(c) 2009
M
ichael Jeffrey
Jordan (born
February 17,
1963) is a retired American
professional basketball
player and active
businessman. His biography
on the National Basketball
Association (NBA) website
states, "By acclamation,
Mich
ael
Jord
an is
the greatest basketball player
of all time."[1] Jordan was
one of the most effectively
marketed athletes of his
generation and was
instrumental in popularizing
the NBA around the world in
the 1980s and 1990s.
A
fter a stand-out
career at the
University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, where
he led the Tar Heels to a
National Championship in
1982, Jordan joined the
NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984.
He quickly emerged as a
league star, entertaining
crowds with his prolific
scoring. His leaping ability,
illustrated by performing
slam dunks from the free
throw line at Slam Dunk
Contests, earned him the
nicknames "Air Jordan" and
"His Airness". He also gained
a reputation for being one of
the best defensive players in
basketball.[2] In 1991, he
won his first NBA
championship with the Bulls,
and followed that
achievement with titles in
1992 and 1993, securing a
"three-peat". Although
Jordan abruptly retired from
basketball at the beginning of
the 1993–94 NBA season to
pursue a career in baseball,
he rejoined the Bulls in 1995
and led them to three
additional championships
(1996, 1997, and 1998) as
well as an NBA-record 72
regular-season wins in the
1995–96 season. Jordan
retired for a second time in
1999, but returned for two
more NBA seasons in 2001 as
a member of the Washington
Wizards.
J
ordan's individual
accolades and
accomplishments include
five MVP awards, ten All-NBA
First Team designations, nine
All-Defensive First Team
honors, fourteen NBA All-Star
Game appearances, three AllStar Game MVP awards, ten
scoring title
s, three steals titles, six NBA
Finals MVP awards, and the
1988 NBA Defensive Player of
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the Year Award. He holds the
NBA records for highest
career regular-season scoring
average (30.12 points per
game) and highest career
playoff scoring average (33.4
points per game). In 1999, he
was named the greatest
North American athlete of
the 20th century by ESPN,
and was second to Babe Ruth
on the Associated Press's list
of athletes of the century. He
was elected to the Basketball
Hall of Fame on April 6, 2009
and was inducted on
September 11, 2009.[3]
J
ordan is also noted for
his product
endorsements. He fueled
th
e success of Nike's Air Jordan
sneakers, which were
introduced in 1985 and
remain popular today.[4]
Jordan also starred in the
1996 feature film Space Jam
as himself. He is currently a
part-owner and Managing
Member of Basketball
Operations of the Charlotte
Bobcats in North Carolina.
 Contents [hide]
 1 Early years
 2 Professional sports
career
 2.1 Early career
 2.2 Mid-career:
Pistons roadblock
 2.3 First three-peat
 2.4 Gambling
controversy
 2.5 First retirement
 2.6 "I'm back": return
to the NBA
 2.7 Second threepeat
 2.8 Second
retirement
 2.9 Washington
Wizards comeback
 3 Olympic career
 4 After retiring as a
player
 5 Player profile
 6 Legacy
 7 Personal life
 8 Media figure and
business interests
 9 Honors and awards
 10 See also
 11 References
 12 External links
Jordan was born in Brooklyn,
New York, the son of Deloris
(née Peoples), who worked in
banking, and James R.
Jordan, Sr., an equipment
supervisor.[5] His family
moved to Wilmington, North
Carolina, when he was a
toddler.[6] Jordan attended
Emsley A. Laney High School
in Wilmington, where he
anchored his athletic career
by playing baseball, football,
and basketball. He tried out
for the varsity basketball
team during his sophomore
year, but at 5'11" (1.80 m),
he was deemed too short to
play at that level. His taller
friend, Harvest Leroy Smith,
was the only sophomore to
make the team.[7]
Motivated to prove his
worth, Jordan became the
star of Laney's junior varsity
squad, and tallied several 40
point games.[7] The following
summer, he grew four inches
(10 cm)[1] and trained
rigorously.
5
0
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Series 2
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Upon earning a spot on the
varsity roster, Jordan
averaged about 20 points per
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game over his final two
seasons of high school
play.[8][9] As a senior, he
was selected to the
McDonald's All-American
Team[10] after averaging a
triple-double: 29.2 points,
11.6 rebounds, and 10.1
assists.[11]
In 1981, Jordan earned a
basketball scholarship to the
University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, where he was
a member of Omega Psi Phi
and majored in cultural
geography. As a freshman in
coach Dean Smith's teamoriented system, he was
named ACC Freshman of the
Year after he averaged 13.4
points per game (ppg) on
53.4% shooting (field goal
percentage).[12] He made
the game-winning jump shot
in the 1982 NCAA
Championship game against
Georgetown, which was led
by future NBA rival Patrick
Ewing.[1] Jordan later
described this shot as the
major turning point in his
basketball career.[13] During
his three seasons at North
Carolina, he averaged 17.7
ppg on 54.0% shooting, and
added 5.0 rebounds per
game (rpg).[8] 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).
