Biography: Michael Jordan

By popular acclaim, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all-time. Although a summary of his career achievements would fail to do him justice, His Airness redefined the game around the globe.

Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, but grew up in calm North Carolina. The son of Delores and James Jordan, he had a lot of things in common with his father, including their first love: Baseball. However, inspired by the exploits of his brother, Larry, he decided to adopt the basketball game.

 

Jordan with his high school team

That path proved to be a hard journey, though. Skinny and of average height, he was cut from his high school basketball team. Ironically, it was that moment that propelled his stellar career.

Jordan with the North Carolina Tar Heels

Jordan attended the Univeersity of North Carolina. During his collegiate days he won the 1982 NCAA national championship and several awards, including College Player of the Year.

1984 NBA Draft: Hakeem Olajuwon

A highly-regarded prospect, MJ was drafted with the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls.

Sam Bowie

The 1984 draft was a strange one. Although Jordan was already expected to not be the first pick (the favorite was Hakeem Olajuwon, who would eventually become a 12-time All-Star and 2-time champion for the Houston Rockets), he was passed over on the second pick by the Portland Trail Blazers, who instead selected center Sam Bowie. The Blazers thought that they didn´t need a player like Jordan, due to having selected the explosive Clyde Drexler in the 1983 Draft. While Drexler would become a superstar, Bowie, hampered by injuries, would fail to play a full NBA season.

Jordan, 1985

Jordan was not overly affected with his draft-day fall, however. In the 1984-85 season he won the Rookie of the Year award, scoring 28.5 ppg (points per game), while recording 5.9 apg (assists per game) and 6.5 rpg (rebounds per game). Perhaps most importantly, he turned the Bulls into a playoff team. However, unexperienced, and lacking depth, the Bulls lost in the first-round to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jordan dunking in his first season

Jordan was an instant success though. While early on his career he was lacking in defensive effort and long range shooting, he dazzled crowds with his amazing athleticism and dunks. But, perhaps influenced by his modest upbringing, he kept his humility. He refused to ridicule the Trail Blazers for their pick, stating in interviews that Bowie was a better fit for that team than him.

1985 All Star Game

His popularity didn't help him always, however. In his first All-Star Game, in 1985, veteran point guard Isiah Thomas supposedly led a veteran freeze-out of Michael, refusing to pass him the ball, limiting him to 7 points in 22 minutes. The affair became famous throughout the years, eventually concluding with Isiah making up for it, convincing Vince Carter to relinquish a starting spot for Jordan in the 2003 All-Star East squad, which Thomas served as coach of.

In his second season he broke a bone in his left foot. He was voted to the All-Star team but could not participate due to his injury. He did return in time for the playoffs, where he dropped 63 points against the Boston Celtics, in a performance that Celtic star Larry Bird described as "God disguised as Michael Jordan". Altough the Bulls lost that game in double-overtime, and the series in a sweep, any doubts about the rising star's ability were gone.

In 1987 he started to truly leave his mark on the record books. He averaged 37 points in the first of seven seasons he led the league in scoring, while making a record by scoring 40-plus in nine consecutive games. His spectacular numbers proved to be in vain, however, as the Celtics swept the Bulls once more.

1988 became a turning point in Bulls history. That year, Chicago began to build a championship team, bringing in reinforcements such as Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen to chase that elusive title. And Jordan responded, putting an even more impressive season, winning all major awards as he was legitimized as the best player in the league. Boosted by their acquisitions, the Bulls won their first-round series for the first time in the Jordan era, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers before they ere kicked out of the playoffs by the Detroit Pistons.

The Jordan Rules: triple teaming

The Pistons would knock the Bulls out in each of the next two seasons as well. Led by their defense based around the Jordan Rules, the Pistons established a dynasty. But slowly, but surely, Chicago edged closer to a title.

First title

And so, just when his critics were gaining the most traction, MJ finally broke through, After defeating the Pistons in the 1990 Eastern Finals, the Bulls turned into a machine that destroyed everything in their path. They won three straight titles, defeating 5-time champion Magic Johnson and the mighty Los Angeles Lakers, the Portland Trail Blazers, who by now were just embarassed by their draft pick, and the Phoenix Suns, led by Most Valuable Player Charles Barkley. In that last season, the Bulls also had to deal with a formidable force in the East, as the New York Knicks and Jordan's collegiate rival Patrick Ewing required six games before the Bulls could edge them.

At the end of that 3-year run "Mr. Basketball" was on the apex of his career. He was vital in the 1992 Olympic team, who was immortalized as the greatest team of any sport ever.

Jordan with the Chicago White Sox of MLB

However, his personal life was in disarray. Losing large amounts of money due to gambling, a identity crisis was amplified when his father was murdered in a robbery. Depressed, Jordan decided to honor his father by shockingly retiring from the NBA and partaking on his father's dream: play Major League Baseball.

MJ dunking on Shaquille O'Neal

But the MLB was not to be on his future. Posting mediocre numbers in the minor leagues and watching his beloved team struggle without him, he shocked the world once again by returning to the league in the middle of the 1995 season. Once he returned, wearing a new no.45 jersey instead of the usual 23, the Bulls made another playoff push, arriving to the Conference Finals before being defeated by Shaquille O'Neal and the young Orlando Magic.

But that was the last failure the Chicago fans would endure. Returning to wear the 23 jersey, MJ led the Bulls to three more titles, solidifying his place in NBA history and winning 2 MVP awards. Satisfied, he finally decided to end his Bulls career for good, retiring for the 2nd time in 1998.

Jordan with the Wizards

Jordan's passion for the game was unable to be contained, however. Even after retiring, the former star remained in the basketball world by serving as the president of the Washington Wizards. 

Jordan's statue in front of United Center, the Bulls arena

Ultimately, as that Wizard team struggled in the new millenium, Jordan got himself up again and went in for one, final, two year stint with the Wizards. While his second comeback failed to lead the team into the playoffs, it displayed the greatness of a legend, as he became one of the few players, in any sport, that was cheered by all crowds, be it at home or away. In a way befitting of him, Jordan closed his career on momentous fashion, scoring 40 points in a game just days away from his 40th birthday. Then, for the third and final time, MJ retired once and for all, as he completed his transcendence from player to a legend; a legend that will be remembered, as long as there are people around to  remember it.