Whether you know him by his initials, MJ, or as NBA legend Michael Jordan, this former basketball player is phenomenal. He has had a long-standing career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Bulls. Jordan is also a famous businessman who has a biography like no other in the NBA. His achievements and accolades have made him one of the most famous basketball players in history. Moreover, the Jordan brand became the most marketed athlete after his retirement. Basketball legend Michael Jordan has a net worth of an estimated $2 billion and is by far the most talked about, and with good reason.
Michael Jordan Early Life
Michael Jordan was born on 17 February 1963 in Brooklyn, New York City. His mother, Deloris, was a bank employee, and his father, James R. Jordan, was an equipment supervisor. In 1968, his family moved to North Carolina, where he attended high school at Emsley A. Laney High School. His athletic career started off when he played baseball, football, and basketball. The latter became his most revered passion. However, when he was in his sophomore year, he was deemed too short when he tried out for the varsity basketball team. This motivated him to prove his worth, and he became the star of the junior varsity team, like Laney’s. Fortunately, he grew a few inches tall and trained hard to earn a spot on the varsity roster.
Basketball Career
Former NBA star Jordan’s major turning point in his career was when he was a freshman in 1982. In the NCAA Championship game in 1982, which was against Georgetown, Jordan made a winning jump shot. After that, he was selected as part of the NCAA All-American First Team while he was a sophomore and a junior. Due to his achievements, he entered the 1984 NBA team draft a year before he was scheduled to graduate from North Carolina, a first in NBA history. In his early NBA years, Michael Jordan was selected to play for the Chicago Bulls. Jordan’s NBA debut was at Chicago Stadium. During his rookie season, Michael Jordan became a fan favorite who went on to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In the same season, Jordan was also the All-Star starter. Even though NBA players like Isiah Thomas had a problem with Jordan’s rise to fame, this didn’t stop him from being voted as the NBA Rookie of the Year that year. In 1985, his crucial milestone in basketball was when he shattered the glass of a blackboard with a dunk during a Nike exhibition game in Trieste, Italy. The following season was the worst for Michael Jordan when he sustained an injury that caused him to miss a total of 64 games. When he recovered, Jordan’s career soared that season. Besides Wilt Chamberlain, Jordan was the only other player who made history by scoring 3000 points in one season. Michael Jordan went on to play record-breaking NBA seasons and went on to win his first league MVP Award in the 1987-88 season. Additionally, Michael Jordan was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Until 1993, Jordan was known as a force in the NBA. In 1993, Michael Jordan decided to retire from basketball after the murder of his father. But, he surprised everyone when he announced that he was signing a contract with Minor League Baseball. However, that dream was short-lived because he quit two years later and went back to the NBA. Michael Jordan has played for The Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, and against Magic Johnson and Scottie Pippen. The likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant look up to basketball famer Michael Jordan.
