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Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials, MJ, is an American former professional
player. He is also an , and principal owner and chairman of the . Jordan played 15 seasons in the
(NBA) for the
and . His biography on the NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.
After a three-season stint at the , where he was a member of the
in , Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing
in , earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball. In , he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in
and , securing a "". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the beginning of the
to pursue a career in , he returned to the Bulls in
and led them to three additional championships in , , and , as well as an NBA-record
in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in , but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Wizards.
Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include five , ten
First Team designations, nine
First Team honors, fourteen
appearances, three , ten , three
titles, six , and the 1988 . Among his numerous accomplishments, Jordan holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by , and was second to
on the 's list of athletes of the century. Jordan is a two-time inductee into the , having been enshrined in 2009 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as part of the group induction of the
("The Dream Team").
Jordan is also known for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of
sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film
as himself. In 2006, he became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the then-Charlotte Bobcats, buying controlling interest in 2010. In 2015, Jordan became the first athlete in history to become a billionaire, according to .
Jordan was born in , New York, the son of Deloris (née Peoples), who worked in banking, and , an equipment supervisor. His family moved to , when he was a toddler.
Jordan is the fourth of five children. He has two older brothers, Larry Jordan and James R. Jordan, Jr., one older sister, Deloris, and a younger sister, Roslyn. Jordan's brother James retired in 2006 as the
Jordan playing for the Laney High School varsity basketball team in 1979-80.
Jordan attended
in Wilmington, where he anchored his athletic career by playing baseball, , and basketball. He tried out for the
basketball team during his
year, but at 5'11" (1.80 m), he was deemed too short to play at that level. His taller friend, , was the only sophomore to make the team.
Motivated to prove his worth, Jordan became the star of Laney's
squad, and tallied several 40-point games. The following summer, he grew four inches (10 cm) and trained rigorously. Upon earning a spot on the varsity roster, Jordan averaged about 20 points per game over his final two seasons of high school play. As a , he was selected to the
after averaging a : 29.2 points, 11.6 , and 10.1 .
Jordan was recruited by numerous college basketball programs, including , , , , and . In 1981, Jordan accepted a basketball scholarship to North Carolina, where he
Michael Jordan's jersey in the rafters of The
As a freshman in coach 's team-oriented system, he was named
Freshman of the Year after he averaged 13.4
(ppg) on 53.4% shooting (). He made the game-winning jump shot in the
game against , which was led by future NBA rival . Jordan later described this shot as the major turning point in his basketball career. During his three seasons at North Carolina, he averaged 17.7 ppg on 54.0% shooting, and added 5.0
(rpg). He was selected by consensus to the
in both his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984) seasons. After winning the
College Player of the Year awards in 1984, Jordan left North Carolina one year before his scheduled graduation to enter the . The
selected Jordan with the third overall pick, after
(). One of the primary reasons why Jordan was not drafted sooner was because the first two teams were in need of a . However, the Trail Blazers general manager
contended that it was not a matter of drafting a center, but more a matter of taking Sam Bowie over Jordan, in part because Portland already had a guard with similar skills to Jordan, . In 2005 , citing Bowie's injury-laden college career, named the Blazers' choice of Bowie as the worst draft pick in North American professional sports history. Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986.
in the NBA, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting. He quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas, and appeared on the cover of
with the heading "A Star Is Born" just over a month into his professional career. Jordan was also voted in as an
starter by the fans in his rookie season. Controversy arose before the All-Star game when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by , were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving. This led to a so-called "freeze-out" on Jordan, where players refused to pass him the ball throughout the game. The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted Rookie of the Year. The Bulls finished the season 38–44, and lost in the
in four games to the .
was cut short by a broken foot in the third game of the season, which caused him to miss 64 games. Despite Jordan's injury and a 30–52 record (at the time it was fifth worst record of any team to qualify for the playoffs in NBA history), the Bulls made the . Jordan recovered in time to participate in the playoffs and performed well upon his return. Against a
that is often considered one of the greatest in NBA history, Jordan set the still-unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2. The Celtics, however, managed to sweep the series.
Jordan had recovered completely by the , and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in NBA history. He became the only player other than
to score 3,000 points in a season, averaging a league high 37.1 points on 48.2% shooting. In addition, Jordan demonstrated his defensive prowess, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100
in a season. Despite Jordan's success,
won the league's . The Bulls reached 40 wins, and advanced to
for the third consecutive year. However, they were again swept by the .
