Mid-jump,
Michael Jordan appears as though he can actually take flight.
From his famous basket shots that earned him the nickname 'Air'
Jordan, to the millions of fans who emulate him, Michael Jordan
transcended the sport of basketball to become one of the 20th
century's greatest global icons.
The forces that shaped Michael's extraordinary talent began at
an early age. He was born into a middle-class black family in
Brooklyn, New York that moved to Wilmington, North Carolina later
that year. The Jordan family was very disciplined. Michael learned
at an early age to abide by his parents' rules. His father and
mother, James and Deloris Jordan, taught their children to work
hard and not waste their talent. Michael's father was a military
man with a strong sense of order, and he pushed his sons hard
in athletics. Michael's parents continually raised their expectations
for their children, letting them know that more was expected from
them.
Michael's relationship with his older brother, Larry Jordan,
was a key force in his early years. Larry was also a great athlete.
He had the same strength, athletic ability and ambition as Michael,
but Larry didn't have the build to excel in sports. Michael competed
ferociously to win against his older brother when the two of them
played against each other. Every day, the Jordan backyard saw
some form of athletic combat between the two brothers. Larry's
domination over his younger brother pushed Michael's determination
to catch-up and win - and finally, one day he did. David Hart,
a North Carolina team manager said, "Michael really loved
Larry and talked about him all the time-he really revered him.
But if Michael had gone far beyond Larry as an athlete, he never
let it affect his feelings for his brother-his emotional connection
and his respect for his brother were very strong. When his brother
was around, he dropped all his mounting fame and his accomplishments
and became nothing more than a loving, adoring younger brother."
Michael displayed the first signs of his athletic ability in
baseball, pitching well for a Wilmington Little League team. Although
basketball attracted him from an early age, his small stature
made the sport seem like a distant dream. Like his brother Larry,
Michael was also short and skinny when he was young. He was reportedly
frustrated about his height and started hanging from a chin-up
bar to stretch his body.
The worst day of Michael's young life occurred when he found
out he hadn't made the cut for his highschool basketball team-although
he was a good player and quick, he was still too short. But Michael
didn't give up. He became even more competitive and determined.
Finally, in his late highschool years, Michael began to grow-much
taller than anyone else in his family (and most people in general).
He began to excel at basketball.
Michael went to college at North Carolina's Chapel Hill. He played
for the Chapel Hill team for three seasons and was named College
Player of the Year in 1984. In his junior year, Michael declared
that he was eligible for the NBA draft. Before he went on to the
NBA, he went to Los Angeles where he was co-captain and star of
the gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic basketball team in 1984.
After the Olympic win, Michael was chosen to play for the Chicago
Bulls as a third overall draft pick. (Houston drafted Hakeem Olajuwon
with the first pick and Portland drafted Sam Bowie with the second
pick.) Although the decision by Houston and Portland to overlook
Michael was the worst draft decision in the history of the NBA,
it helped launch Michael into stardom. Michael could have played
equally well in either place, but his rise to stardom would not
have been as swift as it was in Chicago. Back then, Chicago was
starved for success, but the Bulls were a bad team. Michael had
to use every ounce of his talent and push himself harder than
ever to win. He completely and quickly took over the Bulls. His
rise brought admiration for his moves on court and scoring ability,
but it wasn't until the Bulls started to win, and win big, that
his basketball genius was truly appreciated. Michael led the Bulls
to three World Championships in 1991, 1992 and 1993 before he
announced his first retirement.
Michael's life off the courts had been going well-he married
Juanita Vanoy, in Las Vegas on September 2, 1989. They had three
children, Jeffrey Michael, Marcus James and Jasmine. But things
began to fall apart just before Michael announced his first retirement.
His father, James Jordan, was murdered while driving home from
a friend's funeral. The grief of his father's death left Michael
with little motivation. Tired of the intense scrutiny, Michael
left the NBA in 1993 to play professional baseball.
The world applauded when Michael returned to the NBA in March
1995. It was time for a comeback. Although his first season was
shaky, even his critics had to admit Michael's talent shone through.
He had been away from the game for 18 months. After that first
season, Michael knew he was going to have to work extra hard to
get back into his previous basketball shape. By the time Chicago
opened the regular season, Michael was prepared. He had trimmed
his six foot six inch frame to 216 pounds with only four- percent
body fat. He had also rekindled the fire that drove him on court.
He guided Chicago to the best regular-season record in NBA history.
He was named the league's MVP for the 4th time and brought the
team to their 4th World Championship in six years. Michael was
rewarded with the largest one-year contract in the history of
professional sports. He had become one of the most high profile
celebrities on the planet.
Nike, Coca-Cola and McDonalds courted Michael for lucrative product
endorsements. He was even approached by Air Jordan, the national
airline of the country of Jordan, to appear in a commercial for
the airline. Although he turned hundreds of deals down, he did
follow fellow NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal to the silver screen.
They appeared together in several Nike commercials and the Warner
Brothers cartoon comedy Space Jam. Michael's rising fame converged
with the explosion of sports media in print, broadcasting and
advertising in the early 1990's. The popularity of sports celebrities
in the media and the marketing genius of companies like Nike transformed
Michael into a myth.
Throughout his life, Michael displayed an amazing capacity to
improve himself through practice. He was driven and he was always
the hardest working player on the team in practice. If his teammates
were not working hard enough, he got on them himself to work harder,
and pushed the coaches to expect more from the team. His coach,
Phil Jackson says Michael never took his talent for granted. He
put in gym time in the off-season, shooting hundreds of shots
each day. He studied his opponents, learned their moves and dedicated
himself to mastering the techniques necessary to stop them.
Michael ended his legacy on January 13, 1999 when he announced
his final retirement from basketball. While some athletes play
beyond their best years for financial reasons, Michael was moving
from one lucrative career to another-as CEO of his JORDAN brand.
He expanded his JORDAN clothing line from basketball gear to lifestyle
wear. As of May 1999, the JORDAN brand was showcased in its own
retail concept shops with plans for up to fifty outlets by the
end of the year 2000. Michael's extensive business prospects earned
him the number one spot in The Sporting News' annual list of the
most powerful people in sports. This distinction is normally reserved
for media moguls whose influence extends to multiple sports. Naming
Michael identifies him as an athlete that touches multiple industries
and nations.
But Michael's real legacy is that he showed that true greatness
comes from within. He was aware of his success, but he never stopped
trying to be better. As superstar Magic Johnson said, "There's
Michael, then there's all the rest of us."
Written with information from Playing for Keeps,
Michael Jordan and the World He Made by D. Halberstam and For
the Love of the Game: My Story by Michael Jordan.
