Early NBA years (19841987)

The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick of the 1984 NBA draft after Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers). One of the primary reasons why Jordan was not drafted sooner was because the first two teams were in need of a center.[36] Trail Blazers general manager Stu Inman contended that it was not a matter of drafting a center but more a matter of taking Sam Bowie over Jordan, in part because Portland already had Clyde Drexler, who was a guard with similar skills to Jordan.[37] Citing Bowie's injury-laden college career, ESPN, named the Blazers' choice of Bowie as the worst draft pick in North American professional sports history.[38]

During his rookie season with the Bulls, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting,[28] and helped make a team that had won 35% of games in the previous three seasons playoff contenders. He quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas.[39][40][41] Roy S. Johnson of The New York Times described him as "the phenomenal rookie of the Bulls" in November,[41] and Jordan appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the heading "A Star Is Born" in December.[42][43] The fans also voted in Jordan as an All-Star starter during his rookie season.[5] Controversy arose before the All-Star game when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by Isiah Thomas, were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving.[5] This led to a so-called "freeze-out" on Jordan, where players refused to pass the ball to him throughout the game.[5] The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted the NBA Rookie of the Year.[44] The Bulls finished the season 3844,[45] and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in four games in the First Round of the playoffs.[44]

An often-cited moment was on August 26, 1985,[19][46] when Jordan shook the arena during a Nike exhibition game in Trieste, Italy, by shattering the glass of the backboard with a dunk.[47][48] The moment was filmed and is often referred to worldwide as an important milestone in Jordan's rise.[48][49] The shoes Jordan wore during the game were auctioned in August 2020 and sold for $615,000, a record for a pair of sneakers.[50][51] Jordan's second season was cut short when he broke his foot in the third game of the year, causing him to miss 64 games.[52] The Bulls made the playoffs despite Jordan's injury and a 3052 record, at the time the fifth-worst record of any team to qualify for the playoffs in NBA history.[45][53] Jordan recovered in time to participate in the postseason and performed well upon his return. Against a 198586 Boston Celtics team that is often considered one of the greatest in NBA history,[54] Jordan set the still-unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2;[55] however, the Celtics managed to sweep the series.[44]

Jordan completely recovered in time for the 198687 season,[56] and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in NBA history; he became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score 3,000 points in a season, averaging a league-high 37.1 points on 48.2% shooting.[28][57] In addition, Jordan demonstrated his defensive prowess, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season.[58] Despite Jordan's success, Magic Johnson won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award.[59] The Bulls reached 40 wins,[45] and advanced to the playoffs for the third consecutive year; however, they were again swept by the Celtics.[44]

Jordan again led the league in scoring during the 198788 season, averaging 35.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting[28] and won his first league MVP Award. He was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, as he averaged 1.6 blocks and a league-high 3.1 steals per game.[60] The Bulls finished 5032,[45] and made it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in Jordan's career, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.[61] However, the Bulls lost in five games to the more experienced Detroit Pistons,[44] who were led by Isiah Thomas and a group of physical players known as the "Bad Boys".[62]

In the 198889 season, Jordan again led the league in scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the field, along with 8 rpg and 8 apg.[28] During the season, Sam Vincent, Chicago's point guard, was having trouble running the offense, and Jordan expressed his frustration with head coach Doug Collins, who would put Jordan at point guard; in his time as a point guard, Jordan averaged 10 triple-doubles in eleven games, with 33.6 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 10.8 apg, 2.9 spg, and 0.8 bps on 51% shooting.[63]

The Bulls finished with a 4735 record,[45] and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the Cavaliers and New York Knicks along the way.[64] The Cavaliers series included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer in the fifth and final game of the series.[65] However, the Pistons again defeated the Bulls, this time in six games,[44] by utilizing their "Jordan Rules" method of guarding Jordan, which consisted of double and triple teaming him every time he touched the ball.[5]