Jordan (center) in 1987
Jordan led the league in scoring again in the , averaging 35.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting and won his first league MVP Award. He was also named the , as he had averaged 1.6 blocks and a league high 3.16 steals per game. The Bulls finished 50–32, and made it out of the first round of
for the first time in Jordan's career, as they defeated the
in five games. However, the Bulls then lost in five games to the more experienced , who were led by
and a group of physical players known as the "".
In the , Jordan again led the league in scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the field, along with 8 rpg and 8
(apg). The Bulls finished with a 47–35 record, and advanced to the
Finals, defeating the
along the way. The Cavaliers series included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit
at the buzzer in the fifth and final game of the series. However, the
again defeated the Bulls, this time in six games, by utilizing their "" method of guarding Jordan, which consisted of
him every time he touched the ball.
The Bulls entered the
as a team on the rise, with their core group of Jordan and young improving players like
and , and under the guidance of new coach . Jordan averaged a league leading 33.6 ppg on 52.6% shooting, to go with 6.9 rpg and 6.3 apg in leading the Bulls to a 55–27 record. They again advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals beating the
and . However, despite pushing the series to seven games, the Bulls lost to the
for the third consecutive season.
In the , Jordan won his second MVP award after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season. The Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in 16 years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season. With
developing into an All-Star, the Bulls had elevated their play. The Bulls defeated the
in the opening two rounds of . They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where their rival, the , awaited them. However, this time the Bulls beat the Pistons in a four-game sweep. In an unusual ending to the fourth and final game, Isiah Thomas led his team off the court before the final seconds had concluded. Most of the Pistons went directly to their locker room instead of shaking hands with the Bulls.
The Bulls advanced to
for the first time in franchise history to face
and beat the
four games to one, compiling an outstanding 15–2 playoff record along the way. Perhaps the best known moment of the series came in Game 2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan avoided a potential
block by switching the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot in. In his first Finals appearance, Jordan posted per game averages of 31.2 points on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks. Jordan won his first
award, and he cried while holding the NBA Finals trophy.
Jordan and the Bulls continued their dominance in the , establishing a 67–15 record, topping their franchise record from 1990 to 91. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with averages of 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on 52% shooting. After winning a physical 7-game series over the
in the second round of
and finishing off the
in the Conference Finals in 6 games, the Bulls met
in . The media, hoping to recreate a , highlighted the similarities between "Air" Jordan and Clyde "The Glide" during the pre-Finals hype. In the first game, Jordan scored a Finals-record 35 points in the first half, including a record-setting six . After the sixth three-pointer, he jogged down the court shrugging as he looked courtside. , who broadcast the game, later stated that it was as if Jordan was saying, "I can't believe I'm doing this." The Bulls went on to win Game 1, and defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row and finished the series averaging 35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5 apg, while shooting 53% from the floor.
In the , despite a 32.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 5.5 apg campaign, Jordan's streak of consecutive MVP seasons ended as he lost the award to his friend . Coincidentally, Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and his
in the . The Bulls won their third NBA championship on a game-winning shot by
and a last-second block by , but Jordan was once again Chicago's leader. He averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the six-game series, and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards. He scored more than 30 points in every game of the series, including 40 or more points in 4 consecutive games. With his third Finals triumph, Jordan capped off a seven-year run where he attained seven scoring titles and three championships, but there were signs that Jordan was tiring of his massive celebrity and all of the non-basketball hassles in his life.
During the Bulls' playoff run in 1993, controversy arose when Jordan was seen gambling in , the night before a game against the . In that same year, he admitted to having to cover $57,000 in gambling losses, and author Richard Esquinas wrote a book claiming he had won $1.25 million from Jordan on the golf course. In 2005, Jordan talked to
evening show
about his gambling and admitted that he made some 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."
