Michael Jordan

For other people named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation).
Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former National Basketball Association player, considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time.

A remarkable force at both ends of the floor, Jordan ended a career of 15 full seasons with a regular-season scoring average of 30.12 points per game, the highest in NBA history (ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.06). He won six championships, notched 10 scoring titles, and was league MVP five times. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team nine times, and led the league in steals three times. In 1991, he was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and was named the magazine's "Sportsman of the Year." These and other achievements have persuaded many fans and several basketball legends[1] (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/features/jordan/news/2001/08/22/jordan_greatest/) that Jordan was the best ever to play the game. (Others call Jordan overrated [2] (http://airjudden2.tripod.com/jordan/index.htm) and point to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, and Shaquille O'Neal.) His jumping ability -- he could once dunk from the foul line -- earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness."

University of North Carolina

As a UNC freshman, Jordan was an exciting but not dominant player. He ended the 1982 year in grand style, hitting the winning shot in the 1982 NCAA championship game against Georgetown, led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing. By his sophomore year, he was clearly the team's biggest star; as a junior, he was named the national player of the year. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 1984 NBA Draft as the third pick overall.

Chicago Bulls

Jordan played 13 seasons for the Bulls, generally as a shooting guard, but his height (6'6", or 1.98 m), skills, and physical conditioning also made him a versatile threat at point guard and small forward. He won six NBA Championships (1991-1993 and 1996-1998) and was league MVP five times (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1998). He was also named Rookie of the Year (1985) and Defensive Player of the Year (1988), and won the Finals MVP award every year the Bulls reached the Finals -- a feat not likely to ever be duplicated. He also earned the elusive MVP triple crown (league, finals, all-star game) twice when he won All-Star MVP in both 1996 and 1998 (he also won in 1988). Only Willis Reed (1970) and Shaquille O'Neal (2000) have won all three MVP awards in the same season. In 1997, he also recorded the only triple-double in an All-Star game.

Jordan's coach was Phil Jackson. He had the following to say about Jordan:

"The thing about Michael is he takes nothing for granted. When he first came into the league in 1984, he was primarily a penetrator. His outside shooting wasn't up to professional standards. So he put in his gym time in the off-season, shooting hundreds of shots each day. Eventually, he became a deadly three-point shooter".

Perhaps weighed down by the August 1993 murder of his father, Michael retired from basketball two days before the 1993-94 NBA season, and the Bulls retired his #23 jersey.

Baseball career

Michael Jordan on the Birmingham Barons

Jordan spent the next year pursuing a childhood dream: professional baseball. He had an unspectacular professional baseball career for the Birmingham Barons, a Chicago White Sox farm team, batting .202 with 3 HR, 51 RBI, 30 SB (tied-5th in Southern League), 11 errors and 6 outfield assists. He led the club with 11 bases-loaded RBI and 25 RBI with runners in scoring position and two outs. He was never called up to the majors. Many consider this brief stab at baseball the only tarnish on his athletic career.

Back To The Bulls

He ended his basketball retirement on March 19, 1995 by rejoining the Bulls. Because jersey #23 had been retired, he wore #45, his Barons number. Jordan led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Semifinals that year. As he struggled with unaccustomed playoff difficulty, he broke out his old #23 jersey during a second-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic. The switch did not immediately bring him luck, and the Magic prevailed. But it was back to winning ways the following year, the Bulls won three consecutive NBA titles between 1996 and 1998, with Jordan becoming the first and only player to win six NBA Finals MVP Awards.

Jordan retired again on January 13, 1999.

Washington Wizards

In 2001, he came out of retirement a second time to play for the Washington Wizards, though his skills were noticeably diminished by age. Yet despite an injury-plagued 2001-02 season, he still averaged nearly 23 points per game. Playing through pain, especially in his knee, he was still an important player for the Wizards. He returned for the 2002-03 season and averaged 20 points. He played in his 13th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2002-03. The 2002-03 season was heralded from the beginning as Jordan's final goodbye to his fans and he retired for the third time at the season's conclusion.