The Bulls entered the 198990 season as a team on the rise, with their core group of Jordan and young improving players like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, and under the guidance of new coach Phil Jackson.[66] On March 28, 1990, Jordan scored a career-high 69 points in a 117113 road win over the Cavaliers.[67] He averaged a league-leading 33.6 ppg on 52.6% shooting, to go with 6.9 rpg and 6.3 apg,[28] in leading the Bulls to a 5527 record.[45] They again advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers;[68] despite pushing the series to seven games, the Bulls lost to the Pistons for the third consecutive season.[44]

In the 199091 season, Jordan won his second MVP award after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season.[28] The Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in sixteen years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season.[45] With Scottie Pippen developing into an All-Star, the Bulls had elevated their play. The Bulls defeated the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where their rival, the Detroit Pistons, awaited them;[69] this time, the Bulls beat the Pistons in a four-game sweep.[70]

The Bulls advanced to the Finals for the first time in franchise history to face the Los Angeles Lakers, who had Magic Johnson and James Worthy, two formidable opponents. The Bulls won the series four games to one, and compiled a 152 playoff record along the way.[69] Perhaps the best-known moment of the series came in Game 2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan avoided a potential Sam Perkins block by switching the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot into the basket.[71] In his first Finals appearance, Jordan posted per game averages of 31.2 points on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks.[72] Jordan won his first NBA Finals MVP award,[73] and he cried while holding the Finals trophy.[74]

Jordan and the Bulls continued their dominance in the 199192 season, establishing a 6715 record, topping their franchise record from 1990 to 1991.[45] Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with averages of 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on 52% shooting.[60] After winning a physical seven-game series over the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals in six games, the Bulls met Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the Finals. The media, hoping to recreate a MagicBird rivalry, highlighted the similarities between "Air" Jordan and Clyde "The Glide" during the pre-Finals hype.[75]

In the first game, Jordan scored a Finals-record 35 points in the first half, including a record-setting six three-point field goals.[76] After the sixth three-pointer, he jogged down the court shrugging as he looked courtside. Marv Albert, who broadcast the game, later stated that it was as if Jordan was saying: "I can't believe I'm doing this."[77] The Bulls went on to win Game 1 and defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row[73] and finished the series averaging 35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5 apg, while shooting 52.6% from the floor.[78]

In the 199293 season, despite a 32.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, and 5.5 apg campaign, including a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting,[60][79] Jordan's streak of consecutive MVP seasons ended, as he lost the award to his friend Charles Barkley.[59] Coincidentally, Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and his Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. The Bulls won their third NBA championship on a game-winning shot by John Paxson and a last-second block by Horace Grant, but Jordan was once again Chicago's leader. He averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the six-game series,[80] and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards.[73] He scored more than 30 points in every game of the series, including 40 or more points in four consecutive games.[81] With his third Finals triumph, Jordan capped off a seven-year run where he attained seven scoring titles and three championships, but there were signs that Jordan was tiring of his massive celebrity and all of the non-basketball hassles in his life.[82]

During the Bulls' 1993 NBA playoffs, Jordan was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the night before a game against the New York Knicks.[83] The previous year, he admitted that he had to cover $57,000 in gambling losses,[84] and author Richard Esquinas wrote a book in 1993 claiming he had won $1.25million from Jordan on the golf course.[85] NBA commissioner David Stern denied in 1995 and 2006 that Jordan's 1993 retirement was a secret suspension by the league for gambling,[86][87] but the rumor spread widely.[88]

In 2005, Jordan discussed his gambling with Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes and admitted that he made reckless decisions. Jordan stated: "Yeah, I've gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I've pushed the envelope. Is that compulsive? Yeah, it depends on how you look at it. If you're willing to jeopardize your livelihood and your family, then yeah." When Bradley asked him if his gambling ever got to the level where it jeopardized his livelihood or family, Jordan replied: "No."[89] In 2010, Ron Shelton, director of Jordan Rides the Bus, said that he began working on the documentary believing that the NBA had suspended him, but that research "convinced [him it] was nonsense."[88]

On October 6, 1993, Jordan announced his retirement, saying that he lost his desire to play basketball. Jordan later said that the death of his father three months earlier helped shape his decision.[90] James Jordan was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina, by two teenagers, Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery, who carjacked his Lexus bearing the license plate "UNC 0023".[91][92] His body, dumped in a South Carolina swamp, was not discovered until August 3.[92] Green and Demery were found after they made calls on James Jordan's cell phone,[93] convicted at a trial, and sentenced to life in prison.[94]