Professional debut
: April 8, 1994, for the Birmingham Barons
: ;for the Scottsdale Scorpions
Last professional appearance
Southern League: March 10, 1995, for the Birmingham Barons
Southern League statistics
(through 1994)
Arizona Fall League statistics
Batting average
Michael Jordan while playing with the Scottsdale Scorpions
On October 6, 1993, Jordan announced his retirement, citing a loss of desire to play the game. Jordan later stated that the murder of his father earlier in the year also shaped his decision. Jordan's father was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in , North Carolina, by two teenagers, Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery. The assailants were traced from calls they made on James Jordan's cellular phone, caught, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. Jordan was as a child he had imitated his father's proclivity to stick out his tongue while absorbed in work. He later adopted it as his own signature, displaying it each time he drove to the basket. In 1996, he founded a Chicago area
and dedicated it to his father.
In his 1998 autobiography For the Love of the Game, Jordan wrote that he had been preparing for retirement as early as the summer of 1992. The added exhaustion due to the
run in the
solidified Jordan's feelings about the game and his ever-growing celebrity status. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world.
Jordan then further surprised the sports world by signing a
contract with the
on February 7, 1994. He reported to
in , and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994. Jordan has stated this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who had always envisioned his son as a
player. The White Sox were another team owned by Bulls owner , who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball. In 1994, Jordan played for the , a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox,
.202 with three , 51 , 30 , and 11 . He also appeared for the
in the 1994 , batting .252 against the top prospects in baseball. On November 1, 1994, his number 23 was retired by the Bulls in a ceremony that included the erection of a permanent sculpture known as
outside the new .
In the , the Bulls, without Jordan, achieved a 55–27 record, and lost to the
in the second round of . But the
were a shell of the championship team of just two years earlier. Struggling at mid-season to ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago was 31–31 at one point in mid-March. The team received help, however, when Jordan decided to return to the NBA for the Bulls.
In March 1995, Jordan decided to quit baseball due to the , as he wanted to avoid becoming a potential . On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a two-word press release: "I'm back." The next day, Jordan wore jersey number 45 (his number with the Barons), as his familiar 23 had been retired in his honor following his first retirement. He took to the court with the Bulls to face the
in , scoring 19 points. The game had the highest
of a regular season NBA game since 1975.
Although he had not played an NBA game in a year and a half, Jordan played well upon his return, making a game-winning jump shot against
in his fourth game back. He then scored 55 points in the next game against the
on March 28, 1995. Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 13–4
and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the . At the end of Game 1, Orlando's
stripped Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the M he would later comment that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan" and that "No. 45 doesn't explode like No. 23 used to." Jordan then returned to wearing his old number in the next game, scoring 38 points in a Bulls win. The Bulls were fined $30,000 for the game: $25,000 for failing to report the impromptu number change to the NBA and $5,000 for Jordan wearing different shoes. Jordan averaged 31 points per game in the series, but Orlando won the series in 6 games.
Freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, Jordan trained aggressively for the . Strengthened by the addition of rebound specialist , the Bulls dominated the league, starting the season 41–3, and eventually finishing with the
in NBA history: 72–10. Jordan led the league in scoring with 30.4 ppg, and won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards. In , the Bulls lost only three games in four series, defeating the
to win their fourth championship. Jordan was named Finals MVP for a record fourth time, surpassing 's three Finals MVP awards. He also achieved only the second sweep of the MVP Awards in the All-Star Game, regular season and NBA Finals,
having achieved the first, during the . Because this was Jordan's first championship since his father's murder, and it was won on , Jordan reacted very emotionally upon winning the title, including a memorable scene of him crying on the locker room floor with the game ball.
In the , the Bulls started out 69–11, but narrowly missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season by losing their final two games to finish 69–13. However, this year Jordan was beaten for the NBA MVP Award by . The Bulls again advanced to , where they faced Malone and the . The series against the Jazz featured two of the more memorable clutch moments of Jordan's career. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a
jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied at 2, Jordan played despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus. In what is known as the "", Jordan scored 38 points, including the game-deciding 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining. The Bulls won 90–88 and went on to win the series in six games. For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Jordan received the . During the , Jordan posted the first
in All-Star Game history in however, he did not receive the MVP award.