At the beginning of the 2001-2002 basketball season, Michael Jordan donated his $1 million salary to help the victims of the September 11 attacks.

Out of respect for Jordan's legacy, the Miami Heat retired his #23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though he never played for the Florida team. It was the first jersey the Heat retired in their then-15-year history, and it was half Wizards blue, half Bulls red.

The Olympics

Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams: as a college player in the 1984 Summer Olympics, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics as a member of the original "Dream Team," with other legends such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. It is often rumored that Jordan kept guard Isiah Thomas off the roster due to personal differences. Nonetheless, it was a star-studded roster that cruised through pool play and the medal round, restoring America to its place atop the basketball world.

Personal life

Jordan spent his childhood in Wilmington, North Carolina. He attended Emsley A. Laney High School, where he was a standout in football, baseball, and basketball. At UNC, he majored in geography.

Jordan is notoriously competitive, and is rumored to have lost enormous amounts of money playing golf and gambling.

Michael Jordan has two older brothers, Larry and James R., one older sister, Delores, and one younger sister, Roslyn. James R. Jordan is a Sergeant Major in the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army. James gained certain celebrity when he announced, at the age of forty-seven, that he intended to stay in Iraq until the U.S. occupation ended.

Michael Jordan currently lives in Highland Park, Illinois.

Father's murder

Jordan's father, James, was murdered in August 1993. While returning from the funeral of a friend, he pulled over onto the side of an interstate highway in North Carolina for a nap. Two local criminals killed him and stole his Lexus, a gift from Michael. The perpetrators made several calls from James' cell phone and were quickly captured. But James' body was not immediately identified. Michael and family did not immediately file a missing persons report, because the elder Jordan frequently took long trips by himself. By the time a report was filed, James' body had been cremated per local health laws as a John Doe.

Businessman

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Gatorade, Hanes, McDonald's, and MCI. He first appeared on Wheaties boxes in 1988, and acted as their spokesman as well.

Nike created a signature shoe for him, called the Air Jordan. The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spat of "shoe-jackings" where young boys were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. The innovation of designer Tinker Hatfield spurred the basketball shoe industry to new heights. Subsequently Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own company. Athletes who endorse the company include Ray Allen, Michael Finley, Derek Anderson, Gary Payton, and Jason Kidd. It has even crossed over into other sports, with athletes such as Randy Moss, Derek Jeter, and Roy Jones Jr. wearing Jordan apparel.

Michael Jordan with Bugs Bunny in "Space Jam."

He has also been connected with the Looney Tunes. A Nike commercial in the 1991 Super Bowl where he and Bugs Bunny played basketball against some Martians inspired the 1996 live action/animated movie Space Jam, which also starred Michael and the Looney Tunes in a fictional story set during his first retirement. They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI.

After his second retirement, Jordan formed the MVP.com sports apparel enterprise with fellow sports greats Wayne Gretzky and John Elway in 1999. Unfortunately, it fell victim to the dot-com bust, and the rights to the domain were sold to CBS SportsLine in 2001.

Awards

  • NBA Most Valuable Player Award: 1987-88, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98
  • NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98
  • NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: 1987-88
  • NBA Rookie of the Year Award: 1984-85
  • Naismith College Player of the Year: 1984
  • John R. Wooden Award: 1984
  • Adolph Rupp Trophy: 1984
  • ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year: 1983-84
  • NBA All-Star Dunk Contest Champion: 1987, 1988

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Unfortunately, it fell victim to the dot-com bust, and the rights to the domain were sold to CBS SportsLine in 2001. Emeril Lagasse also has a line of kitchen knives made by Wusthof. After his second retirement, Jordan formed the MVP.com sports apparel enterprise with fellow sports greats Wayne Gretzky and John Elway in 1999. Emeril Lagasse is also an accomplished drummer. They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI. Recently he has appeared in Crest toothpaste commercials yelling his trademark "Bam!". A Nike commercial in the 1991 Super Bowl where he and Bugs Bunny played basketball against some Martians inspired the 1996 live action/animated movie Space Jam, which also starred Michael and the Looney Tunes in a fictional story set during his first retirement. Emeril briefly starred in a self-titled TV sitcom on NBC during the fall 2001 season, but it was canceled after a few episodes and widely panned by critics.

