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Michael Jordan

Jordan in 2014

Charlotte Hornets

Position

Minority owner

League

NBA

Personal information

Born

February 17, 1963 (age 62)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

Listed height

6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)

Listed weight

216 lb (98 kg)^[a]

Career information

High school

Emsley A. Laney
(Wilmington, North Carolina)

College

North Carolina (1981–1984)

NBA draft

1984: 1st round, 3rd overall pick

Drafted by

Chicago Bulls

Playing career

1984–1993, 1995–1998, 2001–2003

Position

Shooting guard / small forward

Number

23, 12,^[b] 45

Career history

1984–1993,
1995–1998

Chicago Bulls

2001–2003

Washington Wizards

Career highlights

Career NBA statistics

Points

32,292 (30.1 ppg)

Rebounds

6,672 (6.2 rpg)

Assists

5,633 (5.3 apg)

Stats at NBA.com

Stats at Basketball Reference

Basketball Hall of Fame

FIBA Hall of Fame

Medals

Men's basketball

Representing the United States
Olympic Games
	1984 Los Angeles	Men's basketball
	1992 Barcelona	Men's basketball
Tournament of the Americas
	1992 Portland	Men's basketball
Pan American Games
	1983 Caracas	Men's basketball

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ,^[9] is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. He played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) between 1984 and 2003, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. He was integral in popularizing basketball and the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s,^[10] becoming a global cultural icon.^[11]

Jordan played college basketball with the North Carolina Tar Heels. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982.^[5] Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick^[5]^[12] and quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring while gaining a reputation as one of the best defensive players.^[13] 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".^[5]^[12] Jordan won his first NBA title with the Bulls in 1991 and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a three-peat. Citing physical and mental exhaustion from basketball and superstardom, Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the 1993–94 NBA season to play Minor League Baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization. He 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.^[5] Jordan retired for the second time in January 1999, returning for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.^[5]^[12] He was selected to play for the United States national team during his college and NBA careers, winning four gold medals—at the 1983 Pan American Games, 1984 Summer Olympics, 1992 Tournament of the Americas and 1992 Summer Olympics—while also being undefeated.^[14]

Jordan's individual accolades include six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards, ten NBA scoring titles (both all-time records), five NBA MVP awards, 10 All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game selections, three NBA All-Star Game MVP awards, three NBA steals titles, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.^[12] He holds the NBA records for career regular season scoring average (30.1 points per game) and career playoff scoring average (33.4 points per game).^[15] He is one of only eight players to achieve the basketball Triple Crown. In 1999, Jordan was named the 20th century's greatest North American athlete by ESPN and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press' list of athletes of the century.^[5] Jordan was twice inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, once in 2009 for his individual career,^[16] and again in 2010 as part of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team").^[17] He became a member of the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009,^[18] a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2010,^[19] and an individual member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015 and a "Dream Team" member in 2017.^[20]^[21] Jordan was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team in 1996 and to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.^[22] The trophy for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award is named in his honor.

One of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation, Jordan made many product endorsements.^[10]^[23] He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1984 and remain popular.^[24] Jordan starred as himself in the live-action/animation hybrid film Space Jam (1996) and was the central focus of the Emmy-winning documentary series The Last Dance (2020). He became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Hornets (then named the Bobcats) in 2006 and bought a controlling interest in 2010, before selling his majority stake in 2023. Jordan is also a co-owner of 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. In 2016, he became the first billionaire player in NBA history.^[25] That same year, President Barack Obama awarded Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom.^[26] As of 2025^[update], his net worth is estimated at $3.5 billion by Forbes,^[27] making him one of the richest celebrities.

Early life

[edit]

Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born at Cumberland Hospital in Brooklyn, New York City, on February 17, 1963,^[28] to bank employee Deloris (née Peoples) and equipment supervisor James R. Jordan Sr.^[28]^[29] He has two older brothers, James Jr. and Larry, as well as an older sister named Deloris and a younger sister named Roslyn.^[30]^[31] Jordan and his siblings were raised Methodist.^[32]

In 1968, the family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina.^[33] Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School, where he played basketball, baseball, and football. He tried out for the basketball varsity team during his sophomore year, but at a height of 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m), he was deemed too short.^[34]^[35] Motivated to prove his worth, Jordan became the star of Laney's junior varsity team and tallied some 40-point games.^[34] The following summer, he grew four inches (10 cm) and trained rigorously.^[35] Upon earning a spot on the varsity roster, Jordan averaged more than 25 points per game (ppg) over his final two seasons of high school play.^[36] As a senior, he was selected for the 1981 McDonald's All-American Game and scored 30 points,^[37]^[38] after averaging 26.8 ppg,^[36] 11.6 rebounds (rpg), and 10.1 assists per game (apg) for the season.^[39]

Jordan going in for a slam dunk for the Laney High School varsity basketball team, c. 1979–80

Jordan was recruited by numerous college basketball programs, including Duke, North Carolina, South Carolina, Syracuse, and Virginia.^[40] In 1981, he accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where Jordan majored in cultural geography.^[41] He chose this field of study because of its relationship to meteorology, as Jordan was interested in a career as a meteorologist.^[42]^[43]

College career

[edit]

As a freshman under coach Dean Smith’s team-oriented system, Jordan was named ACC Freshman of the Year after averaging 13.4 points per game on 53.4% shooting—ranking 10th in scoring and 5th in field goal percentage in the conference.^[44]^[45] He made the game-winning jump shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown, which was led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing.^[46] Jordan later described this shot as the major turning point in his basketball career.^[47]^[48] During his sophomore and junior seasons, Jordan consistently ranked among the ACC’s elite, finishing either 1st or 2nd in both total points and points per game, while also placing in the top 10 in field goal percentage and free throw percentage.^[49]^[50] In his three seasons with the Tar Heels, Jordan averaged 17.7 ppg on 54.0% shooting and added 5.0 rpg and 1.8 apg.^[12]

Jordan was selected by consensus to the NCAA All-American First Team in both his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984) seasons.^[51]^[52] After winning the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984, Jordan left North Carolina a year before his scheduled graduation to enter the 1984 NBA draft. Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986,^[53] when he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography.^[54]^[55] In 2002, Jordan was selected to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team and named the greatest athlete in ACC history.^[56]^[57]

Professional career

[edit]

Chicago Bulls (1984–1993; 1995–1998)

[edit]

Early NBA years (1984–1987)

[edit]

The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick of the 1984 NBA draft after Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers). One of the primary reasons why Jordan was not drafted sooner was because the first two teams were in need of a center.^[58] Trail Blazers general manager Stu Inman contended that it was not a matter of drafting a center but more a matter of taking Bowie over Jordan, in part because Portland already had Clyde Drexler, who was a guard with similar skills to Jordan.^[59] Citing Bowie's injury-laden college career, ESPN named the Blazers' choice of Bowie as the worst draft pick in North American professional sports history.^[60]

Jordan made his NBA debut at Chicago Stadium on October 26, 1984, and scored 16 points. In 2021, a ticket stub from the game sold at auction for $264,000, setting a record for a collectible ticket stub.^[61] During his rookie 1984–85 season with the Bulls, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting.^[45] He helped the Bulls improve from 27–55 to 38–44 and qualify for the postseason for the first time since the 1980–81 season.^[62] Jordan quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas.^[63]^[64]^[65] Roy S. Johnson of The New York Times described Jordan as "the phenomenal rookie of the Bulls" in November,^[65] and he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the heading "A Star Is Born" in December.^[66]^[67] The fans voted in Jordan as an All-Star starter during his rookie season.^[5] Controversy arose before the 1985 NBA All-Star Game when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by Isiah Thomas, were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving.^[5] This led to a so-called "freeze-out" on Jordan, where players refused to pass the ball to him.^[5] The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted the NBA Rookie of the Year.^[68] The Bulls lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in four games in the first round of the playoffs.^[68]

An often-cited moment was on August 26, 1985,^[36]^[69] when Jordan shook the arena during a Nike exhibition game in Trieste, Italy, by shattering the glass of the backboard with a dunk.^[70]^[71] The moment was filmed and is often referred to as an important milestone in Jordan's rise.^[71]^[72] The shoes Jordan wore during the game were auctioned in August 2020 for $615,000, a record for a pair of sneakers.^[73]^[74] Jordan's 1985–86 season was cut short when he broke his foot in the third game of the year, causing him to miss 64 games.^[75] The Bulls made the playoffs despite Jordan's injury and a 30–52 record,^[76] at the time the fifth-worst record of any team to qualify for the playoffs in NBA history.^[77] Jordan recovered in time to participate in the postseason and performed well upon his return. On April 20 at the Boston Garden, in Game 2 of the First Round, a 135–131 double overtime loss to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics, Jordan scored a playoff career-high 63 points, breaking Elgin Baylor's single-game playoff scoring record.^[78] The Celtics team, though, swept the series in three games.^[68]^[78]^[79]

Jordan completely recovered in time for the 1986–87 season,^[80] and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in NBA history; he became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score 3,000 points in a season, averaging a league-high 37.1 ppg on 48.2% shooting.^[45]^[81] Jordan also demonstrated his defensive prowess, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season.^[82] Despite Jordan's success, Magic Johnson won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award.^[83] The Bulls reached 40 wins,^[76] and advanced to the playoffs for the third consecutive year but were again swept by the Celtics.^[68]

Pistons roadblock (1987–1990)

[edit]

Jordan led the league in scoring during the 1987–88 season, averaging 35.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting,^[45] and won his first league MVP Award. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 1.6 blocks per game (bpg), a league-high 3.1 steals per game (spg),^[84]^[d] and leading the Bulls defense to the fewest points per game allowed in the league.^[86] The Bulls finished 50–32,^[76] and made it past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in Jordan's career, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.^[87] In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Bulls lost in five games to the more experienced Detroit Pistons,^[68] who were led by Isiah Thomas and a group of physical players known as the "Bad Boys".^[88]

In the 1988–89 season, Jordan again led the league in scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the field, along with 8.0 rpg and 8.0 apg.^[45] During the season, Jordan expressed his frustration over the Bull's offense with head coach Doug Collins, who then put Jordan at point guard. In his time as a point guard, Jordan had 10 triple-doubles in 11 games, with averages of 33.6 ppg, 11.4 rpg, and 10.8 apg.^[89]

The Bulls finished with a 47–35 record,^[76] and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the Cavaliers and New York Knicks along the way.^[90] The Cavaliers series included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer in the fifth and final game of the series.^[91] In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons again defeated the Bulls, this time in six games,^[68] by utilizing their "Jordan Rules" method of guarding Jordan, which consisted of double and triple teaming him every time he touched the ball.^[5]

The Bulls entered the 1989–90 season as a team on the rise, with their core group of Jordan and young improving players like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, and under the guidance of new coach Phil Jackson.^[92] On March 28, 1990, Jordan scored a career-high 69 points in a 117–113 road win over the Cavaliers.^[93] He averaged a league-leading 33.6 ppg on 52.6% shooting, to go with 6.9 rpg and 6.3 apg,^[45] in leading the Bulls to a 55–27 record.^[76] They again advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers;^[94] despite pushing the series to seven games, the Bulls lost to the Pistons for the third consecutive season.^[68]

First three-peat (1991–1993)

[edit]

After the Bulls' previous losses to the Pistons, Phil Jackson, along with assistant coach Tex Winter, focused on implementing the triangle offense to counteract the Pistons' defense and other teams that heavily targeted Jordan. This system, however, required Jordan to adjust his playing style.^[95]^[96] In his book Eleven Rings, Jackson recalled, "I was planning to ask Michael to reduce the number of shots he took so that other members of the team could get more involved in the offense. I knew this would be a challenge for him."^[97] In The Last Dance, Jordan admitted he was initially reluctant to back the system.^[96] Nevertheless, he eventually embraced the change, which led to success for the team.^[98]

In the 1990–91 season, Jordan won his second MVP award after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season.^[45] The Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in sixteen years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season.^[76] With Scottie Pippen developing into an All-Star, the Bulls had elevated their play. The Bulls defeated the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where their rival, the Detroit Pistons, awaited them;^[99] this time, the Bulls beat the Pistons in a four-game sweep.^[100]

The Bulls advanced to the Finals for the first time in franchise history to face the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bulls won the series in five games, and compiled a 15–2 playoff record along the way.^[99] Perhaps the best-known moment of the series came in Game 2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan avoided a potential Sam Perkins block by switching the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot into the basket.^[101] In his first Finals appearance, Jordan had 31.2 ppg on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 apg, 6.6 rpg, 2.8 spg, and 1.4 bpg.^[102] Jordan won his first NBA Finals MVP award^[103] and cried while holding the Finals trophy.^[104]

Jordan and the Bulls continued their dominance in the 1991–92 season, establishing a 67–15 record, topping their franchise record from the 1990–91 campaign.^[76] Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with averages of 30.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, and 6.1 apg on 52% shooting.^[84] After winning a physical seven-game series over the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals in six games, the Bulls met Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the Finals. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic–Bird rivalry, highlighted the similarities between "Air" Jordan and Clyde "The Glide" during the pre-Finals hype.^[105]

In a Game 1 victory, Jordan scored a Finals-record 35 points in the first half, including a record-setting six three-point field goals.^[106] After the sixth three-pointer, he jogged down the court shrugging as he looked courtside. Marv Albert, who broadcast the game, later stated that it was as if Jordan was saying: "I can't believe I'm doing this."^[107] The Bulls went on to defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row,^[103] and finished the series averaging 35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5 apg, while shooting 52.6% from the floor.^[108]

In the 1992–93 season, despite a 32.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, and 5.5 apg campaign, including a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting,^[84]^[109] Jordan's streak of consecutive MVP seasons ended, as he lost the award to his friend Charles Barkley,^[83] upsetting him.^[110] Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and his Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. The Bulls won their third NBA championship on a game-winning shot by John Paxson and a last-second block by Horace Grant, but Jordan was once again Chicago's leader. He averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the six-game series,^[111] and became the first player in NBA history to win three consecutive Finals MVP awards.^[103] Jordan scored more than 30 points in every game of the series, including 40 or more points in four consecutive games.^[112] With his third Finals triumph, Jordan capped off a seven-year run where he attained seven scoring titles and three championships, but there were signs that Jordan was tiring of his massive celebrity and all of the non-basketball hassles in his life.^[113]

Gambling

[edit]

During the 1993 NBA playoffs, Jordan was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the night before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks.^[114] The previous year, he admitted that he had to cover $57,000 in gambling losses,^[115] and author Richard Esquinas wrote a book in 1993 claiming he had won $1.25 million from Jordan on the golf course.^[116] David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA, denied in 1995 and 2006 that Jordan's 1993 retirement was a secret suspension by the league for gambling,^[117]^[118] but the rumor spread widely.^[119]

In 2005, Jordan discussed his gambling with Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes and admitted that he made reckless decisions. Jordan stated:

Yeah, I've gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I've pushed the envelope. Is that compulsive? Yeah, it depends on how you look at it. If you're willing to jeopardize your livelihood and your family, then yeah.