Jordan with coach
Jordan and the Bulls compiled a 62–20 record in the . Jordan led the league with 28.7 points per game, securing his fifth regular-season MVP award, plus honors for All-NBA First Team, First Defensive Team and the All-Star Game MVP. The Bulls won the Eastern Conference Championship for a third straight season, including surviving a grueling seven-game series with
in the Eastern Conference F it was the first time Jordan had played in a Game 7 since the 1992 series with the . After winning, they moved on for a rematch with the
The Bulls returned to the
on June 14, 1998, leading the series 3–2. Jordan executed a series of plays, considered to be one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history. With the Bulls trailing 86–83 with 41.9 seconds remaining, Phil Jackson called a timeout. When play resumed, Jordan received the inbound pass, drove to the basket, and hit a shot over several Jazz defenders, cutting the Utah lead to 86–85. The Jazz brought the ball upcourt and passed the ball to forward Karl Malone, who was set up in the
and was being guarded by Rodman. Malone jostled with Rodman and caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind him and stole the ball out of his hands for a steal. Jordan then slowly dribbled down the court and paused at the top of the key, eyeing his defender, Jazz guard . 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 . With 5.2 seconds left, Jordan gave Chicago an 87–86 lead by making the climactic jump shot of his career. After John Stockton missed a desperation three-pointer, Jordan and the Bulls won their sixth NBA championship, and secured a second three-peat. Once again, Jordan was voted the Finals MVP, having led all scorers by averaging 33.5 points per game, including 45 in the deciding Game 6. Jordan's six Finals MVP , , and
are tied for second place with three apiece. The 1998 Finals holds the highest television rating of any Finals series in history, and Game 6 holds the highest television rating of any game in NBA history.
Plaque at the United Center chronicling Jordan's career achievements.
With 's contract expiring, the pending departures of
(who stated his desire to be traded during the offseason) and
(who would sign with the
as a free agent) looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced
of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999.
On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player, but as part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the . Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive. He controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations, and had the final say in all personnel matters. Opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed. He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (such as forward
and point guard ), but used the first pick in the
to select high schooler , who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons.
Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" that he would never play another NBA game, in the summer of 2001 Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback, this time with his new team. Inspired by the
comeback of his friend
the previous winter, Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago. In addition, Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, , as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return.
Jordan as a member of the Washington Wizards on April 14, 2003
On September 25, 2001, 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 . In an injury-plagued , he led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.42 spg). However, torn
in his right knee ended Jordan's season after only 60 games, the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the .
Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2003, Jordan passed
as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history (a record since broken by ). That year, Jordan was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games, starting in 67 of them. He averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He also shot 45% from the field, and 82% from the free throw line. Even though he turned 40 during the season, he scored 20 or more points 42 times, 30 or more points nine times, and 40 or more points three times. On February 21, 2003, Jordan became the first 40-year-old to tally 43 points in an NBA game. During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the
were sold out, and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20,172 fans a game at home and 19,311 on the road. However, neither of Jordan's final two seasons resulted in a playoff appearance for the Wizards, and Jordan was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him. At several points he openly criticized his teammates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity, notably that of the
in the , .
With the recognition that 2002–03 would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA. In his final game at his old home court, the
in Chicago, Jordan received a four-minute standing ovation. The
retired the number 23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though Jordan never played for the team. At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from
and , but refused both. In the end he accepted the spot of , who decided to give it up under great public pressure.
Jordan's final NBA game was on April 16, 2003 in . After scoring only 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter and with his team trailing the , 75–56. Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the
crowd began chanting "We want Mike!". After much encouragement from coach , Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game, replacing
with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' , and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie , who in turn was intentionally fouled by
one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. Jordan received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials and the crowd of 21,257 fans.
Jordan on the "Dream Team" in 1992
Jordan played on two Olympic -winning American basketball teams. As a college player he participated, and won the gold, in the . The team was coached by
and featured players such as , , , , and . Jordan led the team in scoring, averaging 17.1 ppg for the tournament.
In the , he was a member of the star-studded squad that included , , and
and was dubbed the "". Jordan was the only player to start all 8 games in the Olympics. Playing limited minutes due to the frequent , Jordan averaged 14.9 ppg, finishing second on the team in scoring. Jordan and fellow Dream Team members
are the only American men's basketball players to win Olympic gold as amateurs and professionals.
Jordan on a golf course in 2007
After his third retirement, Jordan assumed that he would be able to return to his front office position of Director of Basketball Operations with the Wizards. However, his previous tenure in the Wizards' front office had produced the aforementioned mixed results and may have also influenced the trade of
(although Jordan was not technically Director of Basketball Operations in 2002). On May 7, 2003, Wizards owner
fired Jordan as Washington's President of Basketball Operations. Jordan later stated that he felt betrayed, and that if he knew he would be fired upon retiring he never would have come back to play for the Wizards.
