Michael “MJ” Jordan: Basketball
Michael Jeffrey “MJ” Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a retired American basketball player who led the Chicago Bulls to six national championships and a 5-time NBA Most Valuable Player. He played a total of 15 seasons. MJ was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation, popularizing the NBA around the globe during the 80s and 90s. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and became the star player for the NCAA Division I championships in 1982. He was named the NCAA College Player of the Year in 1983 and 1984. MJ left during his junior year in college to join the NBA.
Greatest Sporting Achievements
Jordan holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). He was named the Greatest North American Athlete of the 20th Century by ESPN in 1999 and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press’ list of athletes of the century. Jordan is also a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his individual career in 2009 and as a member of the 1992 United States Men’s Olympic Basketball Team (The Dream Team) in 2010.
Why Was He So Good?
Michael Jordan developed a competitive edge while growing up. He became known for his power, agility and leadership in the court. His father, James Jordan said, “What he does have is a competition problem. He was born with that – the person he tries to outdo most of the time is himself.”
What You May Not Know
- After being part of the Chicago Bull from 1984-1993 and 1995-1998, he played for the Washington Wizards from 2001-2003. He was part owner and a president of basketball operations.
- After his father died from an apparent robbery during the 1992-1993 season, he shocked the world when he said he was retiring to pursue baseball. He played for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league team as an outfielder for an entire year.
- Jordan’s “Nike’s Air Jordan” sneakers were first introduced in 1985 and are still popular to this day.
Related Pages
- Michael Jordan is the World's Highest Paid Athletes of All Time
- More basketball player profiles
- Read the profile of Michael Jordan on the Hero Pages
- Michael Jordan is part of some basketball polls.
- Athlete Database home
- About the sport of Basketball
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