Jordan was close to his father; as a child, he imitated the way his father stuck out his tongue while absorbed in work. He later adopted it as his own signature, often displaying it as he drove to the basket.[5] In 1996, he founded a Chicago-area Boys & Girls Club and dedicated it to his father.[95][96] In his 1998 autobiography For the Love of the Game, Jordan wrote that he was preparing for retirement as early as the summer of 1992.[97] The added exhaustion due to the Dream Team run in the 1992 Olympics solidified Jordan's feelings about the game and his ever-growing celebrity status. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world.[98]

Jordan further surprised the sports world by signing a Minor League Baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox on February 7, 1994.[99] He reported to spring training in Sarasota, Florida, and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994.[100] Jordan said that this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who always envisioned his son as a Major League Baseball player.[101] The White Sox were owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball.[102]

In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 30 stolen bases, 114 strikeouts, 51 bases on balls, and 11 errors.[103][104] He also appeared for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League, batting .252 against the top prospects in baseball.[100] On November 1, 1994, his No. 23 was retired by the Bulls in a ceremony that included the erection of a permanent sculpture known as The Spirit outside the new United Center.[105][106][107]

In the 199394 season, the Bulls achieved a 5527 record without Jordan in the lineup,[45] and lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs.[108] The 199495 Bulls were a shell of the championship team of just two years earlier. Struggling at mid-season to ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago was 3131 at one point in mid-March;[109] however, the team received help when Jordan decided to return to the Bulls.[110]

In March 1995, Jordan decided to quit baseball because he feared he might become a replacement player during the Major League Baseball strike.[111] On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a two-word press release: "I'm back."[112] The next day, Jordan took to the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points.[113] The game had the highest Nielsen rating of any regular season NBA game since 1975.[114] Although he could have worn his original number even though the Bulls retired it, Jordan wore No. 45, his baseball number.[113]

Despite his eighteen-month hiatus from the NBA, Jordan played well, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. He scored 55 points in his next game, against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1995.[44] Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 134 to make the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic.[115] At the end of Game 1, Orlando's Nick Anderson stripped Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the Magic; he would later comment that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan"[116] and that "No. 45 doesn't explode like No. 23 used to."[117]

Jordan responded by scoring 38 points in the next game, which Chicago won. Before the game, Jordan decided that he would immediately resume wearing his former No. 23. The Bulls were fined $25,000 for failing to report the impromptu number change to the NBA.[117] Jordan was fined an additional $5,000 for opting to wear white sneakers when the rest of the Bulls wore black.[118] He averaged 31 points per game in the playoffs, but Orlando won the series in six games.[115]

Jordan was freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, and he trained aggressively for the 199596 season.[119] The Bulls were strengthened by the addition of rebound specialist Dennis Rodman, and the team dominated the league, starting the season at 413.[120] The Bulls eventually finished with the best regular season record in NBA history, 7210, a mark broken two decades later by the 201516 Golden State Warriors.[121] Jordan led the league in scoring with 30.4 ppg,[122] and he won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards.[32]

In the playoffs, the Bulls lost only three games in four series (Miami Heat 30, New York Knicks 41, and Orlando Magic 40), as they defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 42 in the NBA Finals to win their fourth championship.[120] Jordan was named Finals MVP for a record fourth time, surpassing Magic Johnson's three Finals MVP awards;[73] he also achieved only the second sweep of the MVP awards in the All-Star Game, regular season, and NBA Finals after Willis Reed in the 196970 season.[44] Upon winning the championship, his first since his father's murder, Jordan reacted emotionally, clutching the game ball and crying on the locker room floor.[5][74]

