Bescenta biography of michael jordan

The Olympic Committee had voted to lift the ban on professional athletes participating in the games. The team easily won the gold medal, winning their eight games by an average margin of That summer Jordan's father, James, was murdered by two men during a robbery attempt. Jordan was grief stricken, and his father's death, combined with media reports about his gambling, led him to announce his retirement from professional basketball in October.

Jordan had won three straight NBA titles, three regular season MVP awards, three playoff MVP titles, seven consecutive scoring titles, and he was a member of the All-Star team every year that he was in the league. In just nine seasons he had become the Bulls all-time leading scorer. Although the seventeen-month experiment showed that he was not a major league baseball player, the experience and time away from basketball provided a much-needed rest and opportunity to regain his love of basketball.

When Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls during the — 95 regular season, people wondered, "Could he do it again? The Bulls were defeated in the playoffs by the Orlando Magic. After a summer of playing basketball during breaks from filming the live-action cartoon movie Space Jam, Jordan returned with a fierce determination to prove that he had the ability to get back on top.

The — 96 Bulls finished the regular season 72 — 10, an NBA record for most wins in a season, and Jordan, with his shooting rhythm back, earned his eighth scoring title. He also became the tenth NBA player to score 25, career points and second fastest after Chamberlain to reach that mark. Few who watched will ever forget how Jordan sank to his knees, head bent over the winning ball, in a moment of bittersweet victory and deep sadness.

The game had been played on Father's Day, three years after his father's murder. The defending champions had a tougher time during the — 97 season but entered the playoffs as expected. Sheer determination took the Bulls to their fifth NBA championship. Illness, injury, and at times a lack of concentration hurt the team. In the fifth game of the finals Jordan carried the team to victory despite suffering from a stomach virus.

In the — 98 season the Bulls were again in the playoffs, and again they faced tough competition. Jordan's other professional life as a businessman was never off track. Profitable endorsements ads in which he voiced his support for certain products for companies such as Nike and Wheaties, as well as his own golf company and products such as Michael Jordan cologne which reportedly sold 1.

Jordan retired for a second time in , ending his career on a high note just after the official end of a labor dispute between NBA players and team owners. Many people saw him as the greatest basketball player ever, and his retirement was called the end of an era. In Jordan became part-owner and president of basketball operations of the Washington Wizards.

He also gained an ownership stake in the Washington Capitals hockey team. In September , after months of rumors, Jordan announced that he was ending his three-year retirement to play for the Wizards at age thirty-eight. At a news conference to discuss his comeback, he said, "Physically, I know I'm not twenty-five years old, but I feel I can play the game of basketball on the highest level.

After being voted to play in his thirteenth All-Star game during which he missed a slam dunk , Jordan had the Wizards in the race for the playoffs until suffering a knee injury and missing the last part of the season. He was also distracted in January when his wife Juanita, whom he married in , filed for divorce. They have three children.

The next month the divorce was called off. Jordan said he planned to play one more season for the Wizards. Halberstam, David. New York: Random House, Naughton, Jim. New York: Warner Books, Basketball superstar Michael Jordan born was one of the most successful, popular, and wealthy athletes in college, Olympic, and professional sports history.

Michael Jordan was born on February 17, He did not make the high school basketball team as a sophomore in his native Wilmington, North Carolina , but did make the team as a junior. After high school he accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina where he played under head coach Dean Smith. He led the ACC in scoring as a sophomore in the season and as a junior in the season.

The Sporting News named him college player of the year in and again in When Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls they were a lackluster team, seldom drawing not much more than 6, fans to a home game. His style of play and fierce spirit of competition reminded sportswriters and fans of Julius Erving , who had dominated play during the s. As a rookie in his first season he was named to the All-Star team and was later named the league's Rookie of the Year A broken foot sidelined him for 64 games during the season, but he returned in rare form, scoring 49 points against the Boston Celtics in the first game of the playoffs and 63 in the second game, an NBA record.

The season was again one of individual successes, and Jordan started in the All-Star game after receiving a record 1. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to score 3, points in a single season. Jordan enjoyed personal success, but Chicago did not advance beyond the first round of the playoffs until , when they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Bulls were then eliminated in the semi-final round by the Detroit Pistons. During the season Jordan had concentrated on improving his other basketball skills to the point where he was named Defensive Player of the Year The Bulls' management knew that they had a superstar in Michael Jordan, but they knew as well that they did not have a championship team.

