Jordan, Michael (1963- ), American professional
basketball player, a leading scorer in the National Basketball Association
(NBA), and winner of five regular-season most valuable player (MVP) awards and six NBA Finals MVP awards. Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina. He accepted a
basketball scholarship from the University of North Carolina and scored the winning basket in the 1982 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
championship game. Jordan was selected college player of the year for the 1983-1984 season, and in 1984 he led the United States basketball team to a gold medal in the Olympic Games.
Jordan joined the Chicago Bulls of the NBA in 1984. He finished the 1986-1987 season as the second player, after Wilt Chamberlain, to score more than 3,000 points in a single season. He was the NBA''s highest scorer on ten occasions, including seven consecutive years (1987-1993) which equalled Chamberlain''s record, and averaged 31.5 points per game—an NBA record. He became the Chicago Bulls'' all-time leading scorer, with 29,277 points, and broke many NBA scoring records. Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA championship title in 1991; with Jordan, the Bulls won again in 1992 and 1993. He was also a member of the US Olympic basketball team, known as the Dream Team, that captured the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics.
Stating that he had lost his desire to play professional basketball, Jordan announced his retirement prior to the 1993-1994 season. Initially noted for his scoring, he also earned a reputation for his tenacious defensive play and he retired as one of the greatest all-round basketball players in NBA history. He became a worldwide celebrity due to his success in the NBA and the Olympics, and his numerous commercial endorsements.
Early in 1994 Jordan returned to professional sports, this time as a baseball player. He signed a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox, but was unsuccessful. In April 1995 he made a successful return to basketball with the Chicago Bulls, winning a further three NBA championship titles in 1996, 1997, and 1998, before retiring for a second time in 1999, at the age of 35. In October 2001 he made yet another return to the game, this time to play for the Washington Wizards, a side he formerly part-owned. He retired once more in April 2003.