Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ,[4] is an American former professional basketball player who is the principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time."[5] He was integral in helping to popularize the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s,[6] becoming a global cultural icon in the process.[7]
Michael Jordan
Jordan in April 2014
Charlotte Hornets
Position
Owner
League
NBA
Personal information
Born
February 17, 1963 (age 57)
Brooklyn, New York
Nationality
American
Listed height
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight
216 lb (98 kg)[1]
Career information
High school
Emsley A. Laney
(Wilmington, North Carolina)
College
North Carolina (1981–1984)
NBA draft
1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Playing career
1984–1993, 1995–1998, 2001–2003
Position
Shooting guard
Number
23, 12,[a] 45
Career history
1984–1993,
1995–1998
Chicago Bulls
2001–2003
Washington Wizards
Career highlights and awards
6× NBA champion (1991–1993, 1996–1998)
6× NBA Finals MVP (1991–1993, 1996–1998)
5× NBA Most Valuable Player (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)
14× NBA All-Star (1985–1993, 1996–1998, 2002, 2003)
3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998)
10× All-NBA First Team (1987–1993, 1996–1998)
All-NBA Second Team (1985)
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988)
9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1988–1993, 1996–1998)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1985)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1985)
10× NBA scoring champion (1987–1993, 1996–1998)
3× NBA steals leader (1988, 1990, 1993)
2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1987, 1988)
No. 23 retired by Chicago Bulls
No. 23 retired by Miami Heat
3× AP Athlete of the Year (1991–1993)
Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (1991)
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
NCAA champion (1982)
Consensus national college player of the year (1984)
2× Consensus first-team All-American (1983, 1984)
ACC Player of the Year (1984)
2× First-team All-ACC (1983, 1984)
ACC Rookie of the Year (1982)
No. 23 retired by North Carolina Tar Heels
2× USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1983, 1984)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016)
Career NBA statistics
Points
32,292 (30.1 ppg)
Rebounds
6,672 (6.2 rpg)
Assists
5,633 (5.3 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
1984 Los Angeles Men's basketball
1992 Barcelona Men's basketball
FIBA Americas Championship
1992 Portland Men's basketball
Pan American Games
1983 Caracas Men's basketball
Jordan played college basketball for three seasons under coach Dean Smith with the North Carolina Tar Heels. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982. Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick, and quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring while gaining a reputation as one of the game's best defensive players.[8] His leaping ability, demonstrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in Slam Dunk Contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". Jordan won his first NBA championship with the Bulls in 1991, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the 1993–94 NBA season to play Minor League Baseball, but returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three more championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998, as well as a then-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. He retired for a second time in January 1999 but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.
Done!