By adding such players as center Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, and John Paxon to complement Jordan's skills they created a strong team that won the title by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. When the Bulls defeated the Portland Trail Blazers for the NBA championship in , they became the first back-to-back winners since the Boston Celtics during the s, who won eight straight championships.

The team easily won the gold medal, winning their eight games by a When it was over, Jordan was again playoff MVP and Chicago had an unprecedented third straight title. Then, unexpectedly, tragedy struck. Jordan's father, James, was murdered by two men during a robbery attempt. Jordan was grief stricken, and that, combined with increasing media scrutiny over his gambling, left him feeling depleted and disenchanted with his life as a basketball superstar.

Stating that he had nothing left to accomplish, he announced his retirement from professional basketball in October. By all accounts Jordan handled the personal tragedy of his father's death with great dignity. And while he felt the joy and challenge was gone from basketball, nothing could diminish what he had accomplished: three consecutive NBA titles, three regular season MVP awards, three playoff MVP titles, member of the All-Star team every year that he was in the league, and seven consecutive scoring titles.

In just nine seasons he had become the Bulls all-time scoring leader. In Jordan changed sports and joined the Chicago White Sox minor league baseball team. Professionally, the next 17 months proved to be mediocre at best, but the experience and time away from basketball provided a much needed respite and opportunity to regain his passion for basketball.

It had been a long time since anyone who knew Jordan thought—or dared ask—could he cut it. But when he returned to the Chicago Bulls during the regular season, people wondered, "Could he do it again? The team was defeated in the playoffs by the Orlando Magic. After a summer of playing basketball during breaks from filming the movie Space Jam, he returned with fierce determination to prove any skeptic that he had what it took to get back on top.

The season was built on the type of playing on which records are made—the team finished the regular season , an NBA record that topped the record established by the Los Angeles Lakers, and Jordan, with his shooting rhythm back, earned his eighth scoring title. He also became the tenth NBA player to score 25, career points, second only to Wilt Chamberlain in the number of games it took.

It was a moment few who watched will ever forget, as Jordan sank to his knees, head bent over the winning ball, in an emotional moment of bittersweet victory and deep sadness. The game had been played on Father's Day, exactly three years after his father's murder. It was the kind of moment both Jordans would have relished sharing. The defending champions encountered a tougher playing field during the season, but entered the playoffs as expected.

Illness, injury, and at times wavering mental focus plagued the team. In the fifth game Jordan almost singlehandedly delivered the winning score, despite suffering from a stomach virus. Jordan's other professional life as businessman and celebrity endorser was never off track. Megabuck endorsements for companies such as Nike and Wheaties, as well as his own golf company and branded products such as Michael Jordan cologne, which reportedly sold 1,, bottles in the first two months on the market, made Jordan a multimillionaire.

To top off his stellar professional resume, Jordan was regarded as an all around nice guy with moral courage, poise, and personal charisma. He credited his family and faith for his success. As the twentieth century came to a close, this African-American hero was a cultural and sports icon around the world. Michael Jordan is universally regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history.

His brilliance at both ends of the floor sustained Jordan for an epic year professional career. Jordan is also arguably the most famous cultural and marketing icon of the modern age, as his association with Nike shoes created a global identity for Jordan and Nike products that transcended his considerable athletic talents. Michael Jordan's formative years and his early playing career suggested only potential athletic success, as opposed to certain greatness and international fame.

North Carolina is a region of the United States where basket-ball—particularly at the collegiate level—is a most celebrated sport. An early irony of the many that are associated with Jordan's later brilliance on the basketball floor is the fact that he was cut from his varsity high school team when Jordan was in the tenth grade. Jordan went on to enjoy a successful high school career, but he was not widely recruited by the national college basketball powers in the United States , attracting only a handful of serious scholarship offers.

Jordan did demonstrate sufficient potential with his high school play to attract the attention of the University of North Carolina's legendary head coach, Dean Smith. Jordan ultimately accepted the North Carolina offer and he began his university playing career in Smith, whose career at North Carolina is regarded as one of the most successful in the history of college basketball, was a coach who did not generally feature the talents of individual players as was often the case at other college programs.

Smith was a proponent of a balanced, disciplined, and patterned type of offensive basketball in which all players were expected to contribute, without necessarily achieving noteworthy individual statistical totals. Jordan's national recognition as a great college player began when he sank the winning basket against Georgetown in the National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA championship game.