In the 199697 season, the Bulls started out 6911 but missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season by losing their final two games to finish 6913.[123] The Bulls again advanced to the Finals, where they faced Karl Malone's Utah Jazz who had beaten Jordan for the NBA MVP award in a tight race (986957).[124][125][126] The series against the Jazz featured two of the more memorable clutch moments of Jordan's career. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied at 2, Jordan played despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus. In what is known as the "Flu Game", Jordan scored 38 points, including the game-deciding 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining.[127] The Bulls won 9088 and went on to win the series in six games.[123] For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Jordan received the Finals MVP award.[73] During the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, Jordan posted the first triple double in All-Star Game history in a victorious effort; however, he did not receive the MVP award.[128]

Jordan and the Bulls compiled a 6220 record in the 199798 season.[45] Jordan led the league with 28.7 points per game,[60] securing his fifth regular season MVP award, plus honors for All-NBA First Team, First Defensive Team, and the All-Star Game MVP.[32] The Bulls won the Eastern Conference Championship for a third straight season, including surviving a seven-game series with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals; it was the first time Jordan had played in a Game 7 since the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals with the Knicks.[129][130] After winning, they moved on for a rematch with the Jazz in the Finals.[131]

The Bulls returned to the Delta Center for Game 6 on June 14, 1998, leading the series 32. Jordan executed a series of plays, considered to be one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history.[132] With 41.9 seconds remaining and the Bulls trailing 8683, Phil Jackson called a timeout. When play resumed, Jordan received the inbound pass, drove to the basket, and sank a shot over several Jazz defenders, cutting Utah's lead to 8685.[132] The Jazz brought the ball upcourt and passed the ball to Malone, who was set up in the low post and was being guarded by Rodman. Malone jostled with Rodman and caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind him and stole the ball out of his hands.[132]

Jordan then dribbled down the court and paused, eyeing his defender, Jazz guard Bryon Russell. With 10 seconds remaining, Jordan started to dribble right, then crossed over to his left, possibly pushing off Russell, although the officials did not call a foul.[133][134][135] With 5.2 seconds left, Jordan made the climactic shot of his Bulls career, giving Chicago an 8786 lead with a jumper over Russell.[136] Afterwards, the Jazz' John Stockton narrowly missed a game-winning three-pointer, and the buzzer sounded as Jordan and the Bulls won their sixth NBA championship,[137] achieving a second three-peat in the decade.[138] Once again, Jordan was voted Finals MVP,[73] having led all scorers by averaging 33.5 points per game, including 45 in the deciding Game 6.[139] Jordan's six Finals MVPs is a record; LeBron James is in second place with four.[140] The 1998 Finals holds the highest television rating of any Finals series in history; Game 6 also holds the highest television rating of any game in NBA history.[141][142]

With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999.[143][144][145] On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player but as part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards.[146] Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive, as he controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations, and had the final say in all personnel matters; opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed.[147][148] He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland)[149][150] but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown, who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons.[147][151]

Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" that he would never play another NBA game,[74] in the summer of 2001 Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback, this time with his new team.[152][153] Inspired by the NHL comeback of his friend Mario Lemieux the previous winter,[154] Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago.[155] In addition, Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return.[152][153]

On September 25, 2001, Jordan announced his return to the NBA to play for the Washington Wizards, indicating his intention to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11 attacks.[156][157] In an injury-plagued 200102 season, Jordan led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.42 spg),[5] and was an MVP candidate, as he led the Wizards to a winning record and playoff contention;[158][159] he would eventually finish 13th in the MVP ballot.[160] Torn cartilage in his right knee suffered on February 7 against the Sacramento Kings, and its aftermath knee soreness[161] and losing streak moved the Wizards away from playoff contention, and Jordan's season ended after only 60 games, the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the 199495 season.[28] Jordan started 53 of his 60 games for the season, averaging 24.3 points, 5.4 assists, and 6.0 rebounds, and shooting 41.9% from the field in his 53 starts. His last seven appearances were in a reserve role, in which he averaged just over 20 minutes per game.[162] The Wizards finished the season with a 3745 record, sitting 10th in the East, an 18-game improvement.[160]

Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2003, Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history, a record since broken by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.[163][164] That year, Jordan was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games, starting in 67 of them, and coming off from the bench in the first 15, as he was still recovering from knee injury. He averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.[5] He also shot 45% from the field, and 82% from the free-throw line.[28] Even though he turned 40 during the season, he scored 20 or more points 42 times, 30 or more points nine times, and 40 or more points three times.[44] On February 21, 2003, Jordan became the first 40-year-old to tally 43 points in an NBA game.[165] During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the MCI Center were sold out, and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20,172 fans a game at home and 19,311 on the road.[166] However, neither of Jordan's final two seasons resulted in a playoff appearance for the Wizards, and Jordan was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him.[167][168] At several points, he openly criticized his teammates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity, notably that of Kwame Brown, the number-one draft pick in the 2001 NBA draft.[167][168]

With the recognition that 200203 would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA. In his final game at the United Center in Chicago, which was his old home court, Jordan received a four-minute standing ovation.[169] The Miami Heat retired the No. 23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though Jordan never played for the team.[170] At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson but refused both;[171] in the end, he accepted the spot of Vince Carter.[172] Jordan played in his final NBA game on April 16, 2003, in Philadelphia. After scoring 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter and his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers 7556. Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike!" After much encouragement from coach Doug Collins, Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game, replacing Larry Hughes with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' Eric Snow, and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie John Salmons, who in turn was intentionally fouled by Bobby Simmons one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. Jordan received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials, and the crowd of 21,257 fans.[173]

Jordan was a shooting guard who could also play as a small forward (the position he would primarily play during his second return to professional basketball with the Washington Wizards),[32] and as a point guard.[63] Jordan was known throughout his career as a strong clutch performer. With the Bulls, he decided 25 games with field goals or free throws in the last 30 seconds, including two NBA Finals games and five other playoff contests.[179] His competitiveness was visible in his prolific trash-talk[180] and well-known work ethic.[181][182] Jordan often used perceived slights to fuel his performances. Sportswriter Wright Thompson described him as "a killer, in the Darwinian sense of the word, immediately sensing and attacking someone's weakest spot."[3] As the Bulls organization built the franchise around Jordan, management had to trade away players who were not "tough enough" to compete with him in practice. To help improve his defense, he spent extra hours studying film of opponents. On offense, he relied more upon instinct and improvization at game time.[183]

Noted as a durable player, Jordan did not miss four or more games while active for a full season from 198687 to 200102, when he injured his right knee.[32][184] Of the 15 seasons Jordan was in the NBA, he played all 82 regular season games nine times.[32] Jordan has frequently cited David Thompson, Walter Davis, and Jerry West as influences.[185][186] Confirmed at the start of his career, and possibly later on, Jordan had a special "Love of the Game Clause" written into his contract, which was unusual at the time, and allowed him to play basketball against anyone at any time, anywhere.[187]

Jordan had a versatile offensive game and was capable of aggressively driving to the basket as well as drawing fouls from his opponents at a high rate; his 8,772 free throw attempts are the 11th-highest total in NBA history.[188] As his career progressed, Jordan also developed the ability to post up his opponents and score with his trademark fadeaway jump shot, using his leaping ability to "fade away" from block attempts. According to Hubie Brown, this move alone made him nearly unstoppable.[189] Despite media criticism as a "selfish" player early in his career, Jordan was willing to defer to this teammates, with a career average of 5.3 assists per game and a season-high of 8 assists per game.[28] For a guard, Jordan was also a good rebounder, and he was one of the best defenders, finishing with 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.[28]

Three-point field goal was not Jordan's strength, especially in his early years, whose 16% shooting (5-for-30) in the 1990 Three-Point Contest gave him the worst percentage of points ever in that competition;[190] nonetheless, he improved three-point shooting and finished his career with a respectable 32% shooting. After shooting under 30% from three-point range in his first five seasons in the NBA, including a career-low 13% in the 198788 season, Jordan improved to a career-high 50% in the 199495 season.[28] The three-point shot became more of a focus of his game from 199495 to 199697, when the NBA shortened its three-point line from 23ft 9in (7.24m) to 22ft (6.7m).[191] His three-point field-goal percentages ranged from 35% to 43% in seasons in which he attempted at least 230 three-pointers between 198990 and 199697.[32] Jordan's effective field goal percentage was 50%, and he had six seasons with at least 50% shooting, five of which consecutively (19881992); he also shot 51% and 50%, and 30% and 33% from the three-point range, throughout his first and second retirements, respectively, finishing his career with 49% shooting.[32]

