Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials, MJ,
is an American former professional basketball player, entrepreneur, and
majority owner and chairman of the Charlotte Bobcats.
His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in
His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in
popularizing the NBA
around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.
After a three-season career
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a
member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982, Jordan
joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984.
He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his
prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam
dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the
nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation
for being one of the best defensive players in basketball.
In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed
that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat".
Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of
the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the
Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships in 1996,
1997, and 1998, as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the
1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but
returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the
Washington Wizards.
Jordan's individual accolades
and accomplishments include five MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team
designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA
All-Star Game appearances, three All-Star Game MVP awards, ten scoring
titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA
Defensive Player of the Year Award.
He holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring
average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring
average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the greatest
North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to
Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. He
was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Jordan is also known for his
product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan
sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today.[5] Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam
as himself. He is the majority owner and head of basketball operations
for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, having won a bidding war to buy
controlling interest in the team from founding owner Robert L. Johnson.
