When we speak about who was the greatest basketball player of all time, there is no doubt that everyone settles on one name: Michael Jordan (MJ). Also known as “Air Jordan” and “Royal Airness”, Michael Jordan is considered one of the greatest athletes in all of history and has demonstrated achievements in his career that only a few can ever dream of achieving.
With the recent release of the Michael Jordan-Chicago Bulls documentary, The Last Dance, we take a look at the rise of the legend and remember notable highlights of his amazing career.
The Rising Rookie
Prior to even joining the NBA, Jordan had made a name for himself during his three years playing for his alma mater – the University of North Carolina. In just a span of those short few years, Jordan managed to catch the attention of many people while playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
It wasn’t until 1984, during his junior year that Jordan was third pick by the Chicago Bulls. Back then, the Bulls weren’t as top of mind as they had become after Jordan’s time with them, but that eventually changed. Not long after joining, Jordan helped the Bulls through the Playoffs in the same year.
Averaging 22.8 points per game at 51.5% shooting in his first year alone, Michael Jordan earned the spot as an All-Star and from the very beginning in his NBA career, received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Moreover, to add to his amazing debut, Jordan was the only rookie in all of NBA history to lead a team in four stats: points, assists, rebounds, and steals.
Becoming the Most Valuable Player
His second year took a big hit after breaking his left foot three games into the season. In the recent documentary, Jordan expressed his devastation during the injury. Out for 64 games, Jordan’s hunger grew. The itch to play and recover was so strong, he secretly went off to his alma mater’s campus and practiced on his own.
“I was itching to do something, so I talked the Bulls into letting me go back to college. I just started going to the gym shooting. And then I started playing 1-on-1, then I started playing 2-on-2, then I started playing 3-on-3. Next thing you know, I’m playing 5-on-5 and the Bulls never knew I was doing it. And when I got back with the Bulls, my calf muscles and my injured calf was stronger than my uninjured calf. So the first thing they said is “What in the hell have you been doing?”
Even with doctors advising that he stay off the court, with a high chance that he’d be re-injured, Jordan’s determination and drive pushed through. The Bulls ended up making the 1986 Playoffs, where they played against the Celtics. While the Bulls were eliminated, the 1986-87 season was much better, as Jordan returned with great force.
Scoring a total of 3041 points at 37.1 points per game, Jordan became the second player after Wilt Chamberlain to score more than 3000 points in a single season. By the time the Bulls entered the 1987-88 season, Jordan worked his way up to become lead scorer, averaging 35 points per game. It was here, he won his first Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
The Chicago Bulls Dynasty
The Chicago Bulls began the 1990s with a bang, as they went on to win their first-ever NBA Championship for the 1990-91 season. Facing off against the LA Lakers, the championship was especially memorable for Jordan as it was his first appearance in the Finals and it was where he was awarded the NBA Finals MVP award. Jordan averaged 31.2 points, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks.
Far from the end, Jordan continued his streak of greatness, where the following season, he helped lead the Bulls to reach the Finals once again, where they faced off against the Portland Trailblazers. They eventually beat them with 4-2, and to no surprise, Jordan won the MVP Award once more.
In the 1992-93 season, Jordan led the team up to the Finals for the third time, where the Bulls faced off against NBA season record-holder Phoenix Suns. Beating the Suns 4-2, this was a historical year for the team and Jordan himself, as it was the first team since the Boston Celtics to achieve the ‘three-peat‘ status. Earning the Finals MVP Award for the third time in a row and placed as the league’s top scorer, Michael Jordan’s name was known across the world. He had officially made his mark in NBA history.
At the top of his game and having achieved a level of unprecedented fame, Michael Jordan left many shocked, when he announced his retirement from basketball in 1994. He left to pursue a career in baseball, where he played for the Birmingham Barons as an outfielder.
Upon spending that year trying his hand at baseball, Jordan eventually returned back to the NBA for the 1995-96 season, where the Chicago Bulls faced off against the Seattle SuperSonics. Beating them 4-2, Jordan returned with another great start, receiving the NBA Finals MVP award for the fourth time and taking lead in scoring once more.
Jordan and the Bulls continued their streak by winning the 1997 NBA Finals, defeating the Utah Jazz 4-2. Named the NBA Finals MVP once more, Jordan topped off his legacy by leading the team to win the year after, 1998 NBA Finals. Achieving their second three-peat achievement, this Finals was momentous across media, as it had the highest Nielsen TV ratings in all of NBA history.
Never Say Never
On January 1999, Michael Jordan announced his retirement for the second time. Although he ended up returning a few years after, playing for the Washington Wizards from 2001 to 2003, Jordan eventually announced his final and third retirement in 2003.
In 2009, Michael Jordan was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
From his years playing golf professionally to being named the top North American Athlete of the 20th century, Jordan has never stopped. In fact, up till 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Jordan the highest civilian honor in the US, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. From playing in North Carolina to establishing a billion-dollar sneaker brand worn all over the world, Michael Jordan has been a model of excellence and greatness. Despite the injuries and obstacles that have come his way, he has always faced fear head-on, refusing to give up.
A decade after his induction, the Air Jordan releases the now highly popular sneaker Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Fearless,’ as a way to pay homage to the greatest of all time. With The Last Dance 10-part series documentary slowly coming to an end, and in respect to that tribute, we remember the great and fearless words of the legend:
Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.