When Bradley asked him if his gambling ever got to the level where it jeopardized his livelihood or family, Jordan replied: "No."^[120] In 2010, Ron Shelton, director of Jordan Rides the Bus, said that he began working on the documentary believing that the NBA had suspended him, but that research "convinced [him it] was nonsense".^[119]

First retirement and stint in Minor League Baseball (1993–1995)

[edit]

Michael Jordan
Jordan in training with the Scottsdale Scorpions in 1994
Birmingham Barons – No. 45, 35
Outfielder
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
Southern League: April 8, 1994, for the Birmingham Barons
Arizona Fall League: 1994, for the Scottsdale Scorpions
Last Southern League appearance
March 10, 1995, for the Birmingham Barons
Southern League statistics (through 1994)
Batting average	.202
Home runs	3
Runs batted in	51
Arizona Fall League statistics
Batting average	.252
Runs batted in	8

Teams
Birmingham Barons (1994–1995) Scottsdale Scorpions (1994)

On October 6, 1993, Jordan announced his retirement, saying that he lost his desire to play basketball. He later said that the murder of his father three months earlier helped shape his decision.^[121] James R. Jordan Sr. was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina, by two teenagers, Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery, who carjacked his Lexus.^[122]^[123] His body, dumped in a South Carolina swamp, was not discovered until August 3.^[123] Green and Demery were sentenced to life imprisonment.^[124] However, in The Last Dance, Jordan stated that he retired due to physical and mental exhaustion from basketball and superstardom.^[125]

Jordan was close to his father; as a child, Jordan imitated the way his father stuck out his tongue while absorbed in work. Jordan later adopted it as his own signature, often displaying it as he drove to the basket.^[5] In 1996, Jordan founded a Chicago-area Boys & Girls Club and dedicated it to his father.^[126]^[127] In his 1998 autobiography For the Love of the Game, Jordan wrote that he was preparing for retirement as early as the summer of 1992.^[128] The added exhaustion due to the "Dream Team" run in the 1992 Summer Olympics solidified Jordan's feelings about the game and his celebrity status. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world.^[129]

Jordan further surprised the sports world by signing a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) contract with the Chicago White Sox on February 7, 1994.^[130] He reported to spring training in Sarasota, Florida, and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31.^[131] Jordan said that this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who always envisioned his son as a Major League Baseball (MLB) player.^[132] The White Sox were owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball.^[133]

In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 30 stolen bases, 114 strikeouts, 51 bases on balls, and 11 errors.^[134]^[135] His strikeout total led the team and his games played tied for the team lead. His 30 stolen bases were second on the team only to Doug Brady.^[136] Jordan also appeared for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League, batting .252 against the top prospects in baseball.^[131] On November 1, 1994, his No. 23 was retired by the Bulls in a ceremony that included the erection of a permanent sculpture known as The Spirit outside the new United Center.^[137]^[138]^[139]

Return to the NBA (1995)

[edit]

The Bulls went 55–27 in 1993–94 without Jordan in the lineup^[76] and lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs.^[140] In March 1995, Jordan decided to quit baseball because he feared he might become a replacement player during the Major League Baseball strike.^[141] During the 1994–95 season, Jordan returned to the Bulls midway through the season. On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his comeback to the NBA in a two-word press release: "I'm back."^[142] The next day, Jordan took to the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points.^[143] The game had the highest Nielsen rating of any regular season NBA game since 1975.^[144] Although he could have worn his original number even though the Bulls retired it, Jordan wore No. 45, his baseball number.^[143]

Despite his 18-month hiatus from the NBA, Jordan played well, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. He scored 55 points in his next game, against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1995.^[68] Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 13–4 to make the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic.^[145] At the end of Game 1, Orlando's Nick Anderson stripped Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the Magic; he later commented that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan",^[146] and said, "No. 45 doesn't explode like No. 23 used to".^[147]

Jordan responded by scoring 38 points in the next game, which Chicago won. Before the game, Jordan decided that he would immediately resume wearing his former No. 23. The Bulls were fined $25,000 for failing to report the impromptu number change to the NBA.^[147] Jordan was fined an additional $5,000 for opting to wear white sneakers when the rest of the Bulls wore black.^[148] He averaged 31 ppg in the playoffs, but Orlando won the series in six games.^[149]

Second three-peat (1996–1998)

[edit]

Jordan was freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, and he trained aggressively for the 1995–96 season.^[150] The Bulls were strengthened by the addition of rebound specialist Dennis Rodman, and the team dominated the league, starting the season at 41–3.^[151] The Bulls finished with the best regular season record in NBA history, 72–10, a mark broken two decades later by the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors.^[152] Jordan led the league in scoring with 30.4 ppg,^[153] and he won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards.^[12]

In the playoffs, the Bulls lost only three games in four series (Miami Heat 3–0, New York Knicks 4–1, and Orlando Magic 4–0), as they defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 4–2 in the NBA Finals to win their fourth championship.^[151] The series was one of the tougher ones for Jordan as he had a 41.5% field goal percentage and his scoring average dropped nearly nine points from his average during the rest of the playoffs.^[154] Nevertheless, Jordan was named Finals MVP for a record fourth time;^[103] he achieved only the second sweep of the MVP awards in the All-Star Game, regular season, and NBA Finals after Willis Reed in the 1969–70 season.^[68] Upon winning the championship, his first since his father's murder, Jordan reacted emotionally, clutching the game ball and crying on the locker room floor.^[5]^[104]

In the 1996–97 season, the Bulls stood at a 69–11 record but ended the season by losing their final two games to finish the year 69–13, missing out on a second consecutive 70-win season.^[155] The Bulls again advanced to the Finals, where they faced the Utah Jazz.^[156] That team included Karl Malone, who had beaten Jordan for the NBA MVP award in a tight race (986–957).^[157]^[158]^[159] The series against the Jazz featured two of the more memorable clutch moments of Jordan's career. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied 2–2, Jordan played despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus. In what is known as "The Flu Game", Jordan scored 38 points, including the game-winning three-pointer with 25 seconds remaining.^[156] The Bulls won 90–88 and went on to win the series in six games.^[155] For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Jordan received the Finals MVP award.^[103] During the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, he posted the first triple-double in All-Star Game history in a victorious effort, but the MVP award went to Glen Rice.^[160]

The Bulls compiled a 62–20 record in the 1997–98 season.^[76] Jordan led the league with 28.7 ppg,^[84] securing his fifth regular season MVP award, plus honors for All-NBA First Team, First Defensive Team, and the All-Star Game MVP.^[12] The Bulls won the Eastern Conference Championship for a third straight season, including surviving a seven-game series with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals; it was the first time Jordan had played in a Game 7 since the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals with the New York Knicks.^[161]^[162] After winning, they moved on for a rematch with the Jazz in the Finals.^[163]

The Bulls returned to the Delta Center for Game 6 on June 14, 1998, leading the series 3–2. Jordan executed a series of plays, considered to be one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history.^[164] With 41.9 seconds remaining and the Bulls trailing 86–83, Phil Jackson called a timeout. When play resumed, Jordan received the inbound pass, drove to the basket, and sank a shot over several Jazz defenders, cutting Utah's lead to 86–85.^[164] The Jazz brought the ball upcourt and passed the ball to Malone, who was set up in the low post and was being guarded by Rodman. Malone jostled with Rodman and caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind him and stole the ball out of his hands.^[164]

Jordan then dribbled down the court and paused, eyeing his defender, Jazz guard Bryon Russell. With 10 seconds remaining, Jordan started to dribble right, then crossed over to his left, possibly pushing off Russell, although the officials did not call a foul.^[165]^[166]^[167]^[168] With 5.2 seconds left, Jordan made the climactic shot of his Bulls career,^[169] a top-key jumper over a stumbling Russell to give Chicago an 87–86 lead. Afterwards, the Jazz' John Stockton narrowly missed a game-winning three-pointer, and the buzzer sounded as Jordan and the Bulls won their sixth NBA championship,^[170] achieving a second three-peat in the decade.^[171] Once again, Jordan was voted Finals MVP for a record sixth time,^[103] having led all scorers by averaging 33.5 ppg, including 45 in the deciding Game 6.^[172] The 1998 Finals holds the highest television rating of any Finals series,^[173] and Game 6 holds the highest television rating of any game in NBA history.^[174]

Second retirement (1999–2001)

[edit]

With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999.^[175]^[176]^[177] On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player but as part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards.^[178] Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive, as he controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations, and had the final say in all personnel matters; opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed.^[179]^[180] He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (like forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland)^[181]^[182] but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA draft to select high school student Kwame Brown, who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons.^[179]^[183]

Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" he would never play another NBA game,^[104] Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback in the summer of 2001, this time with his new team.^[184]^[185] Inspired by the NHL comeback of his friend Mario Lemieux the previous winter,^[186] Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago.^[187] Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return.^[184]^[185]

Washington Wizards (2001–2003)

[edit]

On September 25, 2001, Jordan announced his return to the NBA to play for the Washington Wizards, indicating his intention to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11 attacks.^[188]^[189] In an injury-plagued 2001–02 season, Jordan led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.4 spg),^[5] and was an MVP candidate, as he led the Wizards to a winning record and playoff contention;^[190]^[191] Jordan would eventually finish 13th in the MVP ballot.^[192] After he suffered torn cartilage in his right knee,^[193] and subsequent knee soreness,^[194] the Wizards missed the playoffs,^[195] and Jordan's season ended after only 60 games, the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the 1994–95 season.^[45] Jordan started 53 of his 60 games for the season, averaging 24.3 ppg, 5.4 apg, and 6.0 rpg, and shooting 41.9% from the field in his 53 starts. His last seven appearances were in a reserve role, in which he averaged just over 20 minutes per game.^[196] The Wizards finished the season with a 37–45 record, an 18-game improvement.^[195]

Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2003, Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history, a record since broken by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.^[197]^[198] That year, Jordan was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games, starting in 67 of them as he came off the bench in 15. Jordan averaged 20.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 spg per game.^[5] He also shot 45% from the field, and 82% from the free-throw line.^[45] Although Jordan turned 40 during the season, he scored 20 or more points 42 times, 30 or more points nine times, and 40 or more points three times.^[68] On February 21, 2003, Jordan became the first 40-year-old to tally 43 points in an NBA game.^[199] During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the MCI Center were sold out and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20,172 fans a game at home and 19,311 on the road.^[200] Jordan's final two seasons did not result in a playoff appearance for the Wizards, and he was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him.^[201]^[202] At several points, Jordan openly criticized his teammates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity, notably that of Kwame Brown, the number-one draft pick in the 2001 NBA draft.^[201]^[202]

Final retirement (2003)

[edit]

With the recognition that 2002–03 would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA. In his final game at the United Center in Chicago, which was his old home court, Jordan received a four-minute standing ovation.^[203] The Miami Heat retired the No. 23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though Jordan never played for the team.^[204] At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson but refused both;^[205] he accepted the spot of Vince Carter.^[206] Jordan played in his final NBA game on April 16, 2003, in Philadelphia. After scoring 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds left in the third quarter and his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers 75–56. Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike!" After much encouragement from coach Doug Collins, Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game, replacing Larry Hughes with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' Eric Snow, and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie John Salmons, who in turn was intentionally fouled by Bobby Simmons one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. He received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials, and the crowd of 21,257 fans.^[207]

National team career

[edit]

Jordan made his debut as a college player for the U.S. national basketball team at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela. He led the team in scoring with 17.3 ppg as the U.S., coached by Jack Hartman, won the gold medal.^[208]^[209] The following year, Jordan won another gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The 1984 U.S. team was coached by Bob Knight and featured young players such as Patrick Ewing, Sam Perkins, Chris Mullin, Steve Alford, and Wayman Tisdale. Jordan led the team in scoring, averaging 17.1 ppg for the tournament.^[210]

