2 pick chose 7-foot-1 center Sam Bowie from Kentucky, which was not as anticipated. The Portland Trail Blazers, however, with the No. The Houston Rockets selected 7-foot center Hakeem Olajuwon form the University of Houston with the No.1 pick, which most expected. After his junior year he was chosen with the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.īack in 1984, the Blazers made a move in the Draft that would change two franchises' paths. As a junior, he received that award again as well as the Naismith and Wooden Awards. Jordan scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds and made the winning basket on a 16-foot jumper with 18 seconds in the game for the 63-62 victory.Īs a sophomore, he was named College Player of the Year by The Sporting News. However, he shone in the spotlight of the NCAA championship game against Georgetown and another great freshman, Patrick Ewing, whom Jordan would foil future NBA championships for as well. As a freshman, he played somewhat in the shadows of upperclassmen James Worthy and Sam Perkins. The summer before his junior year, he grew to 6-foot-3 and began his path to superstardom.Ī Tar Heel at heart, the high school All-American attended the University of North Carolina. He attended Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, but as a 5-foot-11 skinny sophomore, he was cut from the varsity basketball team. However, following his older brother, Larry, whom he idolized and was a spectacular athlete in his own right, Jordan began to play basketball. The son of Delores and James Jordan, he shared a special bond with his father, which included baseball being both of their first love. However, he would vanish into retirement twice only to return until hanging up the sneakers for the last time after the 2002-03 season.Īlthough Brooklyn born, Jordan was bred in the more tranquil North Carolina. He was visible as “Air Jordan,” as part of a sneaker advertising campaign and endorsing other products as well as the star of the movie, “Space Jam”. He was an accessible star who managed to maintain an air of mystique. Magic Johnson said, “There’s Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us.” Larry Bird, following a playoff game where Jordan dropped 63 points on the Boston Celtics in just his second season, appraisal of the young player was: “God disguised as Michael Jordan.”Ī brief listing of his top accomplishments would include the following: Rookie of the Year Five-time NBA MVP Six-time NBA champion Six-time NBA Finals MVP Ten-time All-NBA First Team Nine time NBA All-Defensive First Team Defensive Player of the Year 14-time NBA All-Star Three-time NBA All-Star MVP 50th Anniversary All-Time Team Ten scoring titles - an NBA record and seven consecutive matching Wilt Chamberlain Retired with the NBA’s highest scoring average of 30.1ppg Hall of Fame inductee. Although, a summary of his basketball career and influence on the game inevitably fails to do it justice, as a phenomenal athlete with a unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power, artistry, improvisational ability and an unquenchable competitive desire, Jordan single-handedly redefined the NBA superstar.Įven contemporaneous superstars recognized the unparalleled position of Jordan. > Archive 75: Michael Jordan | 75 Stories: Michael Jordanīy acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. Championship celebrations were the norm for Michael Jordan throughout his NBA career.
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