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Michael Jordan |
Michael Jeffrey
Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New
York. The family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina
when he was still a toddler. Jordan is the fourth of
five children, having two older brothers and an older
and younger sister. Michael's dad worked at an electric
plant while his mother worked at a bank. Jordan was not
a rags-to-riches story, his childhood was reasonably
comfortable.
Jordan played basketball for Laney High School in
Wilmington, North Carolina. Ironically, Jordan was cut
from the varsity team as a sophomore. "Whenever I was
working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop,
I'd close my eyes and see that list in the locker room
without my name on it," Jordan said, "and that usually
got me going again." He eventually made the team and led
it to the state championship.
The number of records that Jordan holds will boggle the
mind of even the most seasoned mathematics wizard. In
1984 Michael Jordan was the third player to be drafted
after Hakim Olajuwon and Sam Bowie. Jordan was drafted
by the Chicago Bulls. Jordan went on to guide the Bulls
to six NBA Championships (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997,
1998). During all his championship winning years he was
also named as NBA Finals MVP.
Michael Jordan holds the single series NBA Finals record
for highest PPG average. Jordan was named in the All-NBA
First Team ten times. He holds the record for leading
the scoring in the most number of seasons "10". A
testimony to his dominance in the Chicago Bulls team was
that he was the highest scores, had the most steals and
assists in the team. The Bulls team had players of the
caliber of Scotty Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Tony Kukoc.
Jordan's famous number 23 jersey was retired on 1st
November, 1994. He has hit 28 game-winning shots in the
NBA. Jordan was a member of the gold medal-winning 1984
and 1992 United States Olympic Basketball Teams.
Michael Jordan was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1985.
Jordan holds the All-Star record having the only
triple-double in an All-Star game in 1997. Michael
scored a career playoff-high 63 points against Boston on
20th May, 1986. Jordan notched his 30,000th point on 1st
April, 2002 against the Bulls. He became the only 40
year old NBA player to ever score over 40 points on
21st, February, 2003.
Jordan shocked the NBA by announcing his retirement
prior to the 1993-94 season. He spent the year playing
minor league baseball for the Class AA Birmingham Barons
of the Chicago White Sox organization. His stint in
baseball was a short lived affair and he was soon back
in the familiar Red and White Chicago Bulls jersey. The
breakup of the Bulls dynasty by Jerry Krause led to
Jordan's second retirement. Jordan stated he would not
play basketball for anyone else other than Phil Jackson.
Michael Jordan also expressed a desire to spend more
time with his wife, Juanita, and their three children,
Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine. Phil Jackson made the move
to L.A. Lakers which was the new reincarnation of the
Bulls. It had players such as Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe
Bryant and Rick Fox on its rolls.
Michael Jordan later joined the Washington Wizards as
President of Basketball Operations and part owner in
January 2000. But his attempts to turnaround the
Washington Wizards from the sidelines were a failure. A
situation that was alien and completely unacceptable to
man compels him to do things that were perceived as
unachievable.
Michael Jordan's burning competitive desire to succeed
motivated him to return once again as a basketball
player, and turn the Wizards franchise around. Jordan
began training, informing the media, at first, he was
only doing it to lose weight. He worked himself into
basketball shape during the summer by holding several
invitation-only camps of pickup games with other NBA
players at a Chicago gym. Unfortunately, Jordan was
never able to lead his Wizards into the postseason as a
player. He retired for a third and final time after
playing his final game on April 16th, 2003.
Michael Jordan's ability to rise above his peers and
competitors is captured by his statement, "body could
stand the crutches but my mind couldn't stand the
sideline".
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