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.