In 1992, Jordan, now an NBA player, was a member of the star-studded squad that was dubbed the "Dream Team", which included Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The team won two gold medals: the first in the 1992 Tournament of the Americas,^[211] and the second in the 1992 Summer Olympics. Jordan was the only player to start all eight games in the Olympics. He averaged 14.9 ppg on 45% shooting from the field and 68% from the free-throw line, and was second on the team in scoring.^[212] He was undefeated in the four tournaments he played for the United States national team, and Jordan won all 30 games he took part in.^[14]

Player profile

[edit]

Jordan was a shooting guard who could also play as a small forward, the position he would primarily play during his second return to professional basketball with the Washington Wizards.^[12] Jordan was known throughout his career as a strong clutch performer. With the Bulls, he decided 25 games with field goals or free throws in the last 30 seconds, including two NBA Finals games and five other playoff contests.^[213] His competitiveness was visible in his prolific trash talk and well-known work ethic.^[214]^[215]^[216] Jordan often used perceived slights to fuel his performances. Sportswriter Wright Thompson described him as "a killer, in the Darwinian sense of the word, immediately sensing and attacking someone's weakest spot".^[3] As the Bulls organization built the franchise around Jordan, management had to trade away players who were not "tough enough" to compete with him in practice. To improve his defense, Jordan spent hours studying film of opponents. On offense, he relied more upon instinct and improvization.^[217] Jordan's fierce competitiveness greatly impacted his teammates, sometimes motivating them but also leading to tension and alienation.^[218]^[219]

Noted as a durable player, Jordan did not miss four or more games while active for a full season from 1986–87 to 2001–02, when he injured his right knee.^[12]^[220] Of the 15 seasons Jordan was in the NBA, he played all 82 regular season games nine times.^[12] Jordan has frequently cited David Thompson, Walter Davis, and Jerry West as influences.^[221]^[222] Confirmed at the start of his career, and possibly later on, Jordan had a special "Love of the Game Clause" written into his contract, which was unusual at the time, and allowed him to play basketball against anyone at any time, anywhere.^[223]

Jordan had a versatile offensive game and was capable of aggressively driving to the basket as well as drawing fouls from his opponents at a high rate. His 8,772 free throw attempts are the 11th-highest total in NBA history.^[224] Early in Jordan's career, he weighed in at around 200 pounds (91 kg) and was more athletic in terms of play style.^[225] As his career progressed, Jordan also developed the ability to post up his opponents and score with his trademark fadeaway jump shot, using his leaping ability to avoid block attempts. According to Hubie Brown, this move alone made Jordan nearly unstoppable.^[226] Around this time, he bulked up to 215 pounds (98 kg) in order to adapt to the increased physicality of NBA defenses during the 1990s, sacrificing some athleticism for added strength in the post.^[225] Despite media criticism by some as a selfish player early in his career, Jordan was willing to defer to this teammates, with a career average of 5.3 apg and a season-high of 8.0 apg.^[45] For a guard, Jordan was also a good rebounder, finishing with 6.2 rpg. Defensively, he averaged 2.3 spg and 0.8 bpg.^[45]

The three-point field goal was not Jordan's strength, especially in his early years. Later on in his career, Jordan improved his three-point shooting, and finished his career with a three-point field goal percentage of 32%.^[45] His best years shooting from three occurred in the 1989–90 and 1992–93 seasons, where he shot 37% and 35% from three, respectively (Jordan did shoot higher percentages from 1994 to 1997, but in those years, the three-point line was temporarily moved inwards).^[12]^[227]

Overall, Jordan's effective field goal percentage was 51%, and he had six seasons with at least 50% shooting, five of which were consecutive (1988–1992). Jordan also shot 51% and 50% from the field, and 30% and 33% from three-point range, throughout his first and second retirements, respectively, finishing his Bulls career with 31.5 points per game on 50.5 FG% shooting and his overall career with 49.7 FG% shooting.^[12]

In 1988, Jordan was honored with the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player awards, becoming the first NBA player to win both awards in a career let alone season. He also set both seasonal and career records for blocked shots by a guard,^[228] and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. Despite his defensive prowess, the 1988 season has come under scrutiny due to the large discrepancy between Jordan's steals' numbers at home versus on the road. Such stat inflation was common, and a 2024 study by Tom Haberstroh found that there were games where Jordan was often credited with steals that could not have happened. For example, in one game, he was credited with more steals than the opposing team had live-ball turnovers.^[229] Jordan ranks fourth in NBA history in total steals with 2,514, trailing John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Chris Paul.^[230] Jerry West often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan's defensive contributions than his offensive ones.^[231] Doc Rivers declared Jordan "the best superstar defender in the history of the game".^[232]

Jordan was known to have strong eyesight. Broadcaster Al Michaels said that Jordan was able to read baseball box scores on a 27-inch (69 cm) television clearly from about 50 feet (15 m) away.^[233] During the 2001 NBA Finals, Phil Jackson compared Jordan's dominance to Shaquille O'Neal, stating: "Michael would get fouled on every play and still have to play through it and just clear himself for shots instead and would rise to that occasion."^[234]

Legacy

[edit]

Career

Family

Books

The Jordan Rules (1992)
When Nothing Else Matters (2004)

Filmography

ProStars (1991)
Space Jam (1996)
Michael Jordan: An American Hero (1999)
Michael Jordan to the Max (2000)
Like Mike (2002)
Like Mike 2: Streetball (2006)
The Last Dance (2020)
Air (2023)

Video games

Jordan vs. Bird: One on One (1988)
Michael Jordan in Flight (1993)
Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City (1994)
Space Jam (1996)
NBA 2K11 (2010)
NBA 2K12 (2011)
NBA 2K16 (2015)
NBA 2K23 (2022)

Related

Jordan's talent was clear from his first NBA season; by November 1984, he was being compared to Julius Erving.^[63]^[65] Larry Bird said that rookie Jordan was the best player he ever saw, and that Jordan was "one of a kind", and comparable to Wayne Gretzky as an athlete.^[235] In his first game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, Jordan received a near minute-long standing ovation.^[65] After Jordan established the single game playoff record of 63 points against the Boston Celtics on April 20, 1986, Bird described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan".^[78]

Jordan led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons (NBA record) and tied Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven consecutive scoring titles.^[5] Jordan was a fixture of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, making the roster nine times (NBA record shared with Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant).^[236] He also holds the top career regular season and playoff scoring averages of 30.1 and 33.4 ppg, respectively.^[15]^[237] By 1998, the season of his Finals-winning shot against the Jazz, he was well known throughout the league as a clutch performer. In the regular season, Jordan was the Bulls' primary threat in the final seconds of a close game and in the playoffs; he would always ask for the ball at crunch time.^[238] Jordan's total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the second-highest among NBA career playoff scoring leaders.^[239] He scored 32,292 points in the regular season,^[240] placing him fifth on the NBA all-time scoring list behind LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, and Bryant.^[240]

With five regular season MVPs (tied for second place with Bill Russell—only Abdul-Jabbar has won more, with six), six Finals MVPs (NBA record), and three NBA All-Star Game MVPs, Jordan is among the most decorated players in NBA history.^[12]^[241] He finished among the top three in regular season MVP voting 10 times.^[12] Jordan was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996,^[242] and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.^[22] He is one of only eight players in history to achieve the basketball Triple Crown—winning an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal (doing so twice with the 1984 and 1992 U.S. men's basketball teams).^[243]^[244]^[245] Since 1976, the year of the ABA–NBA merger,^[246] Jordan and Pippen are the only two players to win six NBA Finals playing for one team.^[247] In the All-Star Game fan ballot, Jordan received the most votes nine times.^[248]

"There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us."

—Magic Johnson^[5]

Many of Jordan's contemporaries have said that he is the greatest basketball player of all time.^[231] In 1999, an ESPN survey of journalists, athletes and other sports figures ranked Jordan the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century.^[249] Jordan placed second to Babe Ruth in the Associated Press' December 1999 list of 20th century athletes.^[250] The Associated Press also voted Jordan the greatest basketball player of the 20th century.^[251] He has also appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated a record 50 times.^[252] In the September 1996 issue of Sport, which was the publication's 50th-anniversary issue, Jordan was named the greatest athlete of the past 50 years.^[253]

Jordan's athletic leaping ability, highlighted in his back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest championships in 1987 and 1988, is credited by many people with having influenced a generation of young players.^[254]^[255] Several NBA players, including James and Dwyane Wade, have stated that they considered Jordan as their role model while they were growing up.^[256]^[257] Commentators have also dubbed a number of next-generation players "the next Michael Jordan" upon their entry to the NBA, including Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Bryant, Vince Carter, James, and Wade.^[258]^[259]^[260] Some analysts, such as The Ringer's Dan Devine, drew parallels between Jordan's experiment at point guard in the 1988–89 season and the modern NBA; for Devine, it "inadvertently foreshadowed the modern game's stylistic shift toward monster-usage primary playmakers", such as Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Luka Dončić, and James.^[261] Don Nelson stated: "I would've been playing him at point guard the day he showed up as a rookie."^[262]

Although Jordan was a well-rounded player, his "Air Jordan" image is also often credited with inadvertently decreasing the jump shooting skills, defense, and fundamentals of young players,^[254] a fact Jordan himself has lamented, saying: "I think it was the exposure of Michael Jordan; the marketing of Michael Jordan. Everything was marketed towards the things that people wanted to see, which was scoring and dunking. That Michael Jordan still played defense and an all-around game, but it was never really publicized."^[254] During his heyday, Jordan did much to increase the status of the game; television ratings increased only during his time in the league.^[263] The popularity of the NBA in the U.S. declined after his last title.^[263] As late as 2022, NBA Finals television ratings had not returned to the level reached during his last championship-winning season.^[264]

In August 2009, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, opened a Michael Jordan exhibit that contained items from his college and NBA careers as well as from the 1992 "Dream Team"; the exhibit also has a batting baseball glove to signify Jordan's short career in the Minor League Baseball.^[265] After Jordan received word of his acceptance into the Hall of Fame, he selected Class of 1996 member David Thompson to present him.^[266] As Jordan would later explain during his induction speech in September 2009, he was not a fan of the Tar Heels when growing up in North Carolina but greatly admired Thompson, who played for the rival NC State Wolfpack. In September, Jordan was inducted into the Hall with several former Bulls teammates in attendance, including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and Toni Kukoč.^[16] Dean Smith and Doug Collins, two of Jordan's former coaches, were also among those present. His emotional reaction during his speech when Jordan began to cry was captured by Associated Press photographer Stephan Savoia and would later go viral on social media as the "Crying Jordan" Internet meme.^[267]^[268] In 2016, President Barack Obama honored Jordan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.^[26] In October 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.^[22] In September 2022, Jordan's jersey in which he played the opening game of the 1998 NBA Finals was sold for $10.1 million, making it the most expensive game-worn sports memorabilia in history.^[269] In December 2022, the NBA unveiled a new MVP trophy, named in Jordan's honor, to be awarded beginning with the 2022–23 season, which replaced the original trophy, named in honor of former NBA commissioner Maurice Podoloff.^[270]^[271]

NBA career statistics

[edit]

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high
†	Won an NBA championship	*	Led the league	‡	NBA record

Regular season

[edit]

Regular season statistics^[12]
Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1984–85	Chicago	82*	82*	38.3	.515	.173	.845	6.5	5.9	2.4	.8	28.2
1985–86	Chicago	18	7	25.1	.457	.167	.840	3.6	2.9	2.1	1.2	22.7
1986–87	Chicago	82*	82*	40.0	.482	.182	.857	5.2	4.6	2.9	1.5	37.1*
1987–88	Chicago	82	82*	40.4*	.535	.132	.841	5.5	5.9	3.2*	1.6	35.0*
1988–89	Chicago	81	81	40.2*	.538	.276	.850	8.0	8.0	2.9	.8	32.5*
1989–90	Chicago	82*	82*	39.0	.526	.376	.848	6.9	6.3	2.8*	.7	33.6*
1990–91†	Chicago	82*	82*	37.0	.539	.312	.851	6.0	5.5	2.7	1.0	31.5*
1991–92†	Chicago	80	80	38.8	.519	.270	.832	6.4	6.1	2.3	.9	30.1*
1992–93†	Chicago	78	78	39.3	.495	.352	.837	6.7	5.5	2.8*	.8	32.6*
1994–95	Chicago	17	17	39.3	.411	.500	.801	6.9	5.3	1.8	.8	26.9
1995–96†	Chicago	82	82*	37.7	.495	.427	.834	6.6	4.3	2.2	.5	30.4*
1996–97†	Chicago	82	82*	37.9	.486	.374	.833	5.9	4.3	1.7	.5	29.6*
1997–98†	Chicago	82*	82*	38.8	.465	.238	.784	5.8	3.5	1.7	.5	28.7*
2001–02	Washington	60	53	34.9	.416	.189	.790	5.7	5.2	1.4	.4	22.9
2002–03	Washington	82	67	37.0	.445	.291	.821	6.1	3.8	1.5	.5	20.0
Career		1,072	1,039	38.3	.497	.327	.835	6.2	5.3	2.3	.8	30.1‡
All-Star		13	13	29.4	.472	.273	.750	4.7	4.2	2.8	.5	20.2

