Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. Jordan is the fourth of five children, having two older brothers an older and younger sister. Jordan's parents worked hard to provide him and his siblings with a comfortable lifestyle.
As a child, Jordan played many sports. His preferred sport at the time was baseball but after he began spending a lot of time playing basketball. His outlook changed because his older brother continuously kept beating him when they played. He was determined to become a better player.
Ironically, in 1978, when Jordan attended Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, he was cut from the varsity team. Instead of giving up, he fought and became the greatest basketball player in the NBA. Between the 10th and 11th grade he had improved greatly as a player. He played so well in his junior year that he was invited to attend the Five-Star Camp in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the summer before his senior year.
By the time Jordan was finishing his senior year at Laney, he had grown to 6'5" and attained a basketball scholarship from the University of North Carolina. Jordan's ever-growing popularity began at UNC where he made a last minute game-winning shot in the NCAA championship game.
In the summer of 1984, Jordan played on the US Men's Olympic Basketball Team under head coach Bobby Knight. The team had such college players as Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin. Jordan's plays quickly awed the other teams.
He scored 14 pts against China, 20 against Canada and 16 against Uruguay. The US won all eight of the games by an average of 32 pts per game. Jordan led the team with 17 pts per game. Two months after the Olympics, he played his first regular-season game with the Chicago Bulls.
Jordan immediately proved that he belonged in the big leagues and his acrobatic moves and hang-time won him the infamous nickname Air Jordan. His basketball skills and allure made him the perfect key figure to market both Nike products and the NBA.
Jordan led the Bulls to three consecutive World Championships. Jordan retired from the NBA preceding the 1993/94 season after the mysterious death of his father and after rumors about his gambling addictions began to circulate.
After proving that he was the best basketball player in the world, Jordan sought a new challenge and decided to try his hand at baseball. He played outfielder for the Barons, but quickly realized that he was not cut out for baseball after a disappointing season.
In 1995, Jordan made a surprise return to basketball right before the playoffs but unfortunately, the Bulls didn't win the Championship. In 1996, Jordan led the Bulls to their best season record and 4th Championship. He also took a shot at an animated movie called Space Jam.
Jordan decided to retire after winning his last Championship in 1999, mainly due to his decision to dedicate his life to his wife Juanita, and children.
After returning to the game as president of basketball operations with the Washington Wizards Jordan announced his return to the NBA as a Wizard. But he suffered a knee injury that kept him on the sidelines for the most of the season.