He has also been connected with the Looney Tunes. Indeed, many of his restaurants are located in New Orleans, Louisiana as well as his corporate office, Emeril's Homebase. wearing Jordan apparel. Emeril is mainly known for his emphasis on Creole and Cajun cooking styles. It has even crossed over into other sports, with athletes such as Randy Moss, Derek Jeter, and Roy Jones Jr. Emeril has written several best-selling cookbooks, including Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking, his first book which was published in 1993, to From Emeril's Kitchen, published in 2003. Athletes who endorse the company include Ray Allen, Michael Finley, Derek Anderson, Gary Payton, and Jason Kidd. As of November 2003, Emeril Lagasse was the chef/proprietor of nine restaurants when Emeril's Miami Beach opened.

Subsequently Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own company. Lagasse initially gained fame in the culinary world after opening his first restaurant, "Emeril's Restaurant", in New Orleans in 1990, which was dubbed "Restaurant of the Year" in Esquire magazine of that year. The innovation of designer Tinker Hatfield spurred the basketball shoe industry to new heights. Emeril is known for his light and jovial hosting style as well as several catchphrases, including "Bam!" and "Kick it up a notch", usually said after or before adding something spicy to a dish (respectively). The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spat of "shoe-jackings" where young boys were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. Emeril also often suggested that viewers of his show create their own spice blends that reflect their personal tastes and be unafraid to use them to customize the dishes he would teach. Nike created a signature shoe for him, called the Air Jordan. The term "Essence" in the title refers to the name of a spice blend of his own concoction that he sometimes uses in his cooking.

He first appeared on Wheaties boxes in 1988, and acted as their spokesman as well. After several appearances on several other FoodTV programs, he got his own show called "The Essence of Emeril". He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Gatorade, Hanes, McDonald's, and MCI. Lagasse joined Food Network in 1993 with one of its first shows, How to Boil Water. Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. Emeril is most well-known for his TV show Emeril Live on the Food Network, one of its highest-rated programs. By the time a report was filed, James' body had been cremated per local health laws as a John Doe. Emeril Lagasse (born October 15, 1959 in Fall River, Massachusetts) is a chef, celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and writer.

Michael and family did not immediately file a missing persons report, because the elder Jordan frequently took long trips by himself. But James' body was not immediately identified. The perpetrators made several calls from James' cell phone and were quickly captured. Two local criminals killed him and stole his Lexus, a gift from Michael.

While returning from the funeral of a friend, he pulled over onto the side of an interstate highway in North Carolina for a nap. Jordan's father, James, was murdered in August 1993. Michael Jordan currently lives in Highland Park, Illinois. James gained certain celebrity when he announced, at the age of forty-seven, that he intended to stay in Iraq until the U.S. occupation ended.

Jordan is a Sergeant Major in the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army. James R. Michael Jordan has two older brothers, Larry and James R., one older sister, Delores, and one younger sister, Roslyn. Jordan is notoriously competitive, and is rumored to have lost enormous amounts of money playing golf and gambling.

At UNC, he majored in geography. Laney High School, where he was a standout in football, baseball, and basketball. He attended Emsley A. Jordan spent his childhood in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Nonetheless, it was a star-studded roster that cruised through pool play and the medal round, restoring America to its place atop the basketball world. It is often rumored that Jordan kept guard Isiah Thomas off the roster due to personal differences. Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams: as a college player in the 1984 Summer Olympics, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics as a member of the original "Dream Team," with other legends such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. It was the first jersey the Heat retired in their then-15-year history, and it was half Wizards blue, half Bulls red.

