When did michael jordan start playing basketball
Michael Jordan Biography, Childhood, Career, Personal Life
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, ) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 15 seasons. During those 15 seasons in the NBA,
Michael Jordan, through sheer hard work and an ironclad determination to succeed, captured 6 NBA championships.
Aside from the championships, Michael Jordans impressive basketball prowess, which earned him the admiration of fans, and established him as one of the most outstanding personalities in the sport, earned him individual awards.
Whenever he won, Michael Jordan does it so brilliantly with such exceptional attitude that it was clear beyond any doubt that he is the best, as evidenced by his NBA Final MVP awards.
In the six NBA Finals Michael Jordan won, he stood out and thus was awarded the MVP award.
His excellent disposition, which earned him success on the courts, has been carried into the business world after he retired, and this, in turn, has brought him similar success. In this article, well review Micheal Jordans biography facts, childhood/early life, career, and personal life.
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Michael Jordans Biography Facts, Age, Quick Info
Here are some quick biography facts that you need to know about the American basketball legend.
- Full Name: Michael Jeffrey Jordan
- Nicknames: His Airness, Black Cat, MJ, Air Jordan, Black Cat
- Born: February 17,
- Age: 61 years old
- Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
- Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
- Nationality: American
- Height: 6 ft 6 in ( m)
- Weight: 98 kg ( lb)
- Education:
- High School: Emsley A.
Laney High School
- College: University of North Carolina
- High School: Emsley A.
- NBA Draft: (Round 1; Pick 3) by Chicago Bulls
- Position: Shooting guard
- League: NBA
- Kit Number: #23, #12, #45
- Playing Career: –, –, –
- Parents:
- Father: James R.
Jordan, Sr.
- Mother: Deloris Jordan
- Father: James R.
- Siblings:
- Brothers: Larry Jordan, James Jordan Jr.
- Sisters: Roslyn Jordan, Deloris Jordan
- Wife: Yvette Prieto (married ), Juanita Vanoy (married –)
- Children:
- Sons: Jeffrey Michael Jordan, Marcus Jordan
- Daughters: Ysabel Jordan, Victoria Jordan, Jasmine M.
Jordan
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Michael Jordans Early Life & Childhood
Born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 17, , Michael Jeffrey Jordan is one of five children born to his parents — James Jordan and Deloris Jordan.
His father, James, worked as a General Electric Supervisor while his mother, Deloris, worked in a bank. As a young boy, his father taught him basic etiquettes such as hard work, while his mother instilled domestic skills such as sewing and laundry.
Short biography of michael jordan: He was always so respectful of what we were doing and considerate of his teammates. Jordan did wear 45 upon his return to the NBA because 23 was the number his late father knew him by, and he wanted a new beginning. However, he soon experienced a welcome return to earth with his immersion in Dean Smith's program at UNC. Everett Michael Jordan in Space Jam.
Jordan, who had an interest in sport from a young age, tried playing basketball at Emsley A. Laney High School in his second year, but Jordan, who stood at the height of 5 feet, 11 inches, was said to be too short and couldnt play for his high school basketball team.
He, however, went on to play for his schools junior basketball team, where he recorded several 40 point games.
Soon Jordan grew and was given a spot in the maim team where he recorded an average of 25 points in his last two seasons of high school basketball.
In , as a senior in high school, Jordan was invited to the McDonalds All-American Game, where he performed brilliantly.
Tee y mix biography of michael jordan for kids The Shot But, despite his mega-talent, Jordan remained without a championship for the first years of his career. His departure had a significant impact on the Chicago Bulls, and their performance noticeably declined. Tiger Woods , Spike Lee , and Patrick Ewing, among other celebrities, reportedly attended the wedding ceremony. They took home the first NBA championship in franchise history in , and this proved emotional for Jordan.After completing high school, he received several offers from various universities such as the University of North Carolina, Syracuse University, and the University of Virginia. He, however, chose to play for North Carolina.
Michael Jordans College Basketball Career
In his first season of college basketball, Jordan was instrumental in North Carolinas NCAA Championship win and was awarded the ACC Freshman of the Year award.
He continued in a superb form, which saw him earn the NCAA All-American First Team selection in his second and third year in college.
In his junior year, Jordans impressive form earned him the Wooden and Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year awards. Following a brilliant junior year, he decided to forgo his final year in college and enlisted in the NBA Draft, where the Chicago Bulls selected him as the drafts third overall pick.
Biography of larry bird James Harden. Tyler Reddick replaced Busch in the 45 for the season and quickly gave the team a fourth race win at Circuit of the Americas. His many lucrative endorsement deals with companies like Nike ensured his face was everywhere. Jordan's stable home life remained consistent even after his immediate family moved to the city of Wilmington in the late s, with parents James and Deloris establishing high academic standards and firm ground rules to keep their five children out of trouble.In , he returned to college, where he bagged his Bachelor of Arts degree in geography.
Michael Jordans Professional Basketball Career & Awards
Chicago Bulls (–, –)
In his first season in the NBA, Jordans performance made him a fan favorite, which led him to feature in the All-star game. The All-Star game in the /85 was controversial, as the established stars were pissed about the attention Jordan was receiving from the fans and thus refused to pass to him.