The second irony of Jordan's career is the fact that despite his renown in the world of college basketball, Jordan was not the first overall selection in the National Basketball Association NBA professional draft; he was selected third, by the Chicago Bulls. In the summer prior to the beginning of his NBA career, Jordan was a member of the American basketball team that captured the Olympic gold medal at Los Angeles.

Jordan was an instant NBA success on an otherwise undistinguished Chicago team. The first of many honors accorded to Jordan in his NBA career was his recognition as the league's outstanding rookie player in the — season. The commencement of Jordan's NBA career was also the beginning of his association with Nike, the shoe and sporting apparel company.

Nike had a significant global profile prior to their establishment of Jordan as their prime marketing spokesperson. When Jordan signed on with the Chicago Bulls, he began a marketing relationship with Nike that was to last throughout his career and beyond. The first stage in the marketing campaign was the release by Nike of a basketball shoe called the Air Jordan, a label that integrated Jordan's renown as a leaper and as an emphatic dunker, with the performance characteristics and styling of the shoe itself.

Nike devised a logo to coincide with the launch of the Air Jordan product, a silhouette of Jordan leaping towards to the basket to dunk the ball; this logo remains a part of Nike's basketball shoe marketing campaigns today. Air Jordan shoes acquired a cachet among consumers that transcended basketball. The Air Jordan became to basketball footwear what Converse All-Stars had represented to an earlier generation of players.

As Jordan's NBA career rocketed upwards, Nike released yearly versions of the Air Jordan, making it the most popular brand of modern basketball shoes, sparking a host of imitations from Nike's rivals. Jordan's overall brilliance on the floor was rarely contained by his opponents, and it was illustrated in a variety of ways. In , he scored 63 points in a playoff game against the Boston Celtics, a league record.

Jordan won a second gold medal at the Olympics in , when he played with the United States Olympic team known as the Dream Team in recognition of its assembly some of the greatest basketball players in the history of the NBA. The murder of Jordan's father, James Jordan, during an apparent robbery attempt in , prompted Jordan's first retirement from the NBA.

The period of his retirement was devoted to an attempt to secure a place as a major league baseball player; the attempt was ill-fated, as Jordan was unable to advance beyond the minor league baseball level. After further sustained brilliance, Jordan announced his second retirement in Among other honors, Jordan was named one of the top 50 players in the history of the NBA in Jordan's career in Chicago had garnered Jordan fame as the greatest basketball player in the history of the sport.

In , unable to resist the desire to play again, at age 38 Jordan sold his interest in the Wizards to permit his return to the league as a player with Washington. This last segment of Jordan's career was his least memorable, and beset by injuries, Jordan retired for a final time in His personal achievements, including six NBA championships, ten scoring titles and a host of statistical records, are not matched by any other player.

Jordan's contemporaries attribute much of his playing success to his relentless competitive spirit and desire to win. A further irony of Jordan's career is that the only demonstrable black clouds to ever present themselves over his achievements were the lingering issues that appeared to related to Jordan's gambling habits. Numerous stories appeared in the international media concerning Jordan and his monies lost in wagers.

In some media quarters, Jordan's penchant for gambling was termed an addiction; the pressure on Jordan was sufficiently acute that he made an appearance on the nationally televised newsmagazine 60 Minutes to declare that while he had gambled in the past, he had never compromised his family's security, nor had he ever made illegal or inappropriate wagers involving sports.

Jordan stated that his particular gambling weakness was wagering on golf games. Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA, Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York , the fourth of James and Deloris Jordan's five children and the last of their three boys. He grew up in North Carolina , first in rural Wallace and later in Wilmington.

Jordan was released from the Laney High School varsity basketball team in his sophomore year. Even after an impressive junior season, he received only modest attention from major college basketball programs and chose to attend the University of North Carolina. On March 29, , the nineteen-year-old freshman sank the shot that gave his school a 63 — 62 victory over Georgetown and its first NCAA men's basketball championship in twenty-five years.

Jordan followed that by winning the college Player of the Year award from the Sporting News in each of the next two seasons. After announcing that he would enter the NBA draft after his junior season, he capped his amateur career by captaining the U. The six-foot-six-inch guard immediately set about reversing their fortunes and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year after leading the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists.

After sitting out most of his second season with a broken foot, Jordan put on one of the greatest individual performances in postseason history, scoring 63 points in his first game back, a playoff loss to the Boston Celtics in The following season he scored 3, points — the most ever by a guard — and won the first of his six successive scoring titles, averaging In — he became the first player ever to win the Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season.