Unlike NBA players such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, often compared to Jordan and who had a similar three-point percentage, he did not shoot as much as them, as he did not need it to be an offensive menace; three-point shooting was only introduced in 1979 and would not be a more fundamental aspect of the game until the first decades of the 21st century, with the NBA having to briefly shorten the line to incentivize more shots.[191] Jordan's three-point shooting was better selected, resulting in three-point field goals made in important games during the playoffs and the Finals, such as hitting six consecutive three-point shots in Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals. Jordan shot 37%, 35%, 42%, and 37% in all the seasons he shot over 200 three-pointers, and also shot 38.5%, 38.6%, 38.9%, 40.3%, 19.4%, and 30.2% in the playoffs during his championship runs, improving his shooting even after the three-point line was reverted to the original line.[192][193][194][195]

In 1988, Jordan was honored with the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first NBA player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in a career. In addition, he set both seasonal and career records for blocked shots by a guard,[196] and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. He ranks third in NBA history in total steals with 2,514, trailing John Stockton and Jason Kidd.[197] Jerry West often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan's defensive contributions than his offensive ones.[198] Doc Rivers declared Jordan "the best superstar defender in the history of the game."[199]

Jordan was known to have strong eyesight; broadcaster Al Michaels said that he was able to read baseball box scores on a 27-inch (69cm) television clearly from about 50 feet (15m) away.[200] During the 2001 NBA Finals, Phil Jackson compared Jordan's dominance to Shaquille O'Neal, stating that "Michael would get fouled on every play and still have to play through it and just clear himself for shots instead and would rise to that occasion."[201]

Jordan's talent was clear from his first NBA season; by November 1984, he was being compared to Julius Erving.[39][41] Larry Bird said that rookie Jordan was the best player he ever saw, and that he was "one of a kind", and comparable to Wayne Gretzky as an athlete.[202] In his first game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, Jordan received a near minute-long standing ovation.[41] After establishing the single game playoff record of 63 points against the Boston Celtics on April 20, 1986, Bird described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan."[55]

Jordan led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons (NBA record) and tied Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven consecutive scoring titles.[5] He was also a fixture of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, making the roster nine times (NBA record shared with Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant).[203] Jordan also holds the top career regular season and playoff scoring averages of 30.1 and 33.4 points per game, respectively.[204] By 1998, the season of his Finals-winning shot against the Jazz, he was well known throughout the league as a clutch performer. In the regular season, Jordan was the Bulls' primary threat in the final seconds of a close game and in the playoffs; he would always ask for the ball at crunch time.[205] Jordan's total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the second-highest in NBA history.[206] He retired with 32,292 points in regular season play,[207] placing him fifth on the NBA's all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.[207]

With five regular season MVPs (tied for second place with Bill Russellonly Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won more, with six), six Finals MVPs (NBA record), and three All-Star Game MVPs, Jordan is the most decorated player in NBA history.[32][208] Jordan finished among the top three in regular season MVP voting 10 times,[32] and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.[209] He is one of only seven players in history to win an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal (doing so twice with the 1984 and 1992 U.S. men's basketball teams).[210] Since 1976, the year of the NBA's merger with the American Basketball Association,[211] Jordan and Pippen are the only two players to win six NBA Finals playing for one team.[212] In the All-Star Game fan ballot, Jordan received the most votes nine times, more than any other player.[213]

Many of Jordan's contemporaries have said that Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.[198] In 1999, an ESPN survey of journalists, athletes and other sports figures ranked Jordan the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century, above Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali.[214] Jordan placed second to Babe Ruth in the Associated Press' December 1999 list of 20th century athletes.[215] In addition, the Associated Press voted him the greatest basketball player of the 20th century.[216] Jordan has also appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated a record 50 times.[217] In the September 1996 issue of Sport, which was the publication's 50th-anniversary issue, Jordan was named the greatest athlete of the past 50 years.[218]

