The Greatest Basketball Player - Michael Jordan

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
― Michael Jordan

Without a doubt, Michael Jordan is the best talents to have stepped on a basketball court. Who would know better than all his fans and those who have watched him play. You will always find him in the list of greatest basketball players. He win national championships six times along with two Olympic gold medals.

He dominated the court and ball from 1980s to 1990s. His scintillating performance and achievements on the court will remain etched in the minds of people forever. In the following sections, you will read about his life and achievements.

Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 17, 1963. When he was a kid, his parents James R. Jordan Sr. and Delores Jordan decided to move to Wilmington, North Carolina. He has two older brothers, one older sister, and one younger sister.

When he was a kid, he loved to play baseball, but was also interested in basketball and football. However, his love for basketball gradually grew when his older brother Larry continuously beat him in each and every basketball match.

Since he had a competitive spirit from the start, he was ready to face any challenge. This furthered his determination to become a better player. In Wilmington, North Carolina, Michael played basketball for Emsley A. Laney High School. Incongruously, he was cut from the varsity team as a sophomore and for being short at 5'11" as well.

He did not give up even after he failed to make a place in the team. Michael used this failure to encourage himself to prove his worth. He trained hard and eventually made his entry into Laney's junior varsity team. And as a senior, he was selected to McDonald's All-American Team. After that, he received scholarship offers from many universities.

In 1981, Michael accepted a basketball scholarship from the University of North Carolina. He was a freshman, but his ever-growing popularity began when he scored the game-winning basket in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against the Georgetown Hoyas.

In the 1983-84 seasons, he was selected as the College Player of the Year, and led the US Men's Basketball Team to an Olympic Gold in the 1984 Summer Olympics, at Los Angeles, under coach Bobby Knight.

In 1984, he left college and entered the NBA to play for the Chicago Bulls. He was selected third in the draft by the Chicago Bulls, a team that had won only 28 games the previous season. On October 26, 1984, in the first game itself he played as a professional against Washington.

He turned out to be an immediate impact in the league and proved that he belonged among the elite players. He finished the season as one of the top scorers in the league, averaging 28.2 points per game. He was named Rookie of the Year and also made the All-Star team.

In every season, Michael led the Bulls into the playoffs but couldn't make it to the NBA Finals until 1991. After that he led the Bulls to their first of three consecutive NBA Championships in 1991, 1992, and 1993. During this period, he also won the MVP award as well as the Defensive Player of the Year award.

In the 1992 summer, Michael played Olympics with the world number one Dream Team. It was the first time in the history that NBA players were allowed to compete in the Olympics. Michael scored 12.7 points per game as the USA Dream Team went 6-0 to win the gold medal.

There were some upsetting events followed after Michael's third NBA Championship. The NBA began an inquiry that Michael had illegally bet on NBA games. But he was cleared from this claim. Eventually, this event caused Jordan to lose his motivation and the sense of having to prove something as a basketball player, and he felt it was time to retire.

Prior to the 1993-1994 seasons Michael announced his retirement from Basketball world. Another reason that he cited for retirement was the murder of his father on July 23, 1993.

Jordan returned to professional sports in 1994 as a baseball player. He signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox of the American League. In the end of 1994-1995 NBA seasons, Michael ended his retirement from professional basketball by rejoining the Chicago Bulls again.

In the 1995-1996 seasons, he was lead scorer with 30.4 points per game and being named league Most Valuable Player. The Chicago Bulls also became the first NBA team in the history, finishing with 72 victories and won the NBA championship title.

Michael was named as Most Valuable Player of the NBA finals, becoming the first player to earn the honor four times. In 1996, he was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.

In 1997-1998, Michael and Chicago Bulls continued their dominance and won two more consecutive championships, becoming the first team in NBA history to repeat-the-three peat (1991-1993, 1996-1998). Michael was selected as All-Star Most Valuable Player and also earned league Most Valuable Player honors in 1998.

Then Jordan announced his second retirement. Jordan stated that he would like to spend more time with his wife Juanita and their three children Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine.

Michael Jordan's burning desire to become succeed motivated him to return once again as a basketball player. On September 25, 2001, he announced that he would return to the NBA and play for the Washington Wizards.

On January 4, 2002 he achieved another greatest moment in his life, scoring his 30,000th career point against his former team, the Chicago Bulls. On April 16, 2003, he retired for a third and final time after playing his final game of the career.

No player in NBA history is as great as Michael Jordan. He achieved a lot in a very small span of time. He ended his career with 32,292 points and a career average 30.12 points per game.