Playoffs

[edit]

Playoff statistics^[12]^[272]
Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1985	Chicago	4	4	42.8	.436	.125	.828	5.8	8.5	2.8	1.0	29.3
1986	Chicago	3	3	45.0	.505	1.000	.872	6.3	5.7	2.3	1.3	43.7‡
1987	Chicago	3	3	42.7	.417	.400	.897	7.0	6.0	2.0	2.3	35.7
1988	Chicago	10	10	42.7	.531	.333	.869	7.1	4.7	2.4	1.1	36.3
1989	Chicago	17	17	42.2	.510	.286	.799	7.0	7.6	2.5	.8	34.8
1990	Chicago	16	16	42.1	.514	.320	.836	7.2	6.8	2.8	.9	36.7
1991†	Chicago	17	17	40.5	.524	.385	.845	6.4	8.4	2.4	1.4	31.1
1992†	Chicago	22	22	41.8	.499	.386	.857	6.2	5.8	2.0	.7	34.5
1993†	Chicago	19	19	41.2	.475	.389	.805	6.7	6.0	2.1	.9	35.1
1995	Chicago	10	10	42.0	.484	.367	.810	6.5	4.5	2.3	1.4	31.5
1996†	Chicago	18	18	40.7	.459	.403	.818	4.9	4.1	1.8	.3	30.7
1997†	Chicago	19	19	42.3	.456	.194	.831	7.9	4.8	1.6	.9	31.1
1998†	Chicago	21	21	41.5	.462	.302	.812	5.1	3.5	1.5	.6	32.4
Career		179	179	41.8	.487	.332	.828	6.4	5.7	2.1	.8	33.4‡

Awards and honors

[edit]

James Worthy, Jordan, and Dean Smith in 2007 at a North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball game honoring the 1957 and 1982 men's basketball teams

NBA

Six-time NBA champion – 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998^[5]
Six-time NBA Finals MVP – 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998^[12]
Five-time NBA MVP – 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998^[5]
NBA Defensive Player of the Year – 1987–88^[273]
NBA Rookie of the Year – 1984–85^[5]
10-time NBA scoring leader – 1987–1993, 1996–1998^[12]
Three-time NBA steals leader – 1988, 1990, 1993^[12]
14-time NBA All-Star – 1985–1993, 1996–1998, 2002, 2003^[12]
Three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP – 1988, 1996, 1998^[12]
10-time All-NBA First Team – 1987–1993, 1996–1998^[5]
One-time All-NBA Second Team – 1985^[5]
Nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team – 1988–1993, 1996–1998^[5]
NBA All-Rookie First Team – 1985^[12]
Two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion – 1987, 1988^[5]
Two-time IBM Award winner – 1985, 1989^[273]
Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996^[5]
Selected on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021^[22]
No. 23 retired by the Chicago Bulls^[274]
No. 23 retired by the Miami Heat^[274]
Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor^[275]
NBA MVP trophy renamed in Jordan's honor ("Michael Jordan Trophy") in 2022^[271]

USA Basketball

Two-time Olympic gold medal winner – 1984, 1992^[5]
Tournament of the Americas gold medal winner – 1992^[276]
Pan American Games gold medal winner – 1983^[277]
Pan American Games Most Outstanding Player – 1983^[278]
Three-time USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year – 1983, 1984, 1992^[279]

NCAA

NCAA national championship – 1981–82^[273]
ACC Rookie of the Year – 1981–82^[280]
Two-time Consensus NCAA All-American First Team – 1982–83, 1983–84^[280]
ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year – 1983–84^[280]
ACC Athlete of the Year – 1984^[281]
Two-time Sporting News National Player of the Year (1983, 1984)^[282]
AP College Player of the Year – 1983–84^[283]
USBWA College Player of the Year – 1983–84^[284]
Naismith College Player of the Year – 1983–84^[5]
Adolph Rupp Trophy – 1983–84^[285]
John R. Wooden Award – 1983–84^[5]
UPI College Player of the Year – 1983–84^[286]
NABC Player of the Year – 1983–84^[287]
No. 23 retired by the North Carolina Tar Heels^[288]

High school

McDonald's All-American – 1981^[37]
Parade All-American First Team – 1981^[289]

Halls of Fame

Two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee:
- Class of 2009 – individual^[16]
- Class of 2010 – as a member of the "Dream Team"^[17]
United States Olympic Hall of Fame – Class of 2009 (as a member of the "Dream Team")^[18]
North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame – Class of 2010^[19]
Two-time FIBA Hall of Fame inductee:
- Class of 2015 – individual^[20]
- Class of 2017 – as a member of the "Dream Team"^[21]

Media

Three-time Associated Press Athlete of the Year – 1991, 1992, 1993^[290]
Associated Press Athlete of the Decade – 1990s
Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year – 1991^[291]
Sporting News Athlete of the Year – 1991^[292]
Seven-time Sporting News NBA MVP – 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998^[293]
Ranked No. 1 by Slam magazine's "Top 50 Players of All-Time"^[294]
Ranked No. 1 by ESPN SportsCentury's "Top North American Athletes of the 20th Century"^[249]
10-time ESPY Award winner (in various categories)^[295]
1997 Marca Leyenda winner^[296]

National

2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom^[26]

State/local

Statue inside the United Center^[297]
Section of Madison Street in Chicago renamed Michael Jordan Drive – 1994^[298]

Post-retirement

[edit]

After his third retirement, Jordan assumed that he would be able to return to his front office position as Director of Basketball Operations with the Wizards.^[299] Jordan's previous tenure had produced mixed results and may have also influenced the trade of Richard "Rip" Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse, although Jordan was not technically Director of Basketball Operations in 2002.^[179] On May 7, 2003, Wizards owner Abe Pollin fired Jordan from the role.^[179] Jordan later stated that he felt betrayed, and that if he had known he would be fired upon retiring, he never would have come back to play for the Wizards.^[120]

Over the next few years, Jordan played golf in celebrity charity tournaments and spent time with his family in Chicago. He also promoted his Jordan Brand clothing line and rode motorcycles.^[300] Since 2004, Jordan has owned Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team that competed with two Suzukis in the premier Superbike championship sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) until the end of the 2013 season.^[301]^[302]

Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets

[edit]

On June 15, 2006, Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats (known as the Hornets since 2013), becoming the team's second-largest shareholder behind majority owner Robert L. Johnson. As part of the deal, Jordan took full control over the basketball side of the operation, with the title Managing Member of Basketball Operations.^[303]^[304] Despite his previous success as an endorser, Jordan made an effort not to be included in Charlotte's marketing campaigns.^[305] A decade earlier, he had made a bid to become part-owner of Charlotte's original NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets, but talks collapsed when owner George Shinn refused to give Jordan complete control of basketball operations.^[306]

In February 2010, it was reported that Jordan was seeking majority ownership of the Bobcats.^[307] As February wore on, it became apparent that Jordan and former Houston Rockets president George Postolos were the leading contenders for ownership of the team. On February 27, the Bobcats announced that Johnson had reached an agreement with Jordan and his group, MJ Basketball Holdings, to buy the team from Johnson pending NBA approval.^[308] On March 17, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved Jordan's purchase, making him the first former player to become the majority owner of an NBA team,^[309] and the league's only African-American majority owner.^[310]

During the 2011 NBA lockout, The New York Times wrote that Jordan led a group of 10 to 14 hardline owners who wanted to cap the players' share of basketball-related income at 50 percent and as low as 47. Journalists observed that, during the labor dispute in 1998, Jordan told Washington Wizards then-owner Abe Pollin: "If you can't make a profit, you should sell your team."^[311] Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com called Jordan "a hypocrite sellout who can easily betray the very people who made him a billionaire global icon" for wanting "current players to pay for his incompetence".^[312] He cited Jordan's executive decisions to draft disappointing players Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison.^[312]

During the 2011–12 NBA season that was shortened to 66 games by the lockout, the Bobcats posted a 7–59 record. The team closed out the season with a 23-game losing streak; their .106 winning percentage was the worst in NBA history.^[313] Before the next season, Jordan said: "I'm not real happy about the record book scenario last year. It's very, very frustrating."^[314]

During the 2019 NBA offseason, Jordan sold a minority piece of the Hornets to Gabe Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim, retaining the majority for himself,^[315] as well as the role of chairman.^[316] In 2023, Jordan finalized the sale of his majority stake to Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, ending his 13-year tenure as majority owner, although he kept a minority stake.^[317] The sale was officially completed in August 2023 for approximately $3 billion, more than 10 times the $275 million Jordan had paid for the team.^[318]

23XI Racing

[edit]

On September 21, 2020, Jordan and NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin announced they would be fielding a NASCAR Cup Series team with Bubba Wallace driving, beginning competition in the 2021 season.^[319] On October 22, the team's name was confirmed to be 23XI Racing (pronounced twenty-three eleven) and the team's entry would bear No. 23.^[320] After the team's inaugural season, it added a second car with No. 45, driven by Kurt Busch in 2022 and Tyler Reddick in 2023.^[321]^[322] Ty Gibbs, John Hunter Nemechek, and Daniel Hemric also drove for 23XI as substitute drivers during the 2022 season.^[323]^[324]^[325] The team fielded a third car, No. 67, driven by Travis Pastrana in the 2023 Daytona 500.^[326] Reddick won the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season championship, the first for the team.^[327] 23XI Racing acquired a third charter from the defunct Stewart-Haas Racing, the No. 35 driven by Riley Herbst beginning in 2025.^[328]

Personal life

[edit]

Jordan married Juanita Vanoy at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on September 2, 1989.^[329]^[330] They had three children: Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine.^[331] The Jordans filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but reconciled shortly thereafter. They again filed for divorce and were granted a final decree of dissolution of marriage on December 29, 2006, commenting that the decision was made "mutually and amicably".^[332]^[333] It is reported that Juanita received a $168 million settlement (equivalent to $262 million in 2024), making it the largest celebrity divorce settlement on public record at the time.^[334]^[335]

In 1991, Jordan purchased a lot in Highland Park, Illinois, where he planned to build a 56,000-square-foot (5,200 m²) mansion. It was completed in 1995. Jordan listed the mansion for sale in 2012.^[336] He also owns homes in North Carolina and Jupiter Island, Florida.^[337]

On July 21, 2006, a judge in Cook County, Illinois, determined that Jordan did not owe his alleged former lover Karla Knafel $5 million in a breach of contract claim.^[338] Jordan had allegedly paid Knafel $250,000 to keep their relationship a secret.^[339]^[340]^[341] Knafel claimed Jordan promised her $5 million for remaining silent and agreeing not to file a paternity suit after Knafel learned she was pregnant in 1991; a DNA test showed that Jordan was not the father of the child.^[338]

Jordan proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto, on Christmas 2011,^[342] and they were married on April 27, 2013, at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church.^[343]^[344] It was announced on November 30, 2013, that the two were expecting their first child together.^[345]^[346] On February 11, 2014, Prieto gave birth to identical twin daughters named Victoria and Ysabel.^[347] In 2019, Jordan became a grandfather when his daughter Jasmine gave birth to a son, whose father is professional basketball player Rakeem Christmas.^[348]

Media figure and business interests

[edit]

Endorsements

[edit]

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald's, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Wheaties, Hanes, and MCI.^[349] In the early stages of his career, he appeared in an anti-drug PSA sponsored by McDonald's.^[350] Jordan has had a long relationship with Gatorade, appearing in over 20 commercials for the company since 1991, including the "Be Like Mike" commercials in which a song was sung by children wishing to be like Jordan.^[349]^[351]

Nike created a signature shoe for Jordan, called the Air Jordan, in 1984.^[352] One of his more popular commercials for the shoe involved Spike Lee playing the part of Mars Blackmon. In the commercials, Lee, as Blackmon, attempted to find the source of Jordan's abilities and became convinced that "it's gotta be the shoes".^[349] The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spate of "shoe-jackings", in which people were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. Subsequently, Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own division named the "Jordan Brand". The company features a list of athletes and celebrities as endorsers.^[353]^[354] The brand has also sponsored college sports programs such as those of North Carolina, UCLA, California, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgetown, and Marquette.^[355]^[356]

Jordan also has been associated with the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. A Nike commercial shown during 1992's Super Bowl XXVI featured Jordan and Bugs Bunny playing basketball.^[357] The Super Bowl commercial inspired the 1996 live action/animated film Space Jam, which starred Jordan and Bugs in a fictional story set during the former's first retirement from basketball.^[358] They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI.^[358] Jordan also made an appearance in the music video for Michael Jackson's "Jam" (1992).^[359]

Since 2008, Jordan's yearly income from endorsements is estimated to be over $40 million.^[360]^[361] In addition, when his power at the ticket gates was at its highest point, the Bulls regularly sold out both their home and road games.^[362] Due to this, Jordan set records in player salary by signing annual contracts worth in excess of US$30 million per season.^[363] An academic study found that his first NBA comeback resulted in an increase in the market capitalization of his client firms of more than $1 billion.^[364]

Most of Jordan's endorsement deals, including his first deal with Nike, were engineered by his agent, David Falk.^[365] Jordan has described Falk as "the best at what he does" and that "marketing-wise, he's great. He's the one who came up with the concept of 'Air Jordan'."^[366]

Business ventures

[edit]