Jordan, who seemed not to mind the buzz around him, continued in great form and won the Rookie of the year award after averaging points.
Jordan could not perform well in his second season due to a fractured foot, which led him to miss 64 games. He however, recovered fully and went on a scoring spree in his third season.
That season saw him emerge as the second of only two players in the history of the NBA to have recorded 3, points in a season.
He also recorded blocked shots and steals, which made him the first player to record such numbers.
In his fourth season in the NBA, the /88 season, Jordan topped the scoring charts and also won the Defensive Player of the award. In the /89 and /90 seasons, Jordan led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference finals but was defeated by the Detroit Pistons in both seasons.
The /91 season was the beginning of good times in the NBA for Jordan. His performance during the season earned him a second MVP award after he claimed the first in the season. He also led the Bulls to defeat LA Lakers, who had the mighty Magic Johnson in the NBA Finals.
Tee y mix biography of michael jordan Kobe Bryant. For one year in , Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, as an outfielder. Jordan quickly became a superstar in the league, captivating fans with his impressive skills and abilities. The team took their third championship the following year, dominating in the basketball world.For his performance, Jordan was named the Finals MVP. The following season, he and the Bulls maintained their top form and went on to win the NBA Finals while Jordan was named the NBA Finals MVP as well as the seasons MVP award for a second successive time.
In the /93 season, Jordan did not win the NBA MVP, but he did win a third consecutive NBA Championship and set the record of being the first player ever to claim three successive NBA Finals MVP award.
First Retirement
In October , Jordan retired from the NBA. He cited the death of his father as a factor which affected his decision but said his desire to play no more was the primary reason for his retirement. It was, however, rumored that Michael Jordans retirement was a punishment for his involvement in gambling.
Return to the NBA
In March , Michael Jordan announced his return to the NBA, saying, Im back. In November , Jordans #23 jersey was retired by the Bulls, and though he could use the jersey number, he chose to wear # But he later decided to return to his old jersey number, which led to the Bulls being fined due to not reporting the change to NBA officials.
In the /96 season, Jordan was back to his old self. He won the NBA MVP, All-star game MVP, the NBA Championship, and the NBA Finals MVP awards.
Tee y mix biography of michael jordan basketball player The team expanded to two cars for the season, with former champion Kurt Busch driving the No. Jordan was well known by then for his superior athleticism on the court and for his leadership abilities. The team of college amateurs won the gold at the games that year, which were held in Los Angeles. Stojan Vrankovic.The championship win that season was emotional for Jordan because it was the first championship he won following his fathers murder and the championship was won on fathers day. Jordan was seen crying after the win.
The following season, Jordan did not win the All-Star MVP and NBA MVP, but went on to win the NBA Championship and also his fourth NBA Finals MVP.
In the /98 season, Jordan was once again on an impressive run as he claimed the NBA MVP, All-Star MVP, the NBA Finals MVP, and the NBA Championship.
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Second Retirement
In January , Michael Jordan retired for the second time.
A year later, he returned to the NBA as co-owner of a Basketball franchise, the Washington Wizards.
Washington Wizards (–)
In September , he returned as a Washington Wizards player and went on to play until April , where he played his final NBA game against the Philadelphia 76ers in front of 21, spectators.
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Michael Jordan Baseball Career
In February , Michael Jordan signed a deal with the Chicago White Sox to play in Major League Baseball (MLB).
In March , as a result of the MLB strike, he decided to retire from baseball.
Michael Jordans International Career
Michael Jordans international career is as glamorous as his NBA career.
At the Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, Jordan, who was still in college, led the US team in points and picked his first Olympics gold medal. In the Barcelona Summer Olympics, Jordan, who was part of the star-studded Dream team, won his second Olympics Gold medal. He also won Gold at the Caracas Pan American games and the Portland FIBA Americas Championship.
Michael Jordans Wife, Personal Life & Charity
In , Michael Jordan married Juanita Vanoy, who gave birth to three children for him — two sons and a daughter. In January , they filed for divorce as a result of irreconcilable differences but soon reconciled. But in December , they divorced amicably.
Juanita Vanoy received a $ million settlement. In , he got married to Yvette Prieto, a Cuban model. In February , Prieto gave birth to a set of identical twins named, Victoria and Ysabel.
In July , a court declared that Jordan did not owe his ex-lover Karla Knafel, $5 million over breach of contract after it emerged that he paid her $, to keep their affair a secret.
Between to , Jordan held the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, a golf tournament, which raised money for charity. Jordan was made The Chief Wish ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in As of , Jordan has helped the foundation raise as much as $5 million.
In , Jordans Nike Air Jordan shoes were released, and it progressed to become a viral sensation.
The brand generated about $1 billion in sales for Nike, as revealed by Forbes. Jordan had various endorsement deals with Gatorade, Nike, McDonalds, Chevrolet, Wheaties, Coca-Cola, and several others.
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In , following his increased stake in basketball franchise, the Charlotte Hornets, from 80% to %, Jordan became the first basketball billionaire.
SEE MORE: Biography facts, childhood and personal life of famous basketball stars
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