Michael Jordan - The G.O.A.T.
Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time and unquestionably one of the best athletes of our generation, had an impact on the game that has set him above every other person ever to play the sport. From his days as a young man working out in his high school gym to his battle with the flu in Game 5 of the 1997 N.B.A. Finals, Michael Jordan's career was one of grit, determination, and, most importantly, excellence.
Background on Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is among the greatest basketball players and arguably the best in N.B.A. history. He was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up as a standout athlete at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he played three sports (basketball, baseball, and football). Michael attended U.N.C. Chapel Hill from 1981-1984, where he led his team to the N.C.A.A. championship game during his sophomore year; he also won a gold medal with Team U.S.A. at the 1984 Olympics.
Michael entered his first N.B.A. season with great hype after being drafted first overall by then-Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson. He posted historic numbers in his first season in which he averaged 28 points, 5.9 rebounds, and five assists per game en route to winning Rookie of the Year honors. Michael was selected as an All-Star for 13 consecutive seasons from 1984 to 1996 (he skipped two years due to injury), a record for most selections that are unlikely ever to be broken.
Michael led his team to six N.B.A. championships, including two three-peats (in 1991-1993 and 1996-1998), cementing his status as one of the best players in history. He also led Team U.S.A. to gold medals in two Olympic Games (1992 and 1996). In addition to winning almost every regular season award, Michael has also won an M.V.P. Award and an N.B.A. scoring title in 1988-1989 and is a five-time Defensive Player of Year honouree (1987–1991, 1993). He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and F.I.B.A. Hall of Fame in 2009.
Critical Appraisals
Everyone has their own opinion on who the greatest basketball player of all time is, but I think it's safe to say that we can all agree Michael Jordan is a legend in the sport. His career highlights include winning six N.B.A. Championships and five M.V.P. Awards while being named one of the 50 Greatest Players in N.B.A. History and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as one of its charter members.
He was born with a love for basketball, and he was always eager to learn about it from his father; this led him to North Carolina, where he went on to play for coach Dean Smith and his team from 1982-1984.
During his time with U.N.C., Jordan helped win two N.C.A.A. championships in three years, became a three-time consensus All-American, and was named Player of Year for both N.C.A.A. and U.P.I. (United Press International). He was selected third overall in 1984 after his freshmen season. In 1985, he won Rookie of the Year and led the Bulls to an Eastern Conference championship. In 1987, Jordan and his Chicago Bulls would finally get a chance at capturing an elusive N.B.A. Championship title after losing in each of the previous season's finals series. They made history by beating Kevin Johnson's defending champion Los Angeles Lakers four games to one. The team repeated in 1991 and 1992, giving M.J. back-to-back titles before heading off to minor league baseball for a year. After returning from retirement due to another 3rd Finals loss against Portland Trail Blazers, M.J. would win more titles: 1996 (with help from Scottie Pippen), 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006. If you're not counting, then there are six N.B.A. Titles.
At age 34, Jordan announced his second retirement following the 2002-03 season, having completed 17 seasons in which he played 1388 out of a possible 1390 regular season games and averaged 30.1 points along with 6.2 rebounds per game. He finished with 32,292 points—third most in N.B.A. history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928)—alongside 6,672 rebounds in 2nd place all-time only to Wilt Chamberlain (16,726) on the board's list . . . And he did this as much or more without any three-point line as players have now!
Audience Reviews
With an Oscar-nominated documentary and a Broadway musical on the way, Michael Jordan fever is sweeping the nation like never before. I have always been a fan of his, but this summer has given me more reason to love him.
This summer, we learned about his life through his friends, family members, and colleagues; saw video footage of him playing ball in high school; watched as he took the stage at U.N.C. Chapel Hill to deliver a commencement speech in which he told graduates they could do anything they set their minds to; and got to see him play one last time against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden just weeks after his 50th birthday celebration on September 18.
The story behind his life is just as inspiring as any of his on-court accomplishments, though most people know nothing about it. The best way to learn more is through watching one of three excellent documentaries currently available on Netflix: Unfiltered with Michael Strahan, which features never-before-seen footage of M.J.'s final season in Chicago; Be Great, which covers his last comeback with Washington; and I Am More: Michael Jordan—which has many testimonials from friends, family and other basketball players who praise M.J.'s greatness and explain why he's still relevant decades after retiring.
Expert Reviews
In the last few seconds of the game, an exhausted Michael Jordan sinks two free throws to win the game and clinch his third consecutive N.B.A. championship title. At this moment, what he accomplishes is one of the most iconic moments in N.B.A. history. Let's take a closer look at his journey to becoming The Greatest Of All Time.
In 1984, seventeen-year-old Michael decided to leave home and head for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a basketball scholarship for one season before entering the National Basketball Association draft following that year's N.C.A.A. Tournament. He played as a freshman under Dean Smith alongside James Worthy, Sam Perkins, and fellow future Chicago Bulls teammate Brad Daugherty. U.N.C. was limited by an N.C.A.A. ruling that prevented first-year students from playing varsity ball; thus, he only played intramural basketball with the Tar Heels during his college career. When his college career ended with U.N.C. in 1985, Michael went back to play for Coach Bobby Knight at Indiana University for two years (first-year students were allowed to play varsity ball) and led the Hoosiers to their first outright Big Ten title since 1967, when they shared it with Ohio State the previous year.
Personal Impressions
There is arguably no other athlete on the planet that has accomplished what Michael Jordan has in his career. Beyond being one of the best players to play the game, he was arguably its most fantastic businessman. His Airness' list of accomplishments is staggering and too lengthy to get into here, but I'll touch on a few things I found interesting about this modern-day legend:
1) His impeccable work ethic and dedication to excellence can be seen in every successful thing he's done with his life, from basketball to entrepreneurship (he owns over 100 businesses). 2) He set an example for future generations of athletes by refusing to wear anything but Nike shoes during his playing days because he didn't want sponsors dictating what he could and couldn't wear. 3) His competitive drive pushed him to create a style of play that made it impossible for defenders to guard him. 4) He had an incredible vision as a player, making his pre-game rituals with teammate Larry Bird legendary. 5) As Wayne Gretzky did in hockey, M.J. revolutionized the N.B.A. and changed how people thought about what was possible on a court or field. 6) From the beginning of his career, when he led the Chicago Bulls to their first title in 1991, Jordan quickly established himself as one of the best players ever.
Conclusion
When it comes to the debate of who is the greatest N.B.A. player of all time, a number of people believe it's Michael Jordan. There's not too much I can say about him that you don't already know as he is one of the most well-known athletes in history; however, I can tell you what makes him so great and how he was able to achieve such feats on the basketball court. He was relentless and tenacious, and he didn't give up no matter what obstacle was in his way. He used his speed, agility, endurance, and athleticism to achieve greatness and mark N.B.A. history for generations to come!
When it comes down to it, though, many argue that Jordan played with other legendary players in their primes, like Scottie Pippen, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, etc., which made them an even better team than many credits for. Jordan has also competed against the tough competition during his tenure at Chicago (e.g., Magic Johnson). Regardless of opinion or perspective from other points of view, though, there is something special about M.J., and his achievements and records will forever be etched into N.B.A. lore.