Michael Jeffrey Jordan, usually referred to as MJ by fans all around the world turned 59 today. Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York on 17 February 1963. The greatest shooting guard of all time and the man that dominated the NBA in the ’90s, Michael Jordan was the centrepiece of the ’90s Bulls dynasty and led the team to 6 NBA championships with 2 3-peats.
Michael Jordan was drafted in 1984 by the Chicago Bulls and was the 3rd pick in the draft. It is absurd to think that Jordan went 3rd but no one knew that they were looking at one of if not the greatest basketball players at the time. Jordan immediately emerged as a star with his athletic plays that looked like he was flying and amazing scoring. Jordan averaged 28.7 points in his rookie season and since then has only averaged less than 30 4 times during his tenure as a Chicago Bull.
Under coach Phil Jackson, Jordan developed into an even greater player than he had been since he got into the NBA and thrived in the infamous triangle offence that is synonymous with Phil. GM Jerry Krause also did a great job of surrounding Jordan with great players like Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and Dennis Rodman even though he was also responsible for breaking up the dynasty.
Jordan won 6 championships in Chicago and was the Finals MVP 6 times. He was also a 5-time regular season MVP and won defensive player of the year in the 1987-1988 season. He was the rookie of the year in the 1984-1985 season and made the All-NBA team 11 times. He was a 14-time all-star and 3 times all-star MVP. He was also a 10-time scoring champ and has averaged the most points by a player in their career (30.1). He is also 5th all-time in points scored in the regular season (32292) and 2nd in total points scored in the playoffs (5987). He is obviously in the Basketball Hall of Fame as well.
Jordan is credited with the globalization of basketball. Another basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain is on the record saying every NBA player owes 10% of their check to Michael Jordan. Former Commissioner David Stern used Jordan as the face of the NBA and allowed NBA players to play in the Olympics which further popularised the sport across the world.
Jordan was called ‘God on the court’ by Celtics legend Larry Bird after Jordan scored a postseason record of 63 points against the Celtics in the playoffs. He has been recognised as the GOAT by most players that have played in the NBA, including multiple Hall of Famers. Jordan prevented many great players from winning championships in the ’90s and the only time any other team won in the ’90s Jordan was not a part of the Bulls.
Today Jordan is a businessman that has invested in multiple businesses across different industries. He is also the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets which has promising talents like Lamelo Ball and Miles Bridges on the team. He was also a mentor to another great basketball player, the late great Kobe Bean Bryant. Jordan has made his mark on the game, a mark that will never be forgotten. Here’s wishing the Bull’s legend a very Happy Birthday!