Did You
Really Know Michael Jordan ?
Michael Jordan is a former American basketball player who
led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships and won the Most Valuable Player
Award five times.
Who Is
Michael Jordan?
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a
professional American basketball player, Olympic athlete, businessperson and
actor. Considered one of the best basketball players ever, Michael Jordan
dominated the sport from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He led the Chicago
Bulls to six National Basketball Association championships and earned the NBA's
Most Valuable Player Award five times. With five regular-season MVPs and three
All-Star MVPs, Jordan became the most decorated player in the NBA.
Net Worth
Between his six NBA championships, restaurants, stake in the
Charlotte Hornets, corporate sponsorship with Nike, and endorsement deals with
Gatorade, Hanes and Upper Deck, Michael Jordan’s estimated net worth is more
than $1 billion.
How Tall Is
Michael Jordan?
Basketball player Michael Jordan is 6 feet, 6 inches tall.
Michael
Jordan’s Wives and Kids
In 1989, Michael Jordan married Juanita Vanoy. They had
three children together: Jeffrey, Marcus and Jasmine. After 17 years of
marriage, the couple divorced in December 2006.
In 2007, Michael Jordan’s eldest son, Jeffrey Jordan, made
the basketball team at the University of Illinois. Both Michael Jordan and his
ex-wife Juanita have supported their son and tried to help him deal with
playing in the shadow of an NBA legend.
"He wants to be a basketball player, but he wants to do
it on his own terms ...The thing that we have tried to tell Jeff is that you
set your own expectations. By no means in this world can you ever live up to
someone else's expectations of who you are," Michael Jordan said during an
appearance on the Today show.
On April 27, 2013, Jordan married 35-year-old Cuban-American
model Yvette Prieto in Palm Beach, Florida. Tiger Woods, Spike Lee and Patrick
Ewing, among other celebrities, reportedly attended the wedding ceremony. The
couple welcomed twin daughters, Victoria and Ysabel, in February 2014.
When and
Where Was Michael Jordan Born?
Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn,
New York.
Childhood
Growing up in Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan developed a
competitive edge at an early age. He wanted to win every game he played. As his
father James later noted, "What he does have is a competition problem. He
was born with that ... the person he tries to outdo most of the time is
himself."
University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
Jordan enrolled at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill in 1981 and soon became an important member of the school's
basketball team. UNC won the NCAA Division I championships in 1982, with Jordan
scoring the final basket needed to defeat Georgetown University. He was also
singled out as the NCAA College Player of the Year in 1983 and in 1984.
Olympics
During the summer of 1984, Jordan made his first appearance
at the Olympic Games as a member of the U.S. Olympic basketball team. The team
won the gold at the games that year, which were held in Los Angeles. Jordan
later helped the American team bring home the gold medal at the 1992 Olympic
Games, held in Barcelona, Spain.
Professional
NBA Career
Jordan left college after his junior year to join the NBA.
Drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he soon proved himself on the court. He helped
the team make it to the playoffs and scored an average of 28.2 points per game
that season. For his efforts, Jordan received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award
and was selected for the All-Star Game.
In 1985, Jordan finished his bachelor's degree in geography
and continued to play basketball professionally. While his second season was
marred by injury, he was breaking new ground on the court during the 1986-1987
season. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlin to score more than
3,000 points in a single season.
By the late 1980s, the Chicago Bulls were quickly becoming a
force to be reckoned with, and Jordan was an instrumental part of the team's
success. The Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1990 and won
their first NBA championship the following year by defeating the Los Angeles
Lakers. A rising NBA superstar, Jordan became known for his power and agility
on the court as well as for his leadership abilities.
In 1992, the Chicago Bulls beat the Portland Trail Blazers
to win their second NBA championship. The team took their third championship
the following year, dominating in the basketball world.
Following a short stint in minor league baseball, in March
1995 Jordan returned to the basketball court, rejoining the Chicago Bulls and
eventually helping them win the championship against the Seattle Sonics in the
1995-96 season.
