Michael Jordan

I

Introduction

Michael Jordan, born in 1963, American professional basketball player, considered by many to be the greatest player in basketball history. The 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) shooting guard first became known as an explosive individual scorer, but as he matured as a player he adopted a more team-oriented approach to the game. Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1991-1993, 1996-1998). His widespread appeal to fans helped make basketball one of the world’s most popular spectator sports.

II

Childhood

Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the fourth of five children born to James and Deloris Jordan. The family moved from Brooklyn to Wilmington, North Carolina, when Michael was still a young child. Long before his basketball skills emerged, young Michael liked to play baseball with his father. As a teenager, Jordan became well known in North Carolina for his baseball skills, and he was named most valuable player (MVP) of the Babe Ruth League after his team won the state championship.

Jordan attended Wilmington’s Laney High School, where at first he failed to make the varsity basketball team. Instead, Laney’s basketball coach, Clifton 'Pop' Herring, decided that Jordan could improve his skills with more playing time on the junior varsity team. As a sophomore on the junior varsity, Jordan, then 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) tall, averaged 25 points per game.

The following summer Jordan worked diligently on his own and at basketball camps to improve his game. During this early period in his career, Jordan’s brother Larry contributed much to his development as a player. Although Larry was only 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) tall, he regularly beat Michael in one-on-one games and taught Michael about the importance of competition. By the time high school started the next fall, Jordan had grown to 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) and was confident he would make the varsity squad.

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III

Amateur Career

As a high school junior Jordan did make the Laney varsity and was a valuable member of the squad. He then attended the nationally renowned Five-Star Basketball Camp during the summer before his senior season. There, Jordan met legendary University of North Carolina (UNC) coach Dean Smith, who began recruiting Jordan for college. In November 1980 Jordan signed a letter of intent to attend UNC. As a high school senior Jordan led Laney to 19 wins.

At UNC in 1981-82, Jordan earned a spot as a Tar Heel starter, only the fourth freshman ever to do so under Smith. Jordan spent most of his freshman season in a supporting role, as the UNC offense revolved around forwards James Worthy and Sam Perkins, both of whom went on to star in the NBA. During the 1982 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship game against Georgetown University, however, Jordan earned fame by making a last-second jump shot to seal a 63-62 Tar Heels victory and the national title.

Jordan played two more seasons with the Tar Heels before declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft. Before the start of his professional career, Jordan played on the United States national team at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. He served as captain of the talented amateur squad, which also featured Perkins and other future NBA standouts such as center Patrick Ewing and guard Chris Mullin. Jordan’s 17.1 points per game led the team, which captured the gold medal.

IV

Michael and the Bulls

The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan in the 1984 NBA draft as the third overall pick. Only the Houston Rockets’ Hakeem Olajuwon and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Sam Bowie were chosen before him. Jordan’s presence on the Bulls immediately resurrected interest in the Chicago franchise, which had struggled in the early 1980s. During his rookie year, Jordan led the team in points (28.2), rebounds (6.5), assists (5.9), and steals (2.4) per game. His performance earned him the rookie of the year award, a spot on the All-Star team, and a place on the all-rookie team, but Chicago lost in the first round of the playoffs.

The pattern of spectacular individual performances but disappointing playoff losses was repeated over Jordan’s next five seasons. He astounded fans and players alike with his play, but the Bulls were stymied in the playoffs, particularly by the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. One problem was that Jordan sometimes played at a level so above his teammates that the Bulls failed to function as a team.

Jordan was hampered by a foot injury during his second NBA season, 1985-86, and missed all but 18 games. Once healthy enough to take the floor, he returned to record one of his most amazing scoring performances. During a first-round playoff series against the Celtics, Jordan averaged 43.7 points per game. During game two Jordan set the record for the most points scored in a playoff game, amassing 63 points in a double-overtime loss. The Bulls, however, were swept by the Celtics.

The following season, Jordan continued his scoring feats, recording 50 or more points during 8 separate games of the 82-game season. He ended the season with 3,041 points and a 37.1 points per game average—becoming only the second player after Wilt Chamberlain to score more than 3,000 points in a single season. The totals also earned Jordan the first of seven consecutive scoring titles.

Jordan’s status as an NBA superstar was cemented when he won the slam-dunk contest during the 1988 All-Star Game. His leap from the free-throw line for a dunk elevated his popularity beyond the expectations of the league. Jordan also boosted the popularity of the Nike shoe company and other sponsors with his sincere, plainspoken endorsements. Jordan’s appeal as a basketball player and spokesperson was especially strong among children and teenagers. Jordan’s Nike basketball shoes and jerseys and T-shirts with his number (23) became popular. Many advertisements focused on Jordan’s determination to succeed and encouraged kids to “be like Mike.”

Jordan finished the 1988 season as the NBA leader in scoring (35.0) and was named the league’s MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year. In the playoffs the Bulls reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time, but lost to the Pistons.

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