Jordan kept busy over the next few years by staying in shape, playing golf in celebrity charity tournaments, spending time with his family in Chicago, promoting his Jordan Brand clothing line, and riding motorcycles. Since 2004, Jordan has owned Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team that competes with two
in the premier Superbike class sanctioned by the
(AMA). Jordan and his then-wife Juanita pledged $5 million to Chicago's
in 2006, and the Jordan Brand has made donations to
branch of the .
On June 15, 2006, Jordan bought a minority stake in the , becoming the team's second-largest shareholder behind majority owner . As part of the deal, Jordan took full control over the basketball side of the operation, with the title "Managing Member of Basketball Operations." Despite Jordan's previous success as an endorser, he has made an effort not to be included in Charlotte's marketing campaigns. A decade earlier, Jordan had made a bid to become part-owner of Charlotte's original NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets, but talks collapsed when owner
refused to give Jordan complete control of basketball operations.
In February 2010, it was reported that Jordan was seeking majority ownership of the Bobcats. As February wore on, it emerged that the leading contenders for the team were Jordan and former
president George Postolos. On February 27, the Bobcats announced that Johnson had reached an agreement with Jordan and his group, MJ Basketball Holdings, to buy the team pending NBA approval. On March 17, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved Jordan's purchase, making him the first former player ever to become the majority owner of an NBA team. It also made him the league's only African-American majority owner.
Jordan in 2014, during the NBA's board of governors meeting
During the ,
wrote that Jordan led a group of 10 to 14 hardline owners wanting to cap the players' share of basketball-related income at 50 percent and as low as 47. Journalists observed that, during the , Jordan had told
then-owner , "If you can't make a profit, you should sell your team."
called Jordan a "sellout" wanting "current players to pay for his incompetence." He cited Jordan's executive decisions to draft disappointing players
During the , which was shortened to 66 games, the Bobcats posted a 7–59 record. Their .106 winning percentage was the worst in NBA history. "I'm not real happy about the record book scenario last year. It's very, very frustrating," Jordan said later that year.
On May 21, 2013, Jordan filed papers to change the Bobcats' name to the Hornets, effective with the 2014–15 season. The Hornets name had become available when the original Hornets, who had moved to New Orleans in 2002, changed their name to the
for the 2013–14 season. The NBA approved the change on July 18. The name change became official on May 20, 2014. On the same day, the team announced that it had reclaimed the history and records of the original
Jordan goes to the basket for a score in 1997.
Jordan was a
who was also capable of playing as a
(the position he would primarily play during his second return to professional basketball with the ), and as a . Jordan was known throughout his career for being a strong clutch performer. 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. His competitiveness was visible in his prolific
and well-known work ethic. As the Bulls organization built the franchise around Jordan, management had to trade away players who were not "tough enough" to compete with him in practice. To help improve his defense, he spent extra hours studying film of opponents. On offense, he relied more upon instinct and improvisation at game time. Noted as a durable player, Jordan did not miss four or more games while active for a full season from 1986–87 to 2001–02, when he injured his right knee. He played all 82 games nine times. Jordan has frequently cited , , and
as influences. From the start of his career, Jordan was unique among NBA players in that he had a special "Love of the Game Clause" written into his contract, which allowed him to play basketball against anyone at anytime, anywhere.
Jordan had a versatile offensive game. He was capable of aggressively
to the basket, as well as drawing
from his oppo his 8,772
attempts are the ninth-highest total of all time. As his career progressed, Jordan also developed the ability to
his opponents and score with his trademark
, using his leaping ability to "fade away" from block attempts. According to , this move alone made him nearly unstoppable. Despite media criticism as a "selfish" player early in his career, Jordan's 5.3 assists per game also indicate his willingness to defer to his teammates. In later years, the NBA shortened its
line to 22 feet (from 23 feet, 9 inches), which coupled with Jordan's extended shooting range to make him a long-range threat as well—his 3-point stroke developed from a low 9/52 rate (.173) in his rookie year into a stellar 111/260 (.427) shooter in the 1995–96 season. For a guard, Jordan was also a good rebounder (6.2 per game).
