Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan was possibly the best basketball player in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His career spanned over nineteen glorious seasons for the Chicago Bulls. The most recognizable athlete in the world, he is not only the top player of his era, but is quite possibly the best player ever to wear the uniform of an NBA team. The magnitude of “His Airness” can be best shown through Michael’s soaring hang times and acrobatic moves, but the legend of MJ is characterized by his tough spirit, determination and passion of the greatest player in basketball history.
In 1984, Michael came into the NBA after an outstanding three-year career at University of North Carolina. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Michael was raised in Wilmington, North Carolina, living with his father (James Jordan), mother (Deloris Jordan) and siblings. He hit the jump shot that gave the Tar Heels the NCAA Championship in 1982 and was the College Player of the Year in 1984. The Chicago Bulls took him with the No. 3 overall pick. In his rookie season, Jordan lifted the Bulls to a 38-44 record and a playoff berth for the first time since 1981. He finished the season with a scoring average of 28.2 points per game and set Chicago single-season records for points (2,313), field goals (837), free throws (630), free-throw attempts (746), and steals (196). It all added up to an NBA Rookie of the Year Award, a slot on the NBA All-Rookie Team, and a selection to the All-NBA Second Team. The Bulls faced the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs and lost in all four games. Jordan averaged 29.3 points in the series, but couldn’t muster his first playoff victory. Dissatisfied and disappointed, Jordan trained hard over the off-season to win his first playoff series.
Early on in his career, Michael was presented with mild success, but still unproven in the playoffs. Yet as the rest of the world was about to find out, MJ was possibly the