Jordan returned to North
Carolina to complete his
degree in 1986.[14]
Professional sports career
Early career
During his first season in the
NBA, Jordan averaged 28.2
ppg on 51.5% shooting.[12]
He quickly became a fan
favorite even in opposing
arenas,[15][16][17] and
appeared on the cover of
Sports Illustrated with the
heading "A Star is Born" just
over a month into his
professional career.[18][19]
Jordan was also voted in as
an All-Star starter by the fans
in his rookie season.[1]
Controversy 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.[1] This led to a so
called "freeze-out" on
Jordan, where players
refused to pass him the ball
throughout the game.[1] 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.[20] The Bulls finished
the season 38–44,[21] and
lost in the first round of the
playoffs in four games to the
Milwaukee Bucks.[20]
Jordan's second season was
cut short by a broken foot
which caused him to miss 64
games. Despite Jordan's
injury and a 30–52
record,[21] the Bulls made
the playoffs. Jordan
recovered in time to
participate in the playoffs
and performed well upon his
return. Against a 1985–86
Boston Celtics team that is
often considered one of the
greatest in NBA history,[22]
Jordan set the still-unbroken
record for points in a playoff
game with 63 in Game 2.[23]
The Celtics, however,
managed to sweep the
series.[20]
Jordan had recovered
completely by the 1986–87
season, and had one of the
most prolific scoring seasons
in NBA history. He became
the only player other than
Wilt Chamberlain to score
3,000 points in a season,
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averaging a league high 37.1
points on 48.2%
shooting.[12] In addition,
Jordan demonstrated his
defensive prowess, as he
became the first player in
NBA history to record 200
steals and 100 blocks in a
season. Despite Jordan's
success, Magic Johnson won
the league's Most Valuable
Player Award. The Bulls
reached 40 wins,[21] and
advanced to the playoffs for
the third consecutive year.
However, they were again
swept by the Celtics.[20]
Mid-career: Pistons
roadblock
Jordan led the league in
scoring again in the 1987–88
season, averaging 35.0 ppg
on 53.5% shooting[12] and
won his first league MVP
award. He was also named
the Defensive Player of the
Year, as he had averaged 1.6
blocks and a league high 3.16
steals per game.[24] The
Bulls finished 50–32,[21] and
made it out of the first round
of the playoffs for the first
time in Jordan's career, as
they defeated the Cleveland
Cavaliers in five games.[25]
However, the Bulls then lost
in five games to the more
experienced Detroit
Pistons,[20] who were led by
Isiah Thomas and a group of
physical players known as the
"Bad Boys".
In the 1988–89 season,
Jordan again led the league in
scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg
on 53.8% shooting from the
field, along with 8 rpg and 8
assists per game (apg).[12]
The Bulls finished with a 47–
35 record,[21] and advanced
to the Eastern Conference
Finals, defeating the
Cleveland Cavaliers and New
York Knicks along the way.
The Cavaliers series included
a career highlight for Jordan
when he hit a series-winning
shot over Craig Ehlo in the
closing moments of the
deciding fifth game of the
series. However, the Pistons
again defeated the Bulls, this
time in six games,[20] by
utilizing their "Jordan Rules"
method of guarding Jordan,
which consisted of double
and triple teaming him every
time he touched the ball.[1]
The Bulls entered the 1989–
90 season as a team on the
rise, with their core group of
Jordan and young improving
players like Scottie Pippen
and Horace Grant, and under
the guidance of new coach
Phil Jackson. Jordan averaged
a league leading 33.6 ppg on
52.6% shooting, to go with
6.9 rpg and 6.3 apg[12] in
leading the Bulls to a 55–27
record.[21] They again
advanced to the Eastern
Conference Finals beating the
Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers
en route. However, despite
pushing the series to seven
games, the Bulls lost to the
Pistons for the third
consecutive season.[20]
First three-peat
In the 1990–91 season,
Jordan won his second MVP
award after averaging 31.5
ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0
rpg, and 5.5 apg for the
regular season.[12] The Bulls
finished in first place in their
division for the first time in
16 years and set a franchise
record with 61 wins in the
regular season.[21] With
Scottie Pippen developing
into an All-Star, the Bulls
elevated their play. The Bulls
defeated the New York
Knicks and the Philadelphia
76ers in the opening two
rounds of the playoffs. They
advanced to the Eastern
Conference Finals where
their rival, the Detroit
Pistons, awaited them.