Jordan's brilliance on the basketball court was nearly equaled by his success as a commercial spokesperson. Before his rookie season he signed with the Nike sneaker company to promote a signature shoe — the Air Jordan. The shoe was an instant success, establishing Jordan as a viable spokesperson. The commercials in which he starred with filmmaker Spike Lee helped make him a pop icon as well.

Early in his career, critics suggested that Jordan was not a "team" player. But he and the Bulls shook the oneman-team tag in — by defeating Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in five games to win the franchise's first NBA championship. The following season, they defeated the Portland Trailblazers in six games to clinch another title, and in they again won the championship when they defeated the Phoenix Suns in six games.

During that period he became the most successfully marketed player in the history of team sports, earning roughly sixteen million dollars in commercial endorsements in alone from such corporations as Nike, McDonald's, Quaker Oats Gatorade , and General Mills Wheaties. Even when controversy surrounded Jordan, as it did during the Olympic Games when he refused to wear a competing sponsor's uniform, or when he incurred sizable debts gambling on golf and poker, he regularly registered as one of the nation's most admired men and one of young people's most revered role models.

Jordan's basketball career came to a sudden halt in October when he announced his retirement in a. He said a diminishing love for the game, the pressures of celebrity, and the murder of his father three months earlier contributed to his decision. Unhappy with the progress he was making, Jordan elected to resume his basketball career by returning to the Bulls in Jordan quickly proved that he had lost none of his skill.

The same year, Jordan starred in a popular semianimated movie Space Jam , playing opposite Bugs Bunny. By this time, he was a worldwide celebrity, whose name was known even in countries where basketball is not played. By the end of Jordan had scored 29, points, third on the all-time NBA list, and was first in scoring average with He spoke several times of retiring, but he had not made a definite statement before a player's strike postponed the resumption of NBA play.

On January 13, , Michael Jordan announced his second retirement from basketball. He said on that occasion that he no longer had the desire to play. Right now, I just don't have the mental challenges that I've had in the past to proceed as a basketball player. His retirement came after leading the Bulls to their sixth championship in eight seasons in June Jordan left with the highest career scoring average in the NBA's history.

But he was unable to stay away from basketball. A year later he became part owner and president of basketball operations for the NBA's Washington Wizards, and in he returned to the court as a player-owner. He ended his playing days a third and final time at the end of the season. See also Basketball ; Olympians ; Sports. Leahy, Michael.

New York : Simon and Schuster, In , 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. On October 6, , Jordan announced his retirement, saying that he lost his desire to play basketball. He later said that the murder of his father three months earlier helped shape his decision. Jordan was close to his father; as a child, Jordan imitated the way his father stuck out his tongue while absorbed in work.

Jordan later adopted it as his own signature, often displaying it as he drove to the basket. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world. His 30 stolen bases were second on the team only to Doug Brady. The Bulls went 55—27 in —94 without Jordan in the lineup [ 74 ] and lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs.

Despite his month hiatus from the NBA, Jordan played well, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. 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. Jordan was freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, and he trained aggressively for the —96 season.

In the —97 season , the Bulls stood at a 69—11 record but ended the season by losing their final two games to finish the year 69—13, missing out on a second consecutive win season. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied 2—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-winning three-pointer with 25 seconds remaining. The Bulls compiled a 62—20 record in the —98 season. Jordan executed a series of plays, considered to be one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history. 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 86— Malone jostled with Rodman and caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind him and stole the ball out of his hands.

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. 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, [ ] achieving a second three-peat in the decade.

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, Despite his January claim that he was " On September 25, , 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.

His last seven appearances were in a reserve role, in which he averaged just over 20 minutes per game. Jordan averaged With the recognition that —03 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.

After scoring 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds left in the third quarter and his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers 75— Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike! At , 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. He received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials, and the crowd of 21, fans. Jordan made his debut as a college player for the U.

He led the team in scoring with The U. Jordan led the team in scoring, averaging The team won two gold medals: the first in the Tournament of the Americas , [ ] and the second in the Summer Olympics. Jordan was the only player to start all eight games in the Olympics. He averaged 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.

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. Sportswriter Wright Thompson described him as "a killer, in the Darwinian sense of the word, immediately sensing and attacking someone's weakest spot". To improve his defense, Jordan spent hours studying film of opponents.