In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by Forbes as the 20th-most-powerful celebrity in the world, with $55 million earned between June 2009 and June 2010. According to Forbes, Jordan Brand generates $1 billion in sales for Nike.^[367] In June 2014, Jordan was named the first NBA player to become a billionaire, after he increased his stake in the Charlotte Hornets from 80% to 89.5%.^[368]^[369] On January 20, 2015, Jordan was honored with the Charlotte Business Journal's Business Person of the Year for 2014.^[370] In 2017, he became a part owner of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball.^[371]

Forbes designated Jordan as the athlete with the highest career earnings in 2017.^[372] From his Jordan Brand income and endorsements, Jordan's 2015 income was an estimated $110 million, the most of any retired athlete.^[373] As of 2025^[update], his net worth is estimated at $3.5 billion by Forbes,^[27] making him the fourth-richest African-American, behind David Steward, Robert F. Smith, and Alex Karp,^[374] and one of the richest celebrities.^[375]

Jordan co-owns an automotive group which bears his name. The company has a Nissan dealership in Durham, North Carolina, acquired in 1990,^[376] and formerly had a Lincoln–Mercury dealership from 1995 until its closure in June 2009.^[377]^[378] The company also owned a Nissan franchise in Glen Burnie, Maryland.^[377] The restaurant industry is another business interest of Jordan's. Restaurants he has owned include a steakhouse in New York City's Grand Central Terminal, among others;^[379] that restaurant closed in 2018.^[380] Jordan is the majority investor in a golf course, Grove XXIII in Hobe Sound, Florida.^[381]

In September 2020, Jordan became an investor and advisor for DraftKings.^[382]

Philanthropy

[edit]

From 2001 to 2014, Jordan hosted an annual golf tournament, the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, that raised money for various charities.^[383] In 2006, Jordan and his wife Juanita pledged $5 million to Chicago's Hales Franciscan High School.^[384] The Jordan Brand has made donations to Habitat for Humanity and a Louisiana branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.^[385]

The Make-A-Wish Foundation named Jordan its Chief Wish Ambassador in 2008.^[383] In 2013, he granted his 200th wish for the organization.^[386] As of 2019, Jordan has raised more than $5 million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.^[383] In 2023, he donated $10 million to the organization for his 60th birthday.^[387]

In 2015, Jordan donated a settlement of undisclosed size from a lawsuit against supermarkets that had used his name without permission to 23 different Chicago charities.^[388] In 2017, Jordan funded two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte, North Carolina, by giving $7 million, the biggest donation he had made at the time.^[389] The following year, after Hurricane Florence damaged parts of North Carolina, including his former hometown of Wilmington, Jordan donated $2 million to relief efforts.^[390] He gave $1 million to aid the Bahamas' recovery following Hurricane Dorian in 2019.^[391]

Amidst the public uproar about the police shootings of two African-American men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, and two deadly attacks against police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Jordan made $1 million donations to two organizations, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Institute for Community-Police Relations. Jordan says the goal is to "build trust and respect between communities and law enforcement." He also said "I can no longer stay silent. We need to find solutions that ensure people of color receive fair and equal treatment AND that police officers – who put their lives on the line every day to protect us all – are respected and supported."^[392]

On June 5, 2020, in the wake of the protests following the murder of George Floyd, Jordan and his brand announced in a joint statement that they would be donating $100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to "ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education".^[393] In February 2021, Jordan funded two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in New Hanover County, North Carolina, by giving $10 million.^[394]^[395] In 2024, he funded the opening of another Novant Health Clinic, this time in Wilmington.^[396]

Film and television

[edit]

Jordan played himself in the 1996 comedy film Space Jam. The film received mixed reviews,^[397] but it was a box office success, making $230 million worldwide, and earned more than $1 billion through merchandise sales.^[398]

In 2000, Jordan was the subject of an IMAX documentary about his career with the Chicago Bulls, especially the 1998 NBA playoffs, titled Michael Jordan to the Max.^[399] Two decades later, the same period of Jordan's life was covered in much greater and more personal detail by the Emmy Award-winning The Last Dance, a 10-part TV documentary which debuted on ESPN in April and May 2020. The Last Dance relied heavily on about 500 hours of candid film of Jordan's and his teammates' off-court activities which an NBA Entertainment crew had shot over the course of the 1997–98 NBA season for use in a documentary. The project was delayed for many years because Jordan had not yet given his permission for the footage to be used.^[400]^[401] Jordan was interviewed at three homes associated with the production and did not want cameras in his home or on his plane, as according to director Jason Hehir "there are certain aspects of his life that he wants to keep private".^[402]

Jordan granted rapper Travis Scott permission to film a music video for his single "Franchise" at his home in Highland Park, Illinois.^[403] Jordan appeared in the 2022 miniseries The Captain, which follows the life and career of Derek Jeter.^[404]

Books

[edit]

Jordan has authored several books focusing on his life, basketball career, and world view.

Rare Air: Michael on Michael, with Mark Vancil and Walter Iooss (Harper San Francisco, 1993).^[405]^[406]
I Can't Accept Not Trying: Michael Jordan on the Pursuit of Excellence, with Mark Vancil and Sandro Miller (Harper San Francisco, 1994).^[407]
For the Love of the Game: My Story, with Mark Vancil (Crown Publishers, 1998).^[408]
Driven from Within, with Mark Vancil (Atria Books, 2005).^[409]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

^ Jordan's weight fluctuated from 195 to 218 lb (88 to 99 kg) during the course of his professional career;^[1]^[2]^[3] his NBA listed weight was 216 lb (98 kg).^[4]^[5]^[6]
^ Jordan wore a nameless No. 12 jersey in a February 14, 1990, game against the Orlando Magic because his No. 23 jersey had been stolen.^[7] Jordan scored 49 points, setting a franchise record for players wearing that jersey number.^[8]
^ As part of the 1992 Olympic team.
^ A 2024 study by Tom Haberstroh found that Jordan was credited with several steals during the season which did not and could not have taken place. For example, during several home games, Jordan was credited with more steals than the opposing team had live-ball turnovers.^[85]

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[edit]

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Sources

[edit]

External videos
Discussion with Halberstam on Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made, February 22, 1999, C-SPAN

Condor, Bob (1998). Michael Jordan's 50 Greatest Games. Carol Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-8065-2030-8.
Halberstam, David (2000). Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made. Broadway Books. ISBN 978-0-7679-0444-5.
Jordan, Michael (1998). For the Love of the Game: My Story. New York City: Crown Publishers. ISBN 978-0-609-60206-5.
Kotler, Philip; Rein, Irving J.; Shields, Ben (2006). The Elusive Fan: Reinventing Sports in a Crowded Marketplace. The McGraw-Hill Companies. ISBN 978-0-07-149114-3.
Kruger, Mitchell (2003). One Last Shot: The Story of Michael Jordan's Comeback. New York City: St. Martin's Paperbacks. ISBN 978-0-312-99223-1.
Lazenby, Roland (2014). Michael Jordan: The Life. New York City: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-19477-8.
LaFeber, Walter (2002). Michael Jordan and the New Global Capitalism. W. W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-32369-6.
Markovits, Andrei S.; Rensman, Lars (June 3, 2010). Gaming the World: How Sports are Reshaping Global Politics and Culture. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-13751-3.
Porter, David L. (2007). Michael Jordan: A Biography. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-33767-3.
The Sporting News Official NBA Register 1994–95 (1994). The Sporting News. ISBN 978-0-89204-501-3.

Further reading

[edit]

Dyson, M. E. (1993). Be like Mike?: Michael Jordan and the pedagogy of desire. Cultural Studies, 7(1), 64–72.
Leahy, Michael (2004). When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-7648-1.
Mathur, Lynette Knowles, et al. "The wealth effects associated with a celebrity endorser: The Michael Jordan phenomenon." Journal of Advertising Research, vol. 37, no. 3, May–June 1997, pp. 67+. Gale Academic OneFile.
McGovern, Mike (2005). Michael Jordan: Basketball Player. Ferguson. ISBN 978-0-8160-5876-1.

External links

[edit]

Listen to this article (1 hour and 0 minutes)

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Michael Jordan on Twitter

Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
Basketball Hall of Fame profile

Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
Michael Jordan at IMDb
"Jordan archives". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 5, 1997. Retrieved April 29, 2020.

v t e Michael Jordan
Achievements
Main	The Shot Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals 1982 NCAA Championship Game Air Jordan (Jumpman) Jordan Rules Flu Game shoes Last Dance shoes
Family	James R. Jordan Sr. (father) Larry Jordan (brother) Jeffrey Jordan (son) Marcus Jordan (son) Yvette Prieto (wife) Rakeem Christmas (son-in-law)
Books	The Jordan Rules (1992) When Nothing Else Matters (2004)
Film and television	ProStars (1991) Space Jam (1996) Michael Jordan: An American Hero (1999) Michael Jordan to the Max (2000) Like Mike (2002) Like Mike 2: Streetball (2006) The Last Dance (2020) Air (2023)
Video games	Jordan vs. Bird: One on One (1988) Michael Jordan in Flight (1993) Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City (1994) Space Jam (1996) NBA 2K11 (2010) NBA 2K12 (2011) NBA 2K16 (2015) NBA 2K23 (2022)
Other	Michael Jordan statue Michael Jordan's Restaurant Michael Jordan's Steak House "Stop it. Get some help." (1987) Michael Jackson's "Jam" (1992) "Be Like Mike" (1992) "Second Generation" (2006) Buckethead's "Jordan" (2009) Crying Jordan 23XI Racing
Category

National Basketball Association owners

Eastern
Conference

Atlantic	Boston Basketball Partners (Boston Celtics) Joseph Tsai (Brooklyn Nets) Madison Square Garden Sports (James L. Dolan) (New York Knicks) Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (Josh Harris and David Blitzer) (Philadelphia 76ers) Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (Toronto Raptors)
Central	Jerry Reinsdorf (Chicago Bulls) Dan Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers) Tom Gores (Detroit Pistons) Herb Simon (Indiana Pacers) Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam (Milwaukee Bucks)
Southeast	Tony Ressler (Atlanta Hawks) Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall (Charlotte Hornets) Micky Arison (Miami Heat) RDV Sports, Inc. (Orlando Magic) Monumental Sports & Entertainment (Ted Leonsis) (Washington Wizards)

Western
Conference

Southwest	Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont (Dallas Mavericks) Tilman Fertitta (Houston Rockets) Robert Pera (Memphis Grizzlies) Gayle Benson (New Orleans Pelicans) Spurs Sports & Entertainment (Julianna Holt) (San Antonio Spurs)
Northwest	Ann Walton Kroenke (Denver Nuggets) Glen Taylor (Minnesota Timberwolves) Professional Basketball Club (Clayton Bennett) (Oklahoma City Thunder) Jody Allen (Portland Trail Blazers) Ryan Smith (Utah Jazz)
Pacific	Peter Guber and Joe Lacob (Golden State Warriors) Steve Ballmer (Los Angeles Clippers) Jeanie Buss (Los Angeles Lakers) Mat and Justin Ishbia (Phoenix Suns) Vivek Ranadivé (Sacramento Kings)

Links to related articles

v t e Washington Wizards general managers
Frank Lane (1962–1963) Paul Hoffman (1964–1965) Buddy Jeannette (1965–1968) Joe Sachs (1968–1970) Jerry Sachs (1970–1973) Bob Ferry (1973–1990) John Nash (1990–1996) Wes Unseld (1996–2000) Michael Jordan (2000–2001) Wes Unseld (2001–2003) Ernie Grunfeld (2003–2019) Tommy Sheppard (2019–2023) Will Dawkins (2023–present)

Oscar Robertson Trophy winners

1959: Robertson
1960: Robertson
1961: Lucas
1962: Lucas
1963: Heyman
1964: Hazzard
1965: Bradley
1966: Russell
1967: Alcindor
1968: Alcindor
1969: Maravich
1970: Maravich
1971: Wicks
1972: Walton
1973: Walton
1974: Walton
1975: Thompson
1976: Dantley
1977: M. Johnson
1978: Ford
1979: Bird
1980: Aguirre
1981: Sampson
1982: Sampson
1983: Sampson
1984: Jordan
1985: Mullin
1986: Berry
1987: D. Robinson
1988: Hawkins
1989: Ferry
1990: Simmons
1991: L. Johnson
1992: Laettner
1993: Cheaney
1994: G. Robinson
1995: O'Bannon
1996: Camby
1997: Duncan
1998: Jamison
1999: Brand
2000: Martin
2001: Battier
2002: Williams
2003: West
2004: Nelson
2005: Bogut
2006: Morrison & Redick
2007: Durant
2008: Hansbrough
2009: Griffin
2010: Turner
2011: Fredette
2012: Davis
2013: Burke
2014: McDermott
2015: Kaminsky
2016: Hield
2017: Mason III
2018: Brunson
2019: Williamson
2020: Toppin
2021: Garza
2022: Tshiebwe
2023: Edey
2024: Edey
2025: Flagg

Adolph Rupp Trophy winners

1972: Walton
1973: Walton
1974: Walton
1975: Thompson
1976: May
1977: Johnson
1978: Lee
1979: Bird
1980: Aguirre
1981: Sampson
1982: Sampson
1983: Sampson
1984: Jordan
1985: Ewing
1986: Berry
1987: D. Robinson
1988: Hawkins
1989: Elliott
1990: Simmons
1991: O'Neal
1992: Laettner
1993: Cheaney
1994: G. Robinson
1995: Smith
1996: Camby
1997: Duncan
1998: Jamison
1999: Brand
2000: Martin
2001: Battier
2002: Williams
2003: West
2004: Nelson
2005: Redick
2006: Redick
2007: Durant
2008: Hansbrough
2009: Griffin
2010: Wall
2011: Fredette
2012: Davis
2013: Oladipo
2014: McDermott
2015: Kaminsky

The Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year

1943: Phillip
1944: Hall
1945: Mikan
1946: Kurland
1947–49: None selected
1950: Arizin
1951: White
1952–57: None selected
1958: Robertson
1959: Robertson
1960: Robertson
1961: Lucas
1962: Lucas
1963: Heyman
1964: Bradley
1965: Bradley
1966: Russell
1967: Alcindor
1968: Hayes
1969: Alcindor
1970: Maravich
1971: Wicks
1972: Walton
1973: Walton
1974: Walton
1975: Thompson
1976: May
1977: M. Johnson
1978: P. Ford
1979: Bird
1980: Griffith
1981: Aguirre
1982: Sampson
1983: Jordan
1984: Jordan
1985: Ewing
1986: Berry
1987: D. Robinson
1988: Hawkins
1989: King
1990: Scott
1991: L. Johnson
1992: Laettner
1993: Cheaney
1994: G. Robinson
1995: Respert
1996: Camby
1997: Duncan
1998: Jamison
1999: Brand
2000: Martin
2001: Battier
2002: Williams
2003: T. J. Ford
2004: Nelson
2005: Brown
2006: Redick
2007: Durant
2008: Hansbrough
2009: Griffin
2010: Turner
2011: Fredette
2012: Davis
2013: Oladipo
2014: McDermott
2015: Kaminsky
2016: Hield
2017: Mason III
2018: Brunson
2019: Williamson
2020: Garza
2021: Garza
2022: Tshiebwe
2023: Edey
2024: Edey
2025: Broome

Associated Press Men's College Basketball Player of the Year

1961: Lucas
1962: Lucas
1963: Heyman
1964: Bradds
1965: Bradley
1966: Russell
1967: Alcindor
1968: Hayes
1969: Alcindor
1970: Maravich
1971: Carr
1972: Walton
1973: Walton
1974: Thompson
1975: Thompson
1976: May
1977: Johnson
1978: Lee
1979: Bird
1980: Aguirre
1981: Sampson
1982: Sampson
1983: Sampson
1984: Jordan
1985: Ewing
1986: Berry
1987: D. Robinson
1988: Hawkins
1989: Elliott
1990: Simmons
1991: O'Neal
1992: Laettner
1993: Cheaney
1994: G. Robinson
1995: Smith
1996: Camby
1997: Duncan
1998: Jamison
1999: Brand
2000: Martin
2001: Battier
2002: Williams
2003: West
2004: Nelson
2005: Bogut
2006: Redick
2007: Durant
2008: Hansbrough
2009: Griffin
2010: Turner
2011: Fredette
2012: Davis
2013: Burke
2014: McDermott
2015: Kaminsky
2016: Valentine
2017: Mason III
2018: Brunson
2019: Williamson
2020: Toppin
2021: Garza
2022: Tshiebwe
2023: Edey
2024: Edey
2025: Flagg

Naismith Men's College Player of the Year

1969: Alcindor
1970: Maravich
1971: Carr
1972: Walton
1973: Walton
1974: Walton
1975: Thompson
1976: May
1977: M. Johnson
1978: Lee
1979: Bird
1980: Aguirre
1981: Sampson
1982: Sampson
1983: Sampson
1984: Jordan
1985: Ewing
1986: Dawkins
1987: D. Robinson
1988: Manning
1989: Ferry
1990: Simmons
1991: L. Johnson
1992: Laettner
1993: Cheaney
1994: G. Robinson
1995: Smith
1996: Camby
1997: Duncan
1998: Jamison
1999: Brand
2000: Martin
2001: Battier
2002: Williams
2003: Ford
2004: Nelson
2005: Bogut
2006: Redick
2007: Durant
2008: Hansbrough
2009: Griffin
2010: Turner
2011: Fredette
2012: Davis
2013: Burke
2014: McDermott
2015: Kaminsky
2016: Hield
2017: Mason III
2018: Brunson
2019: Williamson
2020: Toppin
2021: Garza
2022: Tshiebwe
2023: Edey
2024: Edey
2025: Flagg

NABC Division I Player of the Year

1975: Thompson
1976: May
1977: M. Johnson
1978: Ford
1979: Bird
1980: Brooks
1981: Ainge
1982: Sampson
1983: Sampson
1984: Jordan
1985: Ewing
1986: Berry
1987: D. Robinson
1988: Manning
1989: Elliott
1990: Simmons
1991: L. Johnson
1992: Laettner
1993: Cheaney
1994: G. Robinson
1995: Respert
1996: Camby
1997: Duncan
1998: Jamison
1999: Brand
2000: Martin
2001: Williams
2002: Gooden & Williams
2003: Collison
2004: Nelson & Okafor
2005: Bogut
2006: Morrison & Redick
2007: Durant
2008: Hansbrough
2009: Griffin
2010: Turner
2011: Fredette
2012: Green
2013: Burke
2014: McDermott
2015: Kaminsky
2016: Valentine
2017: Mason
2018: Brunson
2019: Williamson
2020: Toppin
2021: Garza
2022: Tshiebwe
2023: Edey
2024: Edey
2025: Flagg

UPI College Basketball Player of the Year

1955: Gola
1956: B. Russell
1957: Forte
1958: Robertson
1959: Robertson
1960: Robertson
1961: Lucas
1962: Lucas
1963: Heyman
1964: Bradds
1965: Bradley
1966: C. Russell
1967: Alcindor
1968: Hayes
1969: Alcindor
1970: Maravich
1971: Carr
1972: Walton
1973: Walton
1974: Walton
1975: Thompson
1976: May
1977: Johnson
1978: Lee
1979: Bird
1980: Aguirre
1981: Sampson
1982: Sampson
1983: Sampson
1984: Jordan
1985: Mullin
1986: Berry
1987: D. Robinson
1988: Hawkins
1989: Ferry
1990: Simmons
1991: O'Neal
1992: Jackson
1993: Cheaney
1994: G. Robinson
1995: Smith
1996: Allen

John R. Wooden Men's Player of the Year Award winners

1977: M. Johnson
1978: P. Ford
1979: Bird
1980: Griffith
1981: Ainge
1982: Sampson
1983: Sampson
1984: Jordan
1985: Mullin
1986: Berry
1987: D. Robinson
1988: Manning
1989: Elliott
1990: Simmons
1991: L. Johnson
1992: Laettner
1993: Cheaney
1994: G. Robinson
1995: O'Bannon
1996: Camby
1997: Duncan
1998: Jamison
1999: Brand
2000: Martin
2001: Battier
2002: Williams
2003: T. J. Ford
2004: Nelson
2005: Bogut
2006: Redick
2007: Durant
2008: Hansbrough
2009: Griffin
2010: Turner
2011: Fredette
2012: Davis
2013: Burke
2014: McDermott
2015: Kaminsky
2016: Hield
2017: Mason III
2018: Brunson
2019: Williamson
2020: Toppin
2021: Garza
2022: Tshiebwe
2023: Edey
2024: Edey
2025: Flagg

Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year

1954: Hemric
1955: Hemric
1956: Shavlik
1957: Rosenbluth
1958: Brennan
1959: Pucillo
1960: Shaffer
1961: Chappell
1962: Chappell
1963: Heyman
1964: Mullins
1965: Cunningham
1966: Vacendak
1967: Miller
1968: Miller
1969: Roche
1970: Roche
1971: C. Davis
1972: Parkhill
1973: Thompson
1974: Thompson
1975: Thompson
1976: Kupchak
1977: Griffin
1978: Ford
1979: Gminski
1980: King
1981: Sampson
1982: Sampson
1983: Sampson
1984: Jordan
1985: Bias
1986: Bias
1987: Grant
1988: Ferry
1989: Ferry
1990: Scott
1991: Monroe
1992: Laettner
1993: Rogers
1994: Hill
1995: J. Smith
1996: Duncan
1997: Duncan
1998: Jamison
1999: Brand
2000: Carrawell
2001: Battier & Forte
2002: Dixon
2003: Howard
2004: Hodge
2005: Redick
2006: Redick
2007: Dudley
2008: Hansbrough
2009: Lawson
2010: Vásquez
2011: N. Smith
2012: Zeller
2013: Green & Larkin
2014: Warren
2015: Okafor
2016: Brogdon
2017: Jackson
2018: Bagley
2019: Williamson
2020: Jones
2021: Wright
2022: Williams
2023: Wong
2024: R. Davis
2025: Flagg

v t e ACC Athlete of the Year
Athlete of the Year	1954: Shankle 1955: Hemric 1956: Sime 1957: Rosenbluth 1958: Christy 1959: Pucillo 1960: McGee 1961: Gabriel 1962: Chappell 1963: Heyman 1964: Mullins 1965: Piccolo 1966: Talbott 1967: Bryant 1968: Miller 1969: Quayle 1970: Scott 1971: McCauley 1972: Parkhill 1973: Thompson 1974: Waldrop 1975: Thompson 1976: Lucas 1977: Ford 1978: Ford 1979: Nehemiah 1980: Shea 1981: Shea 1982: Worthy 1983: Sampson 1984: Jordan 1985: Surhoff 1986: Bias 1987: Ingram 1988: Ferry 1989: Ferry
Male Athlete of the Year	1990: Hines 1991: Laettner 1992: Laettner 1993: C. Ward 1994: C. Ward 1995: Childress 1996: Benson 1997: Duncan 1998: Jamison 1999: Brand 2000: Hamilton 2001: Battier 2002: Dixon 2003: Rotelli 2004: Rivers 2005: May 2006: Redick 2007: Dix 2008: Hansbrough 2009: Hill 2010: Crotty 2011: Makusha 2012: Kuechly 2013: Jenkins 2014: Winston 2015: Tomlinson 2016: Watson 2017: Watson 2018: Jackson 2019: Williamson 2020: Robinson 2021: Lawrence 2022: Pickett 2023: Lowder 2024: Kavanagh
Female Athlete of the Year	1990: Higgins 1991: Staley 1992: Staley 1993: Hamm 1994: Smith 1995: Venturini 1996: Amonte 1997: Forbes 1998: Webb 1999: Parlow 2000: Adams 2001: Adams 2002: Bielik 2003: Beard 2004: Beard 2005: Dostal 2006: Infante 2007: Harding 2008: Tincher 2009: Nogueira 2010: Engen 2011: O'Donnell 2012: R. Ward 2013: Dunn 2014: Thomas 2015: Brian 2016: Seidel 2017: Kent 2018: Ogunbowale 2019: Hoffman 2020: Matson 2021: North 2022: North 2023: Tuohy 2024: Walsh

v t e 1983 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans
First Team	Dale Ellis Patrick Ewing Michael Jordan Keith Lee Sam Perkins Ralph Sampson Wayman Tisdale
Second Team	Clyde Drexler Sidney Green John Paxson Steve Stipanovich Jon Sundvold Darrell Walker Randy Wittman

v t e 1984 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans
First Team	Patrick Ewing Michael Jordan Akeem Olajuwon Sam Perkins Wayman Tisdale
Second Team	Michael Cage Devin Durrant Keith Lee Chris Mullin Melvin Turpin Leon Wood

v t e North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball 1981–82 NCAA champions
21 Jimmy Black 22 Buzz Peterson 23 Michael Jordan 32 John Brownlee 41 Sam Perkins 44 Matt Doherty 50 Cecil Exum 52 James Worthy (MOP) Head coach Dean Smith Assistant coaches Bill Guthridge Eddie Fogler Roy Williams

v t e 1984 NBA draft
First round	Hakeem Olajuwon Sam Bowie Michael Jordan Sam Perkins Charles Barkley Melvin Turpin Alvin Robertson Lancaster Gordon Otis Thorpe Leon Wood Kevin Willis Tim McCormick Jay Humphries Michael Cage Terence Stansbury John Stockton Jeff Turner Vern Fleming Bernard Thompson Tony Campbell Kenny Fields Tom Sewell Earl Jones Michael Young
Second round	Devin Durrant Victor Fleming Ron Anderson Cory Blackwell Stuart Gray Steve Burtt Jay Murphy Eric Turner Steve Colter Tony Costner Othell Wilson Charles Jones Ben Coleman Charlie Sitton Danny Young Anthony Teachey Tom Sluby Willie White Greg Wiltjer Fred Reynolds Gary Plummer Jerome Kersey Ronnie Williams

