Michael Jordan’s career in the NBA has earned him the title of the greatest player of all-time. Few basketball fans can deny the amazing feats Jordan performed in the NBA, and he has left a legacy on the sport. His prime was in the 1980s and 1990s, which was a little while ago now, so here’s Michael Jordan’s life in a nutshell.
New York beginnings
Although Jordan’s name would become synonymous with another northern city, he came into the world in New York City. When Jordan was just a small boy, his family moved to North Carolina, where Jordan would go on and play basketball in college.
Basketball wasn’t the only sport that Jordan loved though, and he was also a big fan of baseball. Jordan played both sports for as long as possible, but once he committed to playing basketball, he blew everyone away.
The NBA draft
Looking back on his career, you would probably expect Jordan to have been drafted at the number one slot when he entered the league. In 1984 it was actually third overall that Jordan was selected, taking him to the Chicago Bulls.
Little did everyone know that was the beginning of a basketballing dynasty that would dominate the sport for many years to come. In his rookie season, Jordan was selected by the fans as a starter for the All-Star Game, and later, he was voted Rookie of the Year.
Casting a big shadow
It didn’t take long for Jordan to exert his dominance on the basketball court, and in a matter of a few seasons, he was leading the scoring charts. Jordan was the player to build a team around, and once the Bulls added some important players like Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, the league was theirs.
It took Jordan and his superstars until 1991 to win their first NBA title, and the rest would come thick and fast. With Jordan as the leading man, the Bulls won the NBA Finals three years in a row from 1991 to 1993.
Time to retire
Jordan was at the top of his game in 1993, and he made the shocking decision to leave the sport that he was the king of to try something else. The Bulls legend wanted to play baseball, so he announced his retirement from basketball and began swinging the bat instead.
Jordan signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox and began a career in the minor leagues. Things didn’t work out in baseball, and the Bulls were struggling without their talisman. It was time to make a comeback.
Space Jam
Jordan came back to play for the Bulls in 1995, and it was as though he had never been away. He won another three consecutive NBA titles from 1996 to 1998, cementing his legacy as the greatest of all-time. Jordan was big business now, and he was cast as the star of the animated sports movie ‘Space Jam.’ The film touched on Jordan’s time out of basketball, and he was cast as the hero sent to save the ‘Looney Tunes’ from a terrible fate. It’s still loved as one of the greatest sports films of all time.
Making stacks
Jordan’s time in the NBA was revolutionary, but not just because of his incredible skill on the court. The Bulls legend became the first athlete to really tap into the endorsement market like no one else had, and it made him very wealthy.
Jordan’s sneakers were a big hit on basketball courts all over the world and have helped him to achieve billionaire status. He put that money to great use and is now the majority shareholder of the Charlotte Hornets after completing a takeover in 2010.
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest success stories the sporting world has ever seen. He was truly dominant on the court, is probably the greatest player of all time, and the first former player to own a majority stake in an NBA franchise.
