Michael Jordan

Michael 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, Michael Jordan 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.



After a standout 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 in 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.

Jordan'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 All-Star Game MVP awards, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of 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]

Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. He fueled the 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.

Player profile

Jordan was a shooting guard who was also capable of playing small forward (the position he would primarily play during his second comeback with the Washington Wizards). Jordan was known throughout his career for being a strong clutch performer. He decided numerous games with last-second plays (e.g., The Shot) and performed at a high level even under adverse circumstances (e.g., Flu Game). His competitiveness was visible in his prolific trash-talk[99] and well-known work ethic.[100][101]

Jordan had a versatile offensive game. He was capable of aggressively driving to the basket and drawing fouls from his opponents at a high rate; his 8,772 free throw attempts are the ninth highest total of all time.[102] As his career progressed, Jordan also developed the ability to post up his opponents and score with his trademark fadeaway jumpshot, using his leaping ability to "fade away" from block attempts. According to Hubie Brown, this move alone made him nearly unstoppable.[103] Despite media criticism as a "selfish" player early in his career, Jordan's 5.3 assists per game[12] also indicate his willingness to defer to his teammates. In later years, the NBA shortened its three-point line to 22 feet (from 23 feet, 9 inches), which coupled with Jordan's extended shooting range to make him a long-range threat as well—his 3-point stroke developed from a low 9 / 52 rate (.173) in his rookie year into a stellar 111 / 260 (.427) shooter in the 1995–96 season.[12] For a guard, Jordan was also a good rebounder (6.2 per game).[12]

In 1988, he was honored with the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first NBA player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in a career (since equaled by Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Kevin Garnett; Olajuwon is the only player other than Jordan to win both during the same season). In addition he set records for blocked shots by a guard,[104] and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. His 2,514 steals are the second highest total of all-time behind John Stockton, while his steals per game average is third all-time.[105] Jerry West often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan's defensive contributions than his offensive ones.[106]
Legacy

Video Michael Jordan



Michael Jordan, 2006
Position(s) Shooting guard
Jersey #(s) 23, 45, 9
Listed height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight 215 lb (98 kg)
Born February 17, 1963 (1963-02-17) (age 46)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Career information
Year(s) 1984–2003
NBA Draft 1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3

Selected by Chicago Bulls
College University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Professional team(s)

* Chicago Bulls (1984–1993, 1995–1998)
* Washington Wizards (2001–2003)

Career stats
Points 32,292
Rebounds 6,672
Assists 5,633
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Career highlights and awards

* 6× NBA Champion (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
* 5× NBA MVP (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)
* 14× NBA All-Star (1985–1993, 1996–1998, 2002–2003)
* 6× NBA Finals MVP (1991–1993, 1996–1998)
* 1× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988)
* 10× All-NBA First Team Selection (1987–1993, 1996–1998)
* 1× All-NBA Second Team Selection (1985)
* 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1988–1993, 1996–1998)
* 1985 NBA Rookie of the Year
* 1985 NBA All-Rookie Team
* 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998)
* 2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner (1987, 1988)
* 2x Gold Medal Winner in the Olympics (1984,1992)
* NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
* 1× NCAA Men's Basketball Champion (1982)
* 1982 ACC Freshman of the Year
* 1× ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year (1984)
* 1× USBWA College Player of the Year (1984)
* 1× Naismith College Player of the Year (1984)
* 1× John R. Wooden Award (1984)
* 1× Adolph Rupp Trophy (1984)
* 1991 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
* 2000 ESPY Athlete of the Century
* 1990s ESPY Male Athlete Decade Award
* 1990s ESPY Pro Basketballer Decade Award

Olympic career

Olympic medal record
Men's basketball
Gold 1984 Los Angeles United States
Gold 1992 Barcelona United States

Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams. As a college player he participated, and won the gold, in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Jordan led the team in scoring averaging 17.1 ppg for the tournament.[88] In the 1992 Summer Olympics he was a member of the star-studded squad that included Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and David Robinson and was dubbed the "Dream Team". Playing limited minutes due to the frequent blowouts, Jordan averaged 12.7 ppg, finishing fourth on the team in scoring.[89] The team cruised to the gold medal, restoring the United States to the top of the basketball world. Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and fellow Dream Team member Chris Mullin are the only American men's basketball players to win Olympic gold as amateurs (all in 1984) and professionals.[88][90]

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