The following season Jordan came back even stronger,
averaging 30.4 points per game. Starting all 82 games that season, he helped
the team finish the regular season with 72 wins and clinch a win in the NBA
Finals against the Utah Jazz. The two teams faced each other again for the
championships in 1998, and Jordan helped the Bulls beat them for the second
year in a row.
Retiring after the 1997-98 season, Jordan joined the
Washington Wizards as a part owner and as president of basketball operations.
In the fall of 2001, Jordan relinquished these roles to return to the court
once more. He played for the Wizards for two seasons before hanging up his
jersey for good in 2003.
Baseball
Career
In a move that shocked many, after the end of the 1992-93
basketball season, Michael Jordanannounced his retirement from basketball to
pursue baseball. For one year, Jordan played for a minor league team, the
Birmingham Barons, as an outfielder. This decision came shortly following the
loss of his father, James, to an act of violence: Two teenagers shot James
Jordan during an apparent robbery and were later convicted of the crime.
Businessman
and Actor
Outside of his career in basketball, Michael Jordan has been
involved in a number of profitable business and commercial ventures.
Endorsement
Deals
Over the years, Michael Jordan has signed a number of
endorsement deals with brands including Nike, Hanes, Upper Deck, Gatorade,
Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Chevrolet and Wheaties.
'Space Jam'
Jordan made a big splash in film as the star of the 1996
movie Space Jam. The film mixed live action and animation and paired Jordan
with cartoon legends Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck on screen.
Part-Owner
of the Charlotte Bobcats
In 2006, Jordan bought a share of the Charlotte Bobcats and
joined the team's executive ranks as its managing member of basketball
operations. In 2010, he became the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats and
serves as the team's chairman. Improving the team's less-than-stellar record
seems to be Jordan's priority. He told ESPN in November 2012 that "I don't
anticipate getting out of this business. My competitive nature is I want to
succeed. It's always been said that when I can't find a way to do anything, I
will find a way to do it."
The Michael
Jordan Steakhouse
In 1998, Michael Jordan launched into the restaurant
business as the owner of Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C. Designed to
reflect Jordan’s tastes and style, this typical steakhouse seats 150 and 60 at
the bar, occupying 7,000 square feet in Grand Central Terminal. Other locations
include Uncasville, CT, Chicago, Ridgefield, WA.
Golf Charity
From 2001 through 2014, Michael Jordan hosted an annual
charitable golf event known as the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, with
proceeds benefiting foundations including Make-A-Wish, Cats Care, the James R.
Jordan Foundation, Keep Memory Alive and Opportunity Village.
The four-day tournament and celebration attracted celebrity
participants including Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Chevy Chase, Samuel L.
Jackson and Mark Wahlberg.
Awards
Jordan received his first Most Valuable Player Award from
the NBA in 1988—an honor he would earn four more times in 1991, 1992, 1996 and
1998.
In April 2009, Jordan received one of basketball's greatest
honors: He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Attending the induction ceremony was a bittersweet affair for Jordan because
being at the event meant "your basketball career is completely over,"
he explained.
In 2016, Jordan was presented with a Presidential Medal of
Freedom honor by Barack Obama.
Michael
Jordan Stats
Vertical Leap
48 inches
Career
Averages
G: 1,072
GS: 1,039
MPG: 38.3
FG%: 0.497
3P%: 0.327
FT%: 0.835
Rebounds per game:
OFF: 1.60
DEF: 4.70
RPG: 6.20
APG: 5.3
SPG: 2.35
BPG: 0.83
TO: 2.73
PF: 2.60
PPG: 30.1
Career Totals
MIN: 41,011
FGM-A: 12,192-24,537
3PM-A: 581-1,778
FTM-A: 7,327-8,772
Rebounds:
OFF: 1,668
DEF: 5,004
TOT: 6,672
AST: 5,633
STL: 2,514
BLK: 893
TO: 2,924
PF: 2,783
PTS: 32,292c