However, this time when the
Pistons employed their
"Jordan Rules" defense of
doubling and triple teaming
Jordan, he picked them apart
with passing. Finally, the
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Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons
in a surprising sweep.[26][27]
In an unusual ending to the
fourth and final game, Isiah
Thomas led his team off the
court before the final minute
had concluded. Most of the
Pistons went directly to their
locker room instead of
shaking hands with the
Bulls.[28]
The Bulls compiled an
outstanding 15-2 record
during the playoffs,[26] and
advanced to the NBA Finals
for the first time in franchise
history, where they beat the
Los Angeles Lakers four
games to one. Perhaps the
best known moment of the
series came in Game 2 when,
attempting a dunk, Jordan
avoided a potential Sam
Perkins block by switching
the ball from his right hand
to his left in mid-air to lay the
shot in.[29] The play was the
last in a sequence of 13
consecutive field goals made
by Jordan. In his first Finals
appearance, Jordan posted
per game averages of 31.2
points on 56% shooting from
the field, 11.4 assists, 6.6
rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4
blocks.[30] Jordan won his
first NBA Finals MVP award
by a unanimous decision,[31]
and he cried while holding
the NBA Finals trophy.[32]
Jordan and the Bulls
continued their dominance in
the 1991–92 season,
establishing a 67–15 record,
topping their franchise
record from 1990–91.[21]
Jordan won his second
consecutive MVP award with
a 30.1/6.4/6.1 season on 52%
shooting.[24] After winning a
physical 7-game series over
the burgeoning New York
Knicks in the second round of
the playoffs and finishing off
the Cleveland Cavaliers in the
Conference Finals in 6 games,
the Bulls met Clyde Drexler
and the Portland Trail Blazers
in the Finals. The media,
hoping to recreate a MagicBird rivalry, highlighted the
similarities between "Air"
Jordan and Clyde "The Glide"
during the pre-Finals
hype.[33] In the first game,
Jordan scored a Finals-record
35 points in the first half,
including a record-setting six
three-point field goals.[34]
After the sixth three-pointer,
he jogged down the court
shrugging as he looked
courtside. Marv Albert, who
broadcast the game, later
stated that it was as if Jordan
was saying, "I can't believe
I'm doing this."[35] The Bulls
went on to win Game 1, and
defeat the Blazers in six
games. Jordan was named
Finals MVP for the second
year in a row[31] and
finished the series averaging
35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5
apg, while shooting 53% from
the floor.[31]
In 1992–93, despite a
32.6/6.7/5.5 campaign,[24]
Jordan's streak of
consecutive MVP seasons
ended as he lost the award to
his friend Charles Barkley.
Fittingly, Jordan and the Bulls
met Barkley and his Phoenix
Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals.
The Bulls captured their third
consecutive NBA
championship on a gamewinning shot by John Paxson
and a last-second block by
Horace Grant, but Jordan was
once again Chicago's catalyst.
He averaged a Finals-record
41.0 ppg during the six-game
series,[36] and became the
first player in NBA history to
win three straight Finals MVP
awards.[31] He scored more
than 30 points in every game
of the series, including 40 or
more points in 4 consecutive
games. With his third Finals
triumph, Jordan capped off a
seven-year run where he
attained seven scoring titles
and three championships,
but there were signs that
Jordan was tiring of his
massive celebrity and all of
the non-basketball hassles in
his life.[37]
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Gambling controversy
During the Bulls' playoff run
in 1993, controversy arose
when Jordan was seen
gambling in Atlantic City,
New Jersey the night before
a game against the New York
Knicks.[38] In that same year,
he admitted to having to
cover $57,000 in gambling
losses,[39] and author
Richard Esquinas wrote a
book claiming he had won
$1.25 million from Jordan on
the golf course.[39] In 2005,
Jordan talked to Ed Bradley
of the CBS evening show 60
Minutes about his gambling
and admitted that he made
some reckless decisions.
Jordan stated, "Yeah, I've
gotten myself into situations
where I would not walk away
and I've pushed the
envelope. Is that compulsive?
Yeah, it depends on how you
look at it. If you're willing to
jeopardize your livelihood
and your family, then
yeah."[40] When Bradley
asked him if his gambling
ever got to the level where it
jeopardized his livelihood or
family, Jordan replied,
"No."[40]
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