On offense, he relied more upon instinct and improvization. Noted as a durable player, Jordan did not miss four or more games while active for a full season from —87 to —02, when he injured his right knee. 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, free throw attempts are the 11th-highest total in NBA history. According to Hubie Brown , this move alone made Jordan nearly unstoppable. Defensively, he averaged 2. The three-point field goal was not Jordan's strength, especially in his early years. He also set both seasonal and career records for blocked shots by a guard, [ ] and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player.

Despite his defensive prowess, the season has come under scrutiny due to the large discrepancy between Jordan's steals' numbers at home versus on the road. Such stat inflation was common, and a study by Tom Haberstroh found that there were games where Jordan was often credited with steals that could not have happened. For example, in one game, he was credited with more steals than the opposing team had live-ball turnovers.

Jordan was known to have strong eyesight. Broadcaster Al Michaels said that Jordan was able to read baseball box scores on a inch 69 cm television clearly from about 50 feet 15 m away. 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.

Many of Jordan's contemporaries have said that he is the greatest basketball player of all time. Jordan's athletic leaping ability, highlighted in his back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest championships in and , is credited by many people with having influenced a generation of young players. 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, [ ] a fact Jordan himself has lamented, saying: "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. His emotional reaction during his speech when Jordan began to cry was captured by Associated Press photographer Stephan Savoia and would later go viral on social media as the " Crying Jordan " Internet meme.

After his third retirement, Jordan assumed that he would be able to return to his front office position as Director of Basketball Operations with the Wizards. Over the next few years, Jordan played golf in celebrity charity tournaments and spent time with his family in Chicago. He also promoted his Jordan Brand clothing line and rode motorcycles.

On June 15, , Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats known as the Hornets since , becoming the team's second-largest shareholder behind majority owner Robert L. As part of the deal, Jordan took full control over the basketball side of the operation, with the title Managing Member of Basketball Operations. In February , it was reported that Jordan was seeking majority ownership of the Bobcats.

During the NBA lockout , The New York Times wrote that Jordan led a group of 10 to 14 hardline owners who wanted to cap the players' share of basketball-related income at 50 percent and as low as Journalists observed that, during the labor dispute in , Jordan told Washington Wizards then-owner Abe Pollin : "If you can't make a profit, you should sell your team.

During the —12 NBA season that was shortened to 66 games by the lockout, the Bobcats posted a 7—59 record. The team closed out the season with a game losing streak; their. It's very, very frustrating. During the NBA offseason, Jordan sold a minority piece of the Hornets to Gabe Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim, retaining the majority for himself, [ ] as well as the role of chairman.

They again filed for divorce and were granted a final decree of dissolution of marriage on December 29, , commenting that the decision was made "mutually and amicably". In , Jordan purchased a lot in Highland Park, Illinois , where he planned to build a 56,square-foot 5, m 2 mansion. It was completed in Jordan listed the mansion for sale in Jordan proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto , on Christmas , [ ] and they were married on April 27, , at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church.

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. Nike created a signature shoe for Jordan, called the Air Jordan , in 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". Subsequently, Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own division named the "Jordan Brand".

The company features a list of athletes and celebrities as endorsers. Jordan also has been associated with the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. Most of Jordan's endorsement deals, including his first deal with Nike, were engineered by his agent, David Falk. He's the one who came up with the concept of 'Air Jordan'. Forbes designated Jordan as the athlete with the highest career earnings in Smith , and Alex Karp , [ ] and one of the richest celebrities.

Jordan co-owns an automotive group which bears his name. The company has a Nissan dealership in Durham, North Carolina , acquired in , [ ] and formerly had a Lincoln — Mercury dealership from until its closure in June Restaurants he has owned include a steakhouse in New York City's Grand Central Terminal , among others; [ ] that restaurant closed in In September , Jordan became an investor and advisor for DraftKings.

From to , Jordan hosted an annual golf tournament, the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, that raised money for various charities. In , Jordan donated a settlement of undisclosed size from a lawsuit against supermarkets that had used his name without permission to 23 different Chicago charities. Jordan says the goal is to "build trust and respect between communities and law enforcement.

We need to find solutions that ensure people of color receive fair and equal treatment AND that police officers — who put their lives on the line every day to protect us all — are respected and supported. Jordan played himself in the comedy film Space Jam. The Last Dance relied heavily on about 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 —98 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. Jordan granted rapper Travis Scott permission to film a music video for his single " Franchise " at his home in Highland Park, Illinois. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools.

Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikidata item. American basketball player born For other uses, see Michael Jordan disambiguation. Jordan going in for a slam dunk for the Laney High School varsity basketball team, c. Chicago Bulls —; — Early NBA years — Pistons roadblock — First three-peat — First retirement and stint in Minor League Baseball — Baseball player.

Jordan in training with the Scottsdale Scorpions in Return to the NBA Second three-peat — Second retirement — Washington Wizards — Final retirement This article is part of a series about. James R. Video games. Jordan vs. Get some help. Further information: List of career achievements by Michael Jordan. Media figure and business interests.

For example, during several home games, Jordan was credited with more steals than the opposing team had live-ball turnovers. Archived from the original on January 2, Retrieved October 30, CBS Sports. Archived from the original on July 16, Retrieved November 21, Archived from the original on June 15, Archived from the original on September 2, Archived from the original PDF on October 26, Retrieved January 17, Archived October 8, , at the Wayback Machine.

USA Today. February 21, Archived from the original on April 23, Retrieved July 18, Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time — he changed so many different facets of the league — but maybe most of all, he showed players they could grow themselves into a global brand on and off the floor with stellar play and the right marketing machine behind it all.

September 14, Archived from the original on August 8, Retrieved August 8, Retrieved October 22, — via Newspapers. Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on November 21, Archived April 4, , at the Wayback Machine. The New York Times. August 9, Archived from the original on August 10, Retrieved October 1, NBA Properties. Archived from the original PDF on October 12, Retrieved February 4, Archived December 2, , at the Wayback Machine.

USA Basketball, July 26, Retrieved September 17, Archived April 21, , at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 3, Archived November 8, , at the Wayback Machine. July 17, September 5, Archived from the original on April 15, Archived from the original on October 21, Retrieved June 30, Archived from the original on February 23, The two teams faced each other again for the championship in , with Jordan sinking the winning shot in Game 6 to claim his sixth and final title.

After his second retirement from basketball in , Jordan joined the Washington Wizards in as a part owner and as president of basketball operations. In the fall of , Jordan relinquished these roles to return to the court once more. He played for the Wizards for his final two NBA seasons. Jordan is most famous for donning No. Jordan did wear 45 upon his return to the NBA because 23 was the number his late father knew him by, and he wanted a new beginning.

That lasted only a couple months before Jordan switched back to 23 during the playoffs. Jordan famously wore No. During the summer of , Jordan made his first appearance at the Olympic Games as a member of the U. Olympic basketball team. The team of college amateurs won the gold at the games that year, which were held in Los Angeles.

Bescenta biography of michael jordan

Jordan later helped the American team bring home the gold medal at the Olympic Games, held in Barcelona, Spain. The U. Jordan retired from the sport three times over the span of his year professional career. He first stepped away on October 6, , at age 30 to pursue a career in baseball following the death of his father. In July of that year, James was murdered when two teenagers shot him in his car in an apparent robbery as he was driving from Charlotte to Wilmington, North Carolina.

He was missing for 23 days until his body was found in a swamp in McColl, South Carolina. The teens were later tried and convicted of the crime and received life sentences for first-degree murder. Jordan retired from the Bulls again on January 13, , at age 35 before eventually returning to the court with the Wizards. He finally hung up his jersey for good at age 40 on April 16, In a move that shocked many, after the end of the basketball season, Jordan announced his retirement from basketball to pursue baseball.

For one year in , Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, as an outfielder. He had last played baseball as a high school senior in During his short career in baseball, which many fans considered a whim, Jordan had a rather dismal. However, many of the people who worked with him at the time said he was an extremely dedicated player with potential.

While in school, Jordan actively played baseball, football, and basketball. Despite his height being considered too short for professional sports, Jordan was determined to prove himself as a basketball player. After a summer of intense training, Jordan managed to grow 10 centimeters and earned a spot on his school's basketball team.

It quickly became clear that Jordan was a promising basketball player, and he became the star of the team. College recruiters from major universities took notice, and Jordan ultimately chose the University of North Carolina. After three seasons with the university's basketball team, Jordan entered the NBA draft and was selected third overall by the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan quickly became a superstar in the league, captivating fans with his impressive skills and abilities. He was known for his incredible jumping talents, earning him the nickname "Air Jordan.