Michael Jordan, the basketball legend who blends grace and power

Michael Jefrey Jordan, popularly known as Air Jordan or His Airness, this American basketball player single-handedly popularised the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. He received the Most Valuable Player award five times, played 15 NBA seasons and won six championships with the Chicago Bulls.

Born to James and Deloris Jordan in Brooklyn, New York, on February 17, 1963, Michael Jordan shared a special bond with his father, which included baseball. James worked in the electrical and heavy equipment industry while Deloris was a banker. The family later settled down in Wilmington, North Carolina, where Jordan attended the Emsley A. Laney High School and developed love for basketball. He was selected for the McDonald’s All-American Team. While still in school, he played for college teams like Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, and Syracuse. On the basis of his performance in basketball, Jordan was offered scholarship by the University of North Carolina in 1981. In 1984, he dropped out of university and was chosen with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. In 1986 he did his graduation in Bachelor of arts in geography.

Career
Jordan came into limelight when he made his debut for the United States national team at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela, and won a gold medal. Next year, he was part of a gold medal-winning national team in Summer Olympics.

From 1984 to 1987, as part of the Chicago Bulls, he scored 100 blocks and 200 steals in a single season – which made him the first in NBA history. From 1987 to 1990, he led the Bulls through the first round of NBA Play-offs in the first season and till the finals in the next two. The next season, he helped the Bulls sail through the play-offs, reach the Eastern Conference finals and emerge victorious. The Bulls won the NBA final against the Los Angeles Lakers becoming its first victory in the history of the game. In the next two seasons, the Bulls won three consecutive championships. In the 1992 Summer Olympics, he was again part of the gold medal-winning national team.

During 1995-98, he played three NBA Championship seasons and beat the Seattle SuperSonics and Utah Jazz in the following two championships. That win, along with five victories earlier, made him the six-time recipient of the MVP title at the NBA finals.

In 2000, Jordan became the President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. In 2003, he played his final NBA All-Star match. Post-retirement, in 2004, he founded his own motorcycle racing team titled Michael Jordan Motorsports. Two years later, he became part-owner of the NBA team Charlotte Bobcats. In addition, he also promoted the Jordan clothing label.

Awards & achievements
His accomplishments includes six-time NBA Finals MVP, 10-time All-NBA First Team, nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, 1988 Defensive Player of the Year, 14-time NBA All-Star, and three-time NBA All-Star MVP. He holds NBA records for career regular season. In 1999, ESPN named him the 20th century’s greatest North American athlete. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice (2009, 2010).In 2016, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Personal life
Jordan married twice and have five children. He has donated money for several charities and authored several books.

Interesting facts
Jordan's leaping ability got him the nicknames Air Jordan and His Airness. His NBA website biography states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.

Jordan featured in the 1996 live-action animated film Space Jam. The great hoopster is also the central focus of the Emmy award-winning documentary miniseries titled The Last Dance (2020).

In 2014, he became the first billionaire NBA player. With a net worth of $1.6 billion, he is the fifth richest African American. In his Sophomore year, he was 5'11" tall and was deemed too short for basketball.

He dangled his tongue out of his mouth - picked up from observing his dad working on mechanical devices. As he levitated towards the basket, it became one of his first trademarks in personal style.

Michael Jordan had a special Love of the Game Clause written into his contract. This was unusual at that time. The clause permitted Jordan to play basketball against anybody, at anytime and anywhere.