In 1988, Jordan was honored with the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first NBA player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in a career (since equaled by , , Olajuwon is the only player other than Jordan to win both during the same season). In addition he set both seasonal and career records for
by a guard, and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. He ranks third in NBA history in total
with 2,514, trailing
often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan's defensive contributions than his offensive ones. He was also known to
broadcaster
said that he was able to read baseball box scores on a 27-inch television clearly from about 50 feet away.
For a comprehensive listing of Jordan's statistics, see
  GP
Games played
  GS 
Games started
 MPG 
Minutes per game
 FG% 
percentage
 3P% 
percentage
 FT% 
percentage
 RPG 
 APG 
 SPG 
 BPG 
 PPG 
Points per game
 Bold 
Career high
Led the league
Jordan's basketball talent was clear from his rookie season. In his first game in
against the New York Knicks, Jordan received a prolonged standing ovation, a rarity for an opposing player. After Jordan scored a playoff record 63 points against the
on April 20, 1986, Celtics star
described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan."
Jordan led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons (NBA record) and tied 's record of seven consecutive scoring titles. He was also a fixture on the NBA All-Defensive First Team, making the roster nine times (NBA record shared with ,
and ). Jordan also holds the top career regular season and playoff scoring averages of 30.1 and 33.4 points per game, respectively. By 1998, the season of his Finals-winning shot against the Jazz, he was well known throughout the league as a clutch performer. In the regular season, Jordan was the Bulls' primary threat in the final seconds of a close game and in the playoffs, Jordan would always demand the ball at crunch time. Jordan's total of 5,987 . He retired with 32,292 points in regular season play, placing him fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list behind , , and .
With five regular-season MVPs (tied fo only
has won more, six), six Finals MVPs (NBA record), and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan is the most decorated player ever to play in the NBA. Jordan finished among the top three in regular-season MVP voting a record 10 times, and was named one of the
in 1996. He is one of only seven players in history to achieve basketball's "Triple Crown" – winning an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an
(doing so twice with the 1984 and 1992 U.S. men's basketball teams).
"There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us."
Many of Jordan's contemporaries label Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time. An
survey of journalists, athletes and other sports figures ranked Jordan the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century, above such luminaries as
and . Jordan placed second to Babe Ruth in the 's list of 20th century athletes. In addition, the Associated Press voted him as the basketball player of the 20th century. Jordan has also appeared on the front cover of
a record 50 times. In the September 1996 issue of , which was the publication's 50th anniversary issue, Jordan was named the greatest athlete of the past 50 years.
Jordan's athletic leaping ability, highlighted in his back-to-back
championships in 1987 and 1988, is credited by many with having influenced a generation of young players. Several current NBA All-Stars have stated that they considered Jordan their role model while growing up, including
and . In addition, commentators have dubbed a number of next-generation players "the next Michael Jordan" upon their entry to the NBA, including , , , , LeBron James, , and Dwyane Wade. 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.
I think it was the exposure of Michael J 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.
Although Jordan has done much to increase the status of the game, some of his impact on the game's popularity in America appears to be fleeting. Television ratings in particular increased only during his time in the league and have subsequently lowered each time he left the game.
In August 2009, the
in , Massachusetts, opened a Michael Jordan exhibit containing items from his college and NBA careers, as well as from the . The exhibit also has a
to signify Jordan's short career in baseball. After Jordan received word of his being accepted into the Hall of Fame, he selected Class of 1996 member
to present him. As Jordan would later explain during his induction speech in September 2009, growing up in North Carolina, he was not a fan of the Tar Heels, and greatly admired Thompson, who played at rival . He was inducted into the Hall in September, with several former Bulls teammates in attendance, including , , , , , and . Former coaches of Jordan's, Dean Smith and Doug Collins, were also among those present.
Jordan in 2006
He married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989, and they have two sons,
and , and a daughter, Jasmine. Jordan and Vanoy filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but reconciled shortly thereafter. They again filed for divorce and were granted a final decree of dissolution of marriage on December 29, 2006, commenting that the decision was made "mutually and amicably". It is reported that Juanita received a $168 million settlement, making it the largest celebrity divorce settlement in history at the time on public record.
