
Michael Jeffrey Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 17, 1963.
Enrolled at the University of North Carolina in 1980, won the National Basketball Championship as a college freshman. He quickly emerged as one of the stars of the league, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing
slam dunks from the
free throw line at
Slam Dunk Contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation as 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. In 1984,played on the U.S. Olympic basketball team that won the gold medal.
Also in 1984, joined the NBA as a player for the Chicago Bulls. Quickly became the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and would win the title six times.
Though Jordan abruptly left the NBA at the beginning of the
1993-94 NBA season to pursue a career in
baseball. Decided that he would never excel at professional baseball.
He returned to the National Basketball Association(NBA) in March
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. Retired from basketball in 1999. but he 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 and three All-Star
MVP, 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 record for highest career regular season scoring average with 30.12 points per game, as well as averaging a record 33.4 points per game in the playoffs. 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 will be eligible for induction into the
Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
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. He is currently a part-owner and Managing Member of Basketball Operations of the
Charlotte Bobcats in
North Carolina.
He 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."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.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Position(s):
Shooting GuardJersey #(s):23, 45, 12, 9 (Olympics)
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:216 lb (98 kg)
Born: February 17, 1963 (1963-02-17) (age 45)
Brooklyn,
New York City,
New YorkCareer information
Year(s): 1984–2003
NBA Draft:
1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
College:
University of North CarolinaProfessional team(s)
Chicago Bulls (1984-1993, 1995-1998)
Washington Wizards (2001-2003)
Career stats
Points32,292
Rebound6,672
Assists5,633
Stats @
Basketball-Reference.comCareer highlights and awards
6x
NBA Champion (
1991,
1992,
1993,
1996,
1997,
1998)
5x
NBA MVP (
1988,
1991,
1992,
1996,
1998)
14x
NBA All-Star (1985-1993, 1996-1998, 2002-2003)
6x
NBA Finals MVP (1991-1993, 1996-1998)
1x
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988)
10x
All-NBA First Team Selection (1987-1993, 1996-1998)
1x
All-NBA Second Team Selection (1985)
9x
NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1988-1993, 1996-1998)
1985
NBA Rookie of the Year1985
NBA All-Rookie Team3x
NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998)
2x
NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner (1987, 1988)
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team1x
NCAA Men's Basketball Champion (
1982)
1982
ACC Freshman of the Year
1x
ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year (1984)
1x
USBWA College Player of the Year (1984)
1x
Naismith College Player of the Year (1984)
1x
John R. Wooden Award (1984)
1x
Adolph Rupp Trophy (1984)
1991
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year2000
ESPY Athlete of the Century
1990s ESPY Male Athlete Decade Award
1990s ESPY Pro Basketballer Decade Award
Michael Jordan and
Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina game honoring the 1957 and 1982 men's basketball teams.