Jordan's athletic leaping ability, highlighted in his back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest championships in 1987 and 1988, is credited by many people with having influenced a generation of young players.[219][220] Several NBA players, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have stated that they considered Jordan their role model while they were growing up.[221][222] In addition, commentators have dubbed a number of next-generation players "the next Michael Jordan" upon their entry to the NBA, including Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Bryant, Vince Carter, James, and Wade.[223][224][225] Some analyists, such as The Ringer's Dan Devine, drew parallels between Jordan's experiment at point guard in the 198889 season and modern NBA; for Devine, it "inadvertently foreshadowed the modern game's stylistic shift toward monster-usage primary playmakers", such as Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Luka Doni, and LeBron James.[226] Don Nelson stated: "I would've been playing him at point guard the day he showed up as a rookie."[227]

Although Jordan was a well-rounded player, his "Air Jordan" image is also often credited with inadvertently decreasing the jump shooting skills, defense, and fundamentals of young players,[219] a fact Jordan himself has lamented: "I think it was the exposure of Michael Jordan; the marketing of Michael Jordan. Everything was marketed towards the things that people wanted to see, which was scoring and dunking. That Michael Jordan still played defense and an all-around game, but it was never really publicized."[219] During his heyday, Jordan did much to increase the status of the game; television ratings increased only during his time in the league.[228] The popularity of the NBA in the U.S. declined after his last title.[228] As late as 2020, Finals ratings had not returned to the level reached during his last championship-winning season.[229]

In August 2009, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, opened a Michael Jordan exhibit that contained items from his college and NBA careers as well as from the 1992 "Dream Team"; the exhibit also has a batting glove to signify Jordan's short career in Minor League Baseball.[230] After Jordan received word of his acceptance into the Hall of Fame, he selected Class of 1996 member David Thompson to present him.[231] As Jordan would later explain during his induction speech in September 2009, when he was growing up in North Carolina, he was not a fan of the Tar Heels and greatly admired Thompson, who played at rival North Carolina State. In September, he was inducted into the Hall with several former Bulls teammates in attendance, including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and Toni Kuko.[232] Two of Jordan's former coaches, Dean Smith and Doug Collins, were also among those present. His emotional reaction during his speechwhen he began to crywas captured by Associated Press photographer Stephan Savoia and would later go viral on social media as the Crying Jordan Internet meme.[233][234] In 2016, President Barack Obama honored Jordan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[235]

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald's, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Wheaties, Hanes, and MCI.[304] Jordan has had a long relationship with Gatorade, appearing in over 20 commercials for the company since 1991, including the "Be Like Mike" commercials in which a song was sung by children wishing to be like Jordan.[304][305]

Nike created a signature shoe for Jordan, called the Air Jordan, in 1984.[306] One of Jordan's more popular commercials for the shoe involved Spike Lee playing the part of Mars Blackmon. In the commercials, Lee, as Blackmon, attempted to find the source of Jordan's abilities and became convinced that "it's gotta be the shoes".[304] The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spate of "shoe-jackings" where people were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. Subsequently, Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own division named the "Jordan Brand". The company features an impressive list of athletes and celebrities as endorsers.[307][308] The brand has also sponsored college sports programs such as those of North Carolina, California, Georgetown, and Marquette.[309]

Jordan also has been associated with the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. A Nike commercial shown during 1992's Super Bowl XXVI featured Jordan and Bugs Bunny playing basketball.[310] The Super Bowl commercial inspired the 1996 live action/animated film Space Jam, which starred Jordan and Bugs in a fictional story set during the former's first retirement from basketball.[311] They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI.[311] Jordan also made an appearance in the music video for Michael Jackson's "Jam" (1992).[312]

Jordan's yearly income from the endorsements is estimated to be over $40 million.[313][314] In addition, when Jordan's power at the ticket gates was at its highest point, the Bulls regularly sold out both their home and road games.[315] Due to this, Jordan set records in player salary by signing annual contracts worth in excess of US$30million per season.[316] An academic study found that Jordan's first NBA comeback resulted in an increase in the market capitalization of his client firms of more than $1billion.[317]