NBA Rookie of the Year

1953: Meineke
1954: Felix
1955: Pettit
1956: Stokes
1957: Heinsohn
1958: Sauldsberry
1959: Baylor
1960: Chamberlain
1961: Robertson
1962: Bellamy
1963: Dischinger
1964: Lucas
1965: Reed
1966: Barry
1967: Bing
1968: Monroe
1969: Unseld
1970: Alcindor
1971: Cowens & Petrie
1972: Wicks
1973: McAdoo
1974: DiGregorio
1975: Wilkes
1976: Adams
1977: Dantley
1978: Davis
1979: Ford
1980: Bird
1981: Griffith
1982: Williams
1983: Cummings
1984: Sampson
1985: Jordan
1986: Ewing
1987: Person
1988: Jackson
1989: Richmond
1990: Robinson
1991: Coleman
1992: Johnson
1993: O'Neal
1994: Webber
1995: Hill & Kidd
1996: Stoudamire
1997: Iverson
1998: Duncan
1999: Carter
2000: Brand & Francis
2001: Miller
2002: Gasol
2003: Stoudemire
2004: James
2005: Okafor
2006: Paul
2007: Roy
2008: Durant
2009: Rose
2010: Evans
2011: Griffin
2012: Irving
2013: Lillard
2014: Carter-Williams
2015: Wiggins
2016: Towns
2017: Brogdon
2018: Simmons
2019: Dončić
2020: Morant
2021: Ball
2022: Barnes
2023: Banchero
2024: Wembanyama
2025: Castle

v t e IBM Award
1984: Johnson 1985: Jordan 1986: Barkley 1987: Barkley 1988: Barkley 1989: Jordan 1990: Robinson 1991: Robinson 1992: Rodman 1993: Olajuwon 1994: Robinson 1995: Robinson 1996: Robinson 1997: Hill 1998: K. Malone 1999: Mutombo 2000: O'Neal 2001: O'Neal 2002: Duncan

NBA Defensive Player of the Year

1983: Moncrief
1984: Moncrief
1985: Eaton
1986: Robertson
1987: Cooper
1988: Jordan
1989: Eaton
1990: Rodman
1991: Rodman
1992: Robinson
1993: Olajuwon
1994: Olajuwon
1995: Mutombo
1996: Payton
1997: Mutombo
1998: Mutombo
1999: Mourning
2000: Mourning
2001: Mutombo
2002: Wallace
2003: Wallace
2004: Artest
2005: Wallace
2006: Wallace
2007: Camby
2008: Garnett
2009: Howard
2010: Howard
2011: Howard
2012: Chandler
2013: Gasol
2014: Noah
2015: Leonard
2016: Leonard
2017: Green
2018: Gobert
2019: Gobert
2020: Antetokounmpo
2021: Gobert
2022: Smart
2023: Jackson Jr.
2024: Gobert
2025: Mobley

NBA Most Valuable Player

1956: Pettit
1957: Cousy
1958: Russell
1959: Pettit
1960: Chamberlain
1961: Russell
1962: Russell
1963: Russell
1964: Robertson
1965: Russell
1966: Chamberlain
1967: Chamberlain
1968: Chamberlain
1969: Unseld
1970: Reed
1971: Alcindor
1972: Abdul-Jabbar
1973: Cowens
1974: Abdul-Jabbar
1975: McAdoo
1976: Abdul-Jabbar
1977: Abdul-Jabbar
1978: Walton
1979: M. Malone
1980: Abdul-Jabbar
1981: Erving
1982: M. Malone
1983: M. Malone
1984: Bird
1985: Bird
1986: Bird
1987: Johnson
1988: Jordan
1989: Johnson
1990: Johnson
1991: Jordan
1992: Jordan
1993: Barkley
1994: Olajuwon
1995: Robinson
1996: Jordan
1997: K. Malone
1998: Jordan
1999: K. Malone
2000: O'Neal
2001: Iverson
2002: Duncan
2003: Duncan
2004: Garnett
2005: Nash
2006: Nash
2007: Nowitzki
2008: Bryant
2009: James
2010: James
2011: Rose
2012: James
2013: James
2014: Durant
2015: Curry
2016: Curry
2017: Westbrook
2018: Harden
2019: Antetokounmpo
2020: Antetokounmpo
2021: Jokić
2022: Jokić
2023: Embiid
2024: Jokić

NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player

1951: Macauley
1952: Arizin
1953: Mikan
1954: Cousy
1955: Sharman
1956: Pettit
1957: Cousy
1958: Pettit
1959: Baylor & Pettit
1960: Chamberlain
1961: Robertson
1962: Pettit
1963: Russell
1964: Robertson
1965: Lucas
1966: A. Smith
1967: Barry
1968: Greer
1969: Robertson
1970: Reed
1971: Wilkens
1972: West
1973: Cowens
1974: Lanier
1975: Frazier
1976: Bing
1977: Erving
1978: R. Smith
1979: Thompson
1980: Gervin
1981: Archibald
1982: Bird
1983: Erving
1984: Thomas
1985: Sampson
1986: Thomas
1987: Chambers
1988: Jordan
1989: Malone
1990: Johnson
1991: Barkley
1992: Johnson
1993: Stockton & Malone
1994: Pippen
1995: Richmond
1996: Jordan
1997: Rice
1998: Jordan
1999: No game played
2000: O'Neal & Duncan
2001: Iverson
2002: Bryant
2003: Garnett
2004: O'Neal
2005: Iverson
2006: James
2007: Bryant
2008: James
2009: Bryant & O'Neal
2010: Wade
2011: Bryant
2012: Durant
2013: Paul
2014: Irving
2015: Westbrook
2016: Westbrook
2017: Davis
2018: James
2019: Durant
2020: Leonard
2021: Antetokounmpo
2022: Curry
2023: Tatum
2024: Lillard
2025: Curry

NBA Slam Dunk Contest winners

1984: Nance
1985: Wilkins
1986: Webb
1987: Jordan
1988: Jordan
1989: Walker
1990: Wilkins
1991: Brown
1992: Ceballos
1993: Miner
1994: Rider
1995: Miner
1996: Barry
1997: Bryant
2000: Carter
2001: Mason
2002: Richardson
2003: Richardson
2004: Jones
2005: Smith
2006: Robinson
2007: Green
2008: Howard
2009: Robinson
2010: Robinson
2011: Griffin
2012: Evans
2013: Ross
2014: Wall
2015: LaVine
2016: LaVine
2017: Robinson III
2018: Mitchell
2019: Diallo
2020: Jones Jr.
2021: Simons
2022: Toppin
2023: McClung
2024: McClung
2025: McClung

v t e Chicago Bulls 1990–91 NBA champions
2 Hopson 5 Paxson 10 Armstrong 14 Hodges 23 Jordan (Finals MVP) 24 Cartwright 32 Perdue 33 Pippen 34 King 42 Williams 53 Levingston 54 Grant
Head coach: Jackson
Assistant coaches: Bach Cleamons Winter
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Chicago Bulls 1991–92 NBA champions
5 Paxson 10 Armstrong 14 Hodges 20 Hansen 21 King 23 Jordan (Finals MVP) 24 Cartwright 32 Perdue 33 Pippen 42 Williams 53 Levingston 54 Grant
Head coach: Jackson
Assistant coaches: Bach Cleamons Winter
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Chicago Bulls 1992–93 NBA champions
5 Paxson 6 Tucker 10 Armstrong 12 Williams 20 Walker 21 King 22 McCray 23 Jordan (Finals MVP) 24 Cartwright 32 Perdue 33 Pippen 42 Williams 45 Nealy 54 Grant
Head coach Jackson
Assistant coaches Bach Cleamons Winter
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Chicago Bulls 1995–96 NBA champions
0 Brown 7 Kukoč 9 Harper 13 Longley 22 Salley 23 Jordan (Finals MVP) 25 Kerr 30 Buechler 33 Pippen 34 Wennington 35 Caffey 53 Edwards 91 Rodman
Head coach: Jackson
Assistant coaches: Cleamons Paxson Rodgers Winter
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Chicago Bulls 1996–97 NBA champions
00 Parish 1 Brown 7 Kukoč 9 Harper 13 Longley 18 Williams 23 Jordan (Finals MVP) 25 Kerr 30 Buechler 33 Pippen 34 Wennington 35 Caffey 91 Rodman
Head coach: Jackson
Assistant coaches: Cartwright Hamblen Rodgers Winter
General manager: Krause
Owner: Reinsdorf
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Chicago Bulls 1997–98 NBA champions
1 Brown 7 Kukoč 8 Simpkins 9 Harper 13 Longley 22 Booth 23 Jordan (Finals MVP) 24 Burrell 25 Kerr 30 Buechler 33 Pippen 34 Wennington 53 Kleine 91 Rodman
Head coach: Jackson
Assistant coaches: Cartwright Hamblen Rodgers Winter
General manager: Krause
Owner: Reinsdorf
Regular season Playoffs

NBA Finals Most Valuable Player

1969: West
1970: Reed
1971: Alcindor
1972: Chamberlain
1973: Reed
1974: Havlicek
1975: Barry
1976: White
1977: Walton
1978: Unseld
1979: D. Johnson
1980: M. Johnson
1981: Maxwell
1982: M. Johnson
1983: Malone
1984: Bird
1985: Abdul-Jabbar
1986: Bird
1987: M. Johnson
1988: Worthy
1989: Dumars
1990: Thomas
1991: Jordan
1992: Jordan
1993: Jordan
1994: Olajuwon
1995: Olajuwon
1996: Jordan
1997: Jordan
1998: Jordan
1999: Duncan
2000: O'Neal
2001: O'Neal
2002: O'Neal
2003: Duncan
2004: Billups
2005: Duncan
2006: Wade
2007: Parker
2008: Pierce
2009: Bryant
2010: Bryant
2011: Nowitzki
2012: James
2013: James
2014: Leonard
2015: Iguodala
2016: James
2017: Durant
2018: Durant
2019: Leonard
2020: James
2021: Antetokounmpo
2022: Curry
2023: Jokić
2024: Brown

NBA annual scoring leaders

1947: Fulks
1948: Zaslofsky
1949: Mikan
1950: Mikan
1951: Mikan
1952: Arizin
1953: Johnston
1954: Johnston
1955: Johnston
1956: Pettit
1957: Arizin
1958: Yardley
1959: Pettit
1960: Chamberlain
1961: Chamberlain
1962: Chamberlain
1963: Chamberlain
1964: Chamberlain
1965: Chamberlain
1966: Chamberlain
1967: Barry
1968: Bing
1969: Hayes
1970: West
1971: Alcindor
1972: Abdul-Jabbar
1973: Archibald
1974: McAdoo
1975: McAdoo
1976: McAdoo
1977: Maravich
1978: Gervin
1979: Gervin
1980: Gervin
1981: Dantley
1982: Gervin
1983: English
1984: Dantley
1985: King
1986: Wilkins
1987: Jordan
1988: Jordan
1989: Jordan
1990: Jordan
1991: Jordan
1992: Jordan
1993: Jordan
1994: Robinson
1995: O'Neal
1996: Jordan
1997: Jordan
1998: Jordan
1999: Iverson
2000: O'Neal
2001: Iverson
2002: Iverson
2003: McGrady
2004: McGrady
2005: Iverson
2006: Bryant
2007: Bryant
2008: James
2009: Wade
2010: Durant
2011: Durant
2012: Durant
2013: Anthony
2014: Durant
2015: Westbrook
2016: Curry
2017: Westbrook
2018: Harden
2019: Harden
2020: Harden
2021: Curry
2022: Embiid
2023: Embiid
2024: Dončić
2025: Gilgeous-Alexander

NBA annual steals leaders

1974: Steele
1975: Barry
1976: Watts
1977: Buse
1978: Lee
1979: Carr
1980: Richardson
1981: Johnson
1982: Johnson
1983: Richardson
1984: R. Green
1985: Richardson
1986: Robertson
1987: Robertson
1988: Jordan
1989: Stockton
1990: Jordan
1991: Robertson
1992: Stockton
1993: Jordan
1994: McMillan
1995: Pippen
1996: Payton
1997: Blaylock
1998: Blaylock
1999: Gill
2000: Jones
2001: Iverson
2002: Iverson
2003: Iverson
2004: Davis
2005: Hughes
2006: Wallace
2007: Davis
2008: Paul
2009: Paul
2010: Rondo
2011: Paul
2012: Paul
2013: Paul
2014: Paul
2015: Leonard
2016: Curry
2017: D. Green
2018: Oladipo
2019: George
2020: Simmons
2021: Butler
2022: Murray
2023: Anunoby
2024: Fox
2025: Daniels

NBA 50th Anniversary Team

NBA 75th Anniversary Team

Members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Players

Guards	R. Allen Archibald Barnett Beckman Belov Billups Bing S. Bird Blazejowski Borgmann Braun Brennan Bryant Carter Cervi Cheeks Clayton Cooper-Dyke Cousy Dampier Davies Drexler Dumars Edwards Endacott Frazier Friedman Galis Gervin Ginóbili Goodrich Greer Grentz Guerin Hammon Hanson Hardaway Haynes Holman Hyatt Isaacs Iverson Jeannette Jenkins D. Johnson M. Johnson K. Jones S. Jones Jordan Kidd Lieberman Maravich Marcari Marčiulionis Martin McDermott McGrady D. McGuire Meyers R. Miller Moncrief Monroe P. Moore C. Murphy Nash Page Parker Payton Petrović Phillip Posey Richmond Robertson Rodgers Roosma J. Russell Schommer Scott Sedran Sharman K. Smith Staley Steinmetz Stockton Swoopes Thomas D. Thompson Timms Vandivier Wade Wanzer Weatherspoon West Westphal Whalen J. White Wilkens Woodard Wooden
Forwards	Anthony Arizin Augustus Barkley Barry Baylor L. Bird Bosh Boswell Bradley R. Brown Cash Catchings C. Cooper M. Cooper Cunningham Curry Dalipagić Dandridge Dantley Davis DeBusschere Dehnert Duncan English Erving Foster Fulks Gale Garnett Gasol Gates Gola Hagan Havlicek Hawkins Hayes Haywood Heinsohn Hill Howell Hudson L. Jackson G. Johnson B. Jones King Korać Kukoč Lucas Luisetti K. Malone McClain B. McCracken J. McCracken McGinnis McHale Mikkelsen C. Miller M. Moore Mullin Nowitzki Pettit Pierce Pippen Pollard Pullins Radja Ramsey Rodman Schayes E. Schmidt O. Schmidt Stokes C. Thompson T. Thompson Twyman Walker Webber N. White Wilkes Wilkins Worthy Yardley
Centers	Abdul-Jabbar Barlow Beaty Bellamy Chamberlain T. Cooper Ćosić Cowens J. Crawford Daniels DeBernardi Divac Donovan Ewing Fowles Gallatin Gilmore Griffith Gruenig Harris-Stewart Houbregs Howard Issel Jackson W. Johnson Johnston M. Krause Kurland Lanier Leslie Lovellette Lapchick Macauley Maciel M. Malone McAdoo Meneghin Mikan Mourning S. Murphy Mutombo Olajuwon O'Neal Parish Reed Risen Robinson B. Russell Sabonis Sampson Semjonova Sikma Thurmond Unseld Wachter Wallace Walton Washington Yao

