Aaron's Sports History Highlights
Michael Jordan was born in 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. The 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) shooting guard first became known as an explosive individual scorer, but as he matured as a player he adopted a more team-oriented approach to the game. Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1991-1993, 1996-1998). His widespread appeal to fans has helped keep basketball one of the world's most popular spectator sports.
The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan in the 1984 NBA draft as the third overall pick. During his rookie year, Jordan led the team in points (28.2), rebounds (6.5), assists (5.9), and steals (2.4) per game. His performance earned him the rookie of the year award, a spot on the All-Star team, and a place on the all-rookie team.
The pattern of spectacular individual performances but disappointing playoff losses was repeated over Jordan's next five seasons. Jordan's status as an NBA superstar was cemented when he won the slam-dunk contest during the 1988 All-Star Game. His leap from the free-throw line elevated his popularity beyond the expectations of the league. Jordan also boosted the popularity of the Nike shoe company and other sponsors with his sincere, plainspoken endorsements.
After a brief 2 year retirement, Jordan returned to dominate the league in 1995. In 1999, Jordan once again announced his retirement from professional basketball. His career totals include 29,277 points, 5,836 rebounds, 5,012 assists, and 2,306 steals. Jordan holds the records for the highest career scoring average (31.5 points per game) and the most seasons leading the league in scoring (10).
Jordan has been especially influential in the sportswear industry, starting with Nike's introduction of the famous line of Air Jordan basketball shoes in 1984. The partnership between Jordan and Nike became so successful that, before the 1997-98 season, Nike created a separate business unit known as the JORDAN brand to market footwear and apparel that Jordan himself helps design.