Out of respect for Jordan's legacy, the Miami Heat retired his #23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though he never played for the Florida team. At the beginning of the 2001-2002 basketball season, Michael Jordan donated his $1 million salary to help the victims of the September 11 attacks. The 2002-03 season was heralded from the beginning as Jordan's final goodbye to his fans and he retired for the third time at the season's conclusion. He played in his 13th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2002-03.

He returned for the 2002-03 season and averaged 20 points. Playing through pain, especially in his knee, he was still an important player for the Wizards. Yet despite an injury-plagued 2001-02 season, he still averaged nearly 23 points per game. In 2001, he came out of retirement a second time to play for the Washington Wizards, though his skills were noticeably diminished by age.

Jordan retired again on January 13, 1999. But it was back to winning ways the following year, the Bulls won three consecutive NBA titles between 1996 and 1998, with Jordan becoming the first and only player to win six NBA Finals MVP Awards. The switch did not immediately bring him luck, and the Magic prevailed. As he struggled with unaccustomed playoff difficulty, he broke out his old #23 jersey during a second-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic.

Jordan led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Semifinals that year. Because jersey #23 had been retired, he wore #45, his Barons number. He ended his basketball retirement on March 19, 1995 by rejoining the Bulls. Many consider this brief stab at baseball the only tarnish on his athletic career.

He was never called up to the majors. He led the club with 11 bases-loaded RBI and 25 RBI with runners in scoring position and two outs. He had an unspectacular professional baseball career for the Birmingham Barons, a Chicago White Sox farm team, batting .202 with 3 HR, 51 RBI, 30 SB (tied-5th in Southern League), 11 errors and 6 outfield assists. Jordan spent the next year pursuing a childhood dream: professional baseball.

Perhaps weighed down by the August 1993 murder of his father, Michael retired from basketball two days before the 1993-94 NBA season, and the Bulls retired his #23 jersey. He had the following to say about Jordan:. Jordan's coach was Phil Jackson. In 1997, he also recorded the only triple-double in an All-Star game.

Only Willis Reed (1970) and Shaquille O'Neal (2000) have won all three MVP awards in the same season. He also earned the elusive MVP triple crown (league, finals, all-star game) twice when he won All-Star MVP in both 1996 and 1998 (he also won in 1988). He was also named Rookie of the Year (1985) and Defensive Player of the Year (1988), and won the Finals MVP award every year the Bulls reached the Finals -- a feat not likely to ever be duplicated. He won six NBA Championships (1991-1993 and 1996-1998) and was league MVP five times (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1998).

Jordan played 13 seasons for the Bulls, generally as a shooting guard, but his height (6'6", or 1.98 m), skills, and physical conditioning also made him a versatile threat at point guard and small forward. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 1984 NBA Draft as the third pick overall. By his sophomore year, he was clearly the team's biggest star; as a junior, he was named the national player of the year. He ended the 1982 year in grand style, hitting the winning shot in the 1982 NCAA championship game against Georgetown, led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing.

As a UNC freshman, Jordan was an exciting but not dominant player. (Others call Jordan overrated [2] (http://airjudden2.tripod.com/jordan/index.htm) and point to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, and Shaquille O'Neal.) His jumping ability -- he could once dunk from the foul line -- earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness.". In 1991, he was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and was named the magazine's "Sportsman of the Year." These and other achievements have persuaded many fans and several basketball legends[1] (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/features/jordan/news/2001/08/22/jordan_greatest/) that Jordan was the best ever to play the game. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team nine times, and led the league in steals three times.

He won six championships, notched 10 scoring titles, and was league MVP five times. A remarkable force at both ends of the floor, Jordan ended a career of 15 full seasons with a regular-season scoring average of 30.12 points per game, the highest in NBA history (ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.06). Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former National Basketball Association player, considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. NBA All-Star Dunk Contest Champion: 1987, 1988.

ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year: 1983-84. Adolph Rupp Trophy: 1984. Wooden Award: 1984. John R.

Naismith College Player of the Year: 1984. NBA Rookie of the Year Award: 1984-85. NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: 1987-88. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98.

NBA Most Valuable Player Award: 1987-88, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98.