity basketball team college career, named the Blazers’ choice of Bowie as the in 1979-80. worst draft pick in North American professional sports history.[19] Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986.[20] Jordan was recruited by numerous college basketball programs, including Duke, North Carolina, South Car- olina, Syracuse, and Virginia.[13] In 1981, Jordan ac- cepted a basketball scholarship to North Carolina, where 4 Professional career he majored in cultural geography.[14] 4.1 Early NBA years (1984–1987) 3 College During his first season in the NBA, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting.[15] He quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas,[21][22][23] and ap- peared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the head- ing “A Star Is Born” just over a month into his profes- sional career.[24][25] Jordan was also voted in as an All- Star starter by the fans in his rookie season.[2] Contro- versy arose before the All-Star game when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by Isiah Thomas, were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving.[2] This led to a so-called “freeze-out” on Jordan, where play- ers refused to pass him the ball throughout the game.[2] The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted Rookie of the Year.[26] The Bulls finished the sea- son 38–44,[27] and lost in the first round of the playoffs in four games to the Milwaukee Bucks.[26] Jordan’s second season was cut short by a broken foot in the third game of the season, which caused him to miss 64 games.[2] Despite Jordan’s injury and a 30–52 record (at Michael Jordan’s jersey in the rafters of The Dean Smith Center the time it was fifth worst record of any team to qualify 4.3 First three-peat (1991–1993) 3 for the playoffs in NBA history),[27][28] the Bulls made and New York Knicks along the way. The Cavaliers se- the playoffs. Jordan recovered in time to participate in ries included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit the playoffs and performed well upon his return. Against The Shot over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer in the fifth and a 1985–86 Boston Celtics team that is often considered final game of the series.[34] However, the Pistons again one of the greatest in NBA history,[29] Jordan set the still- defeated the Bulls, this time in six games,[26] by utilizing unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in their "Jordan Rules" method of guarding Jordan, which Game 2.[30] The Celtics, however, managed to sweep the consisted of double and triple teaming him every time he series.[26] touched the ball.[2] Jordan had recovered completely by the 1986–87 sea- The Bulls entered the 1989–90 season as a team on the son, and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in rise, with their core group of Jordan and young improv- NBA history.