FIBA Hall of Fame inductees

FIBA
Members

Players

Coaches

Contributors

Founding Federations: Argentine Czechoslovakian Greek Italian Latvian Portuguese Romanian Swiss
Airaldi Rivarola Ashry Atakol Bouffard Busnel Calvo Carneiro Dos Reis Greim Hepp Jones Killian Klieger Kozłowski López Martín Naismith Otto Pitzl Popović Ramsay Samaranch Šaper Saporta Scuri Seguro de Luna Semashko Sèye Moreau Stanković Steitz Stern Ueda Vitale Wahby Yoon

Technical officials

Teams

1992 USA Men's "Dream Team"

v t e United States men's basketball squad – 1983 Pan American Games – Gold medal
4 Cage 5 Jordan 6 Master 7 Mullin 8 Perkins 9 Pinckney 10 Price 11 Reynolds 12 Sitton 13 Stokes 14 Tisdale 15 Wood Coach: Hartman

v t e United States men's basketball squad – 1984 Summer Olympics – Gold medal
4 Alford 5 Wood 6 Ewing 7 Fleming 8 Robertson 9 Jordan 10 Kleine 11 Koncak 12 Tisdale 13 Mullin 14 Perkins 15 Turner Coach: Knight

v t e United States squad – 1992 Tournament of the Americas – Gold medal
4 Laettner 5 Robinson 6 Ewing 7 Bird 8 Pippen 9 Jordan 10 Drexler 11 Malone 12 Stockton 13 Mullin 14 Barkley 15 Johnson Coach: Daly

v t e United States men's basketball squad – 1992 Summer Olympics – Gold medal
4 Laettner 5 Robinson 6 Ewing 7 Bird 8 Pippen 9 Jordan 10 Drexler 11 Malone 12 Stockton 13 Mullin 14 Barkley 15 Johnson Coach: Daly

Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year

1954: Roger Bannister
1955: Johnny Podres
1956: Bobby Morrow
1957: Stan Musial
1958: Rafer Johnson
1959: Ingemar Johansson
1960: Arnold Palmer
1961: Jerry Lucas
1962: Terry Baker
1963: Pete Rozelle
1964: Ken Venturi
1965: Sandy Koufax
1966: Jim Ryun
1967: Carl Yastrzemski
1968: Bill Russell
1969: Tom Seaver
1970: Bobby Orr
1971: Lee Trevino
1972: Billie Jean King & John Wooden
1973: Jackie Stewart
1974: Muhammad Ali
1975: Pete Rose
1976: Chris Evert
1977: Steve Cauthen
1978: Jack Nicklaus
1979: Terry Bradshaw & Willie Stargell
1980: U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
1981: Sugar Ray Leonard
1982: Wayne Gretzky
1983: Mary Decker
1984: Edwin Moses & Mary Lou Retton
1985: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1986: Joe Paterno
1987: Bob Bourne, Judi Brown King, Kipchoge Keino, Dale Murphy, Chip Rives, Patty Sheehan, Rory Sparrow, & Reggie Williams
1988: Orel Hershiser
1989: Greg LeMond
1990: Joe Montana
1991: Michael Jordan
1992: Arthur Ashe
1993: Don Shula
1994: Bonnie Blair & Johann Olav Koss
1995: Cal Ripken Jr.
1996: Tiger Woods
1997: Dean Smith
1998: Mark McGwire & Sammy Sosa
1999: U.S. Women's Soccer Team
2000: Tiger Woods
2001: Curt Schilling & Randy Johnson
2002: ~~Lance Armstrong~~
2003: David Robinson & Tim Duncan
2004: Boston Red Sox
2005: Tom Brady
2006: Dwyane Wade
2007: Brett Favre
2008: Michael Phelps
2009: Derek Jeter
2010: Drew Brees
2011: Mike Krzyzewski & Pat Summitt
2012: LeBron James
2013: Peyton Manning
2014: Madison Bumgarner
2015: Serena Williams
2016: LeBron James
2017: Jose Altuve & J. J. Watt
2018: Golden State Warriors
2019: Megan Rapinoe
2020: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, & Breanna Stewart
2021: Tom Brady
2022: Stephen Curry
2023: Deion Sanders
2024: Simone Biles

Sporting News Sportsman / Pro Athlete & College Athlete / Athlete of the Year

USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year

1980: Thomas
1981: Boyle
1982: Rivers
1983: Jordan
1984: Jordan & Perkins
1985: Person
1986: Robinson
1987: Manning
1988: Majerle
1989: Johnson
1990: Mourning
1991: Laettner
1992: U.S. men's national team
1993: Finley
1994: O'Neal
1995: Allen
1996: Pippen
1997: Boykins
1998: Brand
1999: Payton
2000: Mourning
2001: Duhon
2002: Miller
2003: Duncan
2004: May & Paul
2005: Williams
2006: Anthony
2007: Kidd
2008: U.S. men's national team
2009: McAdoo
2010: Durant
2011: Parker
2012: James
2013: Gordon
2014: Irving
2015: Brunson
2016: Anthony & Durant
2017: Warney
2018: Hearn
2019: Hummel
2020: None
2021: Durant
2022: Flagg
2023: Peat
2024: Curry

Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year

L'Équipe Champion of Champions

Original award

Male and female
awards separated

Male award	2012: Usain Bolt 2013: Rafael Nadal 2014: Renaud Lavillenie 2015: Usain Bolt 2016: Usain Bolt 2017: Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal 2018: Marcel Hirscher 2019: Rafael Nadal 2020: Lewis Hamilton 2021: Novak Djokovic 2022: Lionel Messi 2023: Novak Djokovic 2024: Léon Marchand
Female award	2012: Serena Williams 2013: Serena Williams 2014: Katie Ledecky 2015: Serena Williams 2016: Simone Biles 2017: Katie Ledecky 2018: Simone Biles 2019: Simone Biles 2020: Marte Olsbu Røiseland 2021: Elaine Thompson-Herah 2022: Iga Świątek 2023: Simone Biles 2024: Simone Biles

Best Male Athlete ESPY Award winners

1993: Jordan
1994: Bonds
1995: Young
1996: Ripken Jr.
1997: Johnson
1998: Woods / Griffey Jr.
1999: McGwire
2000: Woods
2001: Woods
2002: Woods
2003: Armstrong
2004: Armstrong
2005: Armstrong
2006: Armstrong
2007: Tomlinson
2008: Woods
2009: Phelps
2010: Brees
2011: Nowitzki
2012: James
2013: James
2014: Durant
2015: Curry
2016: James
2017: Westbrook
2018: Ovechkin
2019: Antetokounmpo
2020: Award not given
2021: Brady
2022: Ohtani
2023: Mahomes
2024: Mahomes

v t e Chicago Bulls
Founded in 1966 Based in Chicago, Illinois
Franchise	All-time roster Draft history 1966 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	International Amphitheatre Chicago Stadium United Center
Personnel	Owner(s) Jerry Reinsdorf President Michael Reinsdorf General manager Marc Eversley Head coach Billy Donovan
G League affiliate	Windy City Bulls
Retired numbers	4 10 23 33
NBA championships	1991 1992 1993 1996 1997 1998
Rivalries	Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons New York Knicks
Culture and lore	Broadcasters Air Jordan Jumpman Tommy Edwards Ray Clay Benny the Bull Disputed Foul Against Scottie Pippen "Sirius" "I Believe I Can Fly" "Sweet Home Chicago" Bill Swerski's Superfans Jordan Rules Triangle offense Ashland Green/Pink Line Station College Prep Tex Winter The Spirit (Michael Jordan statue) Phantom Buzzer Game The Shot NBA championship riots Bulls vs Lakers and the NBA Playoffs Bulls vs. Blazers and the NBA Playoffs Trent Tucker Rule The Calhoun Shot 72–10 Michael Jordan's last shot Space Jam The Last Dance

v t e Charlotte Hornets
Founded in 1988 Formerly the Charlotte Bobcats (2004–2014) Based in Charlotte, North Carolina
Franchise	History All-time roster Draft history 1988 2004 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	Charlotte Coliseum Spectrum Center
Personnel	Owner(s) Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall President Fred Whitfield General manager Jeff Peterson Head coach Charles Lee
G League affiliate	Greensboro Swarm
Retired numbers	13
Culture and lore	Broadcasters Buzz City George Shinn Hugo Charlotte Honey Bees "Grandmama" "Zo" Patrick K. Doughty Dancing Barry

v t e Miami Heat
Founded in 1988 Based in Miami, Florida
Franchise	History All-time roster Draft history 1988 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	Miami Arena Kaseya Center
Personnel	Owner(s) Micky Arison President Pat Riley General manager Andy Elisburg Head coach Erik Spoelstra
G League affiliate	Sioux Falls Skyforce
Retired numbers	1 3 10 23 32 33 40
NBA championships	2006 2012 2013
Rivalries	Boston Celtics Indiana Pacers New York Knicks Orlando Magic
Culture and lore	Broadcasters Micky Arison Pat Riley Michael Baiamonte Burnie "Bring Em Out" "The Heat Is On" The Calhoun Shot Shaq–Kobe feud 15 Strong The Decision The Big Three 27 in a row The Shot Big Face Coffee Starting 5
Category Commons

23XI Racing

Headquarters: Mooresville, North Carolina

Personnel

NASCAR Cup Series

Drivers	(23) Bubba Wallace (35) Riley Herbst (45) Tyler Reddick (67) Corey Heim (Part-time)
Crew chiefs	(23) Charles Denike (35) Davin Restivo (45) Billy Scott (67) Bootie Barker
Reserve driver	Corey Heim

eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series

(23) Keegan Leahy
(45) Michael Guest

Former drivers

NASCAR	Kurt Busch Ty Dillon Ty Gibbs Daniel Hemric Kamui Kobayashi Juan Pablo Montoya John Hunter Nemechek Travis Pastrana
iRacing	Mitchell deJong

Former personnel

Julian Pena

NASCAR Cup Series Championships

Regular season championships	2024 (Reddick)

NASCAR iRacing Championships

2021 (Leahy)

Partnerships and affiliations

v t e NAACP Image Award – Jackie Robinson Sports Award
Wilma Rudolph / Harlem Globetrotters (1988) Jackie Joyner-Kersee / Sugar Ray Robinson (1989) Roy Campanella / Anita DeFrantz (1990) Magic Johnson (1992) Eddie Robinson (1996) Jim Brown (1997) Michael Jordan (1999) LeBron James (2017) Stephen Curry / WNBA Players Association (2021)

Best NBA Player ESPY Award

Michael Jordan (1993)
Charles Barkley (1994)
Hakeem Olajuwon (1995)
Hakeem Olajuwon (1996)
Michael Jordan (1997)
Michael Jordan (1998)
Michael Jordan (1999)
Tim Duncan (2000)
Shaquille O'Neal (2001)
Shaquille O'Neal (2002)
Tim Duncan (2003)
Kevin Garnett (2004)
Steve Nash (2005)
Dwyane Wade (2006)
LeBron James (2007)
Kobe Bryant (2008)
LeBron James (2009)
Kobe Bryant (2010)
Dirk Nowitzki (2011)
LeBron James (2012)
LeBron James (2013)
Kevin Durant (2014)
Stephen Curry (2015)
LeBron James (2016)
LeBron James (2017)
LeBron James (2018)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019)
Not awarded (2020)
Stephen Curry (2021)
Stephen Curry (2022)
Nikola Jokić (2023)
Luka Dončić (2024)

v t e Space Jam
Feature films	Space Jam (1996) A New Legacy (2021)
Music	Space Jam theme song "I Believe I Can Fly" "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)" "Fly Like an Eagle" "For You I Will" "I Turn to You" A New Legacy
Other media	Video game Pinball game Teen Titans Go! See Space Jam
Related	Lola Bunny Michael Jordan Hare Jordan LeBron James Looney Tunes Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden MultiVersus
Category

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF FAST WorldCat
National	Germany United States France BnF data Japan Czech Republic Russia Spain Netherlands Norway Taiwan Latvia Croatia Chile Greece Poland Israel
Academics	CiNii
Artists	MusicBrainz
People	Trove Deutsche Synchronkartei
Other	IdRef SNAC