In 1991, Jordan purchased a lot in , Illinois, to build a 56,000 square foot mansion, which was completed four years later. Both of his sons attended , a private Roman Catholic high school located in , Illinois. Jeffrey graduated as a member of the 2007 graduating class and played his first collegiate basketball game on November 11, 2007, for the . After two seasons, Jeffrey left the
basketball team in 2009. He later rejoined the team for a third season, then received a release to transfer to the , where Marcus was attending. Marcus transferred to
after his sophomore year at Loyola Academy and graduated in 2009. He began attending UCF in the fall of 2009, and played three seasons of basketball for the school.
On July 21, 2006, a judge in , Illinois, determined that Jordan did not owe his alleged former lover Karla Knafel $5 million. Jordan had allegedly paid Knafel $250,000 to keep their relationship a secret. Knafel claimed Jordan promised her $5 million for remaining silent and agreeing not to file a
after Knafel learned she was pregnant in 1991. A
showed Jordan was not the father of the child.
He proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto, on Christmas Eve, 2011, and they were married on April 27, 2013, at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. It was announced on November 30, 2013, that the two were expecting their first child together. Jordan listed his Highland Park mansion for sale in 2012. On February 11, 2014, Prieto gave birth to identical twin daughters named Victoria and Ysabel.
Jordan's private jet features a stripe in , the "Air Jordan" logo on the tail, and references to his career in the identification number.
Michael Jordan in 2008
Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as , , , , , , , , , and . Jordan has had a long relationship with Gatorade, appearing in over 20 commercials for the company since 1991, including the "" commercials in which a song was sung by children wishing to be like Jordan.
Nike created a signature shoe for him, called the . One of Jordan's more popular commercials for the shoe involved
playing the part of . 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". The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spate of "shoe-jackings" where people were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. Subsequently, Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own division named the "Jordan Brand". The company features an impressive list of athletes and celebrities as endorsers. The brand has also sponsored college sports programs such as those of , , , and .
Jordan also has been associated with the
cartoon characters. A Nike commercial shown during 1992's
featured Jordan and
playing basketball. The Super Bowl commercial inspired the 1996
film , which starred Jordan and Bugs in a fictional story set during the former's first retirement from basketball. They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI.
Jordan's yearly income from the endorsements is estimated to be over forty million dollars. In addition, when Jordan's power at the ticket gates was at its highest point, the Bulls regularly sold out both their home and road games. Due to this, Jordan set records in player salary by signing annual contracts worth in excess of US $30 million per season. An academic study found that Jordan's first NBA comeback resulted in an increase in the market capitalization of his client firms of more than $1 billion.
Most of Jordan's endorsement deals, including his first deal with Nike, were engineered by his agent, . Jordan has described Falk as "the best at what he does" and that "marketing-wise, he's great. He's the one who came up with the concept of 'Air Jordan.'"
In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by
magazine as the 20th-most powerful celebrity in the world with $55 million earned between June 2009 and June 2010. According to the Forbes article, Jordan Brand generates $1 billion in sales for Nike. In June 2014, Jordan was named the first NBA player to
after he increased his stake in the Charlotte Hornets from 80% to 89.5%. On January 20, 2015, Jordan was honored with the Charlotte Business Journal's Business Person of the Year for 2014.
, Jordan, and
game honoring the 1957 and 1982 men's basketball teams.
Main article:
Two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball
inductee - class of 2009 (individual), class of 2010 (as a member of the "Dream Team")
inductee - class of 2009 (as a member of the "Dream Team")
Two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner – ,
Three-time
Two-time  – ,
 – :
 – 1981–82
Two-time Consensus  – 83–84
 – 1983–84
 – 1983–84
 – 1983–84
 – 1983–84
 – 1983–84
"Triple Crown" winner
Sports Illustrated  – 1991
Named one of the
Ranked No.1 by SLAM Magazine's Top 50 Players of All-Time
Ranked No.1 by ESPN SportsCentury's Top North American Athletes of the 20th century
Seven-time
winner (in various categories)
Number 23 retired by the Chicago Bulls
Number 23 retired by the North Carolina Tar Heels
Number 23 retired by the Miami Heat
Statue in front of the United Center
Jordan wore a nameless no. 12 jersey in a February 14, 1990 game against the
because his no. 23 jersey had been stolen. Jordan scored 49 points, setting a franchise record for players wearing that jersey number.
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