Most of Jordan's endorsement deals, including his first deal with Nike, were engineered by his agent, David Falk.[318] Jordan has described Falk as "the best at what he does" and that "marketing-wise, he's great. He's the one who came up with the concept of 'Air Jordan.'"[319]

In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 20th-most powerful celebrity in the world with $55million earned between June 2009 and June 2010. According to the Forbes article, Jordan Brand generates $1billion in sales for Nike.[320] In June 2014, Jordan was named the first NBA player to become a billionaire, after he increased his stake in the Charlotte Hornets from 80% to 89.5%.[321][322] On January 20, 2015, Jordan was honored with the Charlotte Business Journal's Business Person of the Year for 2014.[323] In 2017, he became a part owner of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball.[324]

Forbes designated Jordan as the athlete with the highest career earnings in 2017.[325] From his Jordan Brand income and endorsements, Jordan's 2015 income was an estimated $110million, the most of any retired athlete.[326] As of 2020[update], his net worth is estimated at $2.1billion by Forbes,[327] making him the fourth-richest African-American, behind Robert F. Smith, David Steward, and Oprah Winfrey.[328]

Jordan co-owns an automotive group which bears his name. The company has a Nissan dealership in Durham, North Carolina, acquired in 1990,[329] and formerly had a LincolnMercury dealership from 1995 until its closure in June 2009.[330][331] The company also owned a Nissan franchise in Glen Burnie, Maryland.[330] The restaurant industry is another business interest of Jordan's. His restaurants include a steakhouse in New York City's Grand Central Terminal, among others.[332] Jordan is the majority investor in a golf course, Grove XXIII, under construction in Hobe Sound, Florida.[333]

In September 2020, Jordan became an investor and advisor for DraftKings.[334]

From 2001 to 2014, Jordan hosted an annual golf tournament, the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, that raised money for various charities.[335] In 2006, Jordan and his wife Juanita pledged $5million to Chicago's Hales Franciscan High School.[336] The Jordan Brand has made donations to Habitat for Humanity and a Louisiana branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.[337]

The Make-A-Wish Foundation named Jordan its Chief Wish Ambassador in 2008.[335] In 2013, he granted his 200th wish for the organization.[338] As of 2019, he has raised more than $5million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[335]

In 2015, Jordan donated a settlement of undisclosed size from a lawsuit against supermarkets that had used his name without permission to 23 different Chicago charities.[339] In 2017, Jordan funded two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte, North Carolina, by giving $7million, the biggest donation he had made at the time.[340] In 2018, after Hurricane Florence damaged parts of North Carolina, including his former hometown of Wilmington, Jordan donated $2million to relief efforts.[341] He gave $1million to aid the Bahamas' recovery following Hurricane Dorian in 2019.[342]

On June 5, 2020, in the wake of the protests following the murder of George Floyd, Jordan and his brand announced in a joint statement that they would be donating $100million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to "ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education."[343]

Jordan played himself in the 1996 comedy film Space Jam. The film received mixed reviews,[344] but it was a box office success, making $230million worldwide, and earned more than $1billion through merchandise sales.[345]

In 2000, Jordan was the subject of an IMAX documentary about his career with the Chicago Bulls, especially the 1998 championship season, entitled Michael Jordan to the Max.[346] Two decades later, the same period of Jordan's life was covered in much greater and more personal detail by the Emmy Award-winning The Last Dance, a 10-part TV documentary which debuted on ESPN in April and May 2020. The Last Dance relied heavily on about 500 hours of candid film of Jordan's and his teammates' off-court activities which an NBA Entertainment crew had shot over the course of the 199798 NBA season for use in a documentary. The project was delayed for many years because Jordan had not yet given his permission for the footage to be used.[347][348] He was interviewed at three homes associated with the production and did not want cameras in his home or on his plane as "there are certain aspects of his life that he wants to keep private", according to director Jason Hehir.[349] Jordan granted rapper Travis Scott permission to film a music video for his single "Franchise" at his home in Highland Park, Illinois, "without hesitation."[350]

Jordan has authored several books focusing on his life, basketball career, and world view.

Originally posted here:

Michael Jordan - Wikipedia