History of Michael Jordan

On February 17, 1963, Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York. When he was a kid, his parents James and Delores Jordan decided to move to Wilmington, North Carolina. Michael is having two older brothers, one older sister and one younger sister. In the childhood Michael loved to play baseball and also interested in basketball and football. But his love for basketball began when his older brother Larry continuously beat him in each and every basketball match. As he is ready to face any challenge, this determined Michael to become a better player.

In Wilmington, North Carolina, Michael played basketball for Laney High School. Incongruously, he was cut from the varsity team as a sophomore. He was not ready to give up after failed to make a place in the team. Michael used this failure to encourage himself to greater achievements and practicing hour after hour on the court. He eventually made a place in the team and led it to the state championship.

Michael accepted a basketball scholarship which was offered by University of North Carolina. As he was a freshman, but his ever-growing popularity began when he scored the game-winning basket in the 1982 NCAA championship game against the Georgetown Hoyas. In the 1983-84 seasons, he was selected as college player of the year and he was led the US Men's Basketball Team to an Olympic Gold Medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles under coach Bobby Knight.

 

In 1984, Michael left college and entered the NBA to play with Chicago Bulls; he was selected third in the draft by the Chicago Bulls, a team that had won only 28 games the previous season. On Oct. 26, 1984, in first game he played as a pro against Washington. He turned out to be an immediate impact in the league and proved that he belonged among the elite players. He finished the season as one of the top scorers in the league, averaging 28.2 points per game. He was named Rookie of the Year and also made the All-Star team. In every season, Michael led the Bulls into the playoffs but couldn't make the NBA Finals until 1991. After that he led the Bulls to their first of three consecutive NBA Championships in 1991, 1992, and 1993.

In the 1992 summer, Michael played Olympics with the world number one Dream Team. It was the first time in the history that NBA players were allowed to compete in the Olympics. Michael scored 12.7 points per game as the USA Dream Team went 6-0 to win the gold medal. There were some upsetting events followed after Michael's third NBA Championship. The NBA began an inquiry that Michael had illegally bet on NBA games. But he was cleared from this claim. Eventually this event caused Jordan to lose his motivation and the sense of having to prove something as a basketball player, and he felt it was time to stay away from the court. Prior to the 1993-1994 seasons Michael announced his retirement from Basketball world. Jordan returned to professional sports in 1994 as a baseball player. He signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox of the American League. In the end of 1994-1995 NBA seasons, Michael ended his retirement from professional basketball by rejoining the Chicago Bulls again. In the 1995-1996 seasons he was lead scorer with 30.4 points per game and being named league Most Valuable Player. The Chicago Bulls also became the first NBA team in the history to win 70 games in a season, finishing with 72 victories and won the NBA championship title. Michael was named as Most Valuable Player of the NBA finals, becoming the first player to earn the honor four times. In 1996, he was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.

In 1997-1998, Michael and Chicago Bulls continued their dominance and won two more consecutive championships, becoming the first team in NBA history to repeat-the-three peat (1991-1993, 1996-1998). Michael was selected as All-Star Most Valuable Player and also earned league Most Valuable Player honors in 1998. Then Jordan announced his second retirement. Jordan stated that he would like to spend more time with his wife Juanita and their three children Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine.

Michael Jordan's burning desire to become succeed motivated him to return once again as a basketball player. On September 25, 2001, he announced that he would return to the NBA and play for the Washington Wizards. On January 4, 2002 he achieved another greatest moment in his life, scoring his 30,000th career point against his former team, the Chicago Bulls. On April 16th, 2003, he retired for a third and final time after playing his final game of the career. No player in NBA history is as great as Michael Jordan. He achieved a lot in a very small span of time. He ended his career with 32,292 points and a career average 30.12 points per game. Salute to such greatest basketball player "Michael Jordan".