Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active businessman, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." 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 was a member of the Tar Heels' National Championship team 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. 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 as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 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. 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. 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. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam as himself. He is the majority owner and head of basketball operations for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats; he recently won a bidding war to buy controlling interest in the team from founding owner Robert L. Johnson.

Michael Jordan Childhood Years

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, born February 17th, 1963, was the third son of James and Delores Jordan. Michael was born in Brooklyn, New York, but moved to Wilmington, North Carolina as a young child. Michael has four siblings, two older brothers, an older sister and a younger sister.

Michael attended Trask Middle School and received certificates of achievement in Football and Basketball in June 1977.

In the fall of 1978 MJ, a 5 foot 9 inch sophmore at Laney High School was cut from the Varsity team. The coach elected to use their 6 foot 8 inch sophmore Leroy Smith instead. Jordan would then grow 5 inches before the start of the next season. Over his next two varsity years, he began averaging 25 points per game and was the first player in high school history to average a triple-double. He eventually made the team and led them to the State Championship.

In 1980 while playing for the Laney High School varsity Baseball team, Jordan pitched 45 consecutive scoreless innings. We were then beginning to learn just how athletically gifted this man really was.

On April 11, 1981, At the McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Game in Wichita, Kansas, Jordan hits a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to give the East a 96-95 victory. He finished the game with 30 points. This record still stands today.