Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan shoots with 2 seconds left on the clock for the win and he scores. This happened at the 1998 NBA Championship, and thanks to Michael Jordan, the Bulls won. This was only 1 of the great things achieved by Michael. He led the Bulls to six NBA titles, he won two Olympic gold medals, and his last second jumper in 1982 gave North Carolina’s Dean Smith his first NCAA title. He Captured ten Scoring titles, was selected MVP of the league five times and won the same award during the finals all six times he competed.

Now lets talk about Mike’s life, he was born on February 17, 1963, in Wilmington, North Carolina, the third of five children. His father worked as a supervisor at a General Electric Plant, and his mother was a customer service representative at a local bank. Michael played track and field, baseball, football, and basketball in high school. His mother steered him toward basketball because she was worried that he would get injured. At fourteen Michael was short and underweight, but by his senior year he shot up to six feet six and one half inches.

As Michael got closer to graduation, colleges began to offer him athletic scholarships. Michael chose the University of North Carolina as his college. He was voted the top college player for the 1983-84 season. Just before his senior year he decided to turn pro, knowing his earnings would help his family. The Chicago Bulls chose him with their first pick that spring. He was named rookie of the year, and ranked third in scoring, with an average of 28.2 points a game. He made 2.39 steals per game and led his team in assists and rebounds. During the 1985-86 season, Michael fell during a game and broke some bones in his left foot. He missed most of the season. While the injury healed, Michael made good use of his time by returning to UNC to complete courses he needed for his degree in geography. Michael’s foot healed it was as great as ever. He executed one of his famous slam-dunks and landed on his left foot with no problem. In 1986-87, Michael Jordan collected an amazing 159 points in one three-game period, racking up 59 of them during 37 minutes of playing time. His average of 237.1 points per game that year topped the NBA. He also became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to score over 3,000 points in a single season. As the 1990s began, Jordan seemed on top of his game.

Then he played in the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona, Spain with some other superstars like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The Dream Team won the United States a gold medal. His good manners and talent led people to call him the “Gentleman Superstar.” Michael said, “I’m very grateful that a lot of people respect me for my ability.”

He has also given up some time and money. He was involved in the Special Olympics and Head Start programs for preschoolers and has frequently spoken out about drugs, saying, “I’m strictly against drugs and alcohol and I want people to know that I’m not afraid to say no. If they’re put in the same situation and if they saw that I said no, then they can say the same thing.”

Michael has influence in public service messages and commercials on behalf of important causes. A basketball and pair of shoes-Air Jordan- were named for him. When the Smith Sports Center was established in Chapel Hill at UNC, the school retired Michael’s number 23 jersey. Only ten other UNC players have been so honored. Basketball player Clyde Drexler once said of Jordan, “He’s a pro’s pro. We even like to see him play when we’re not playing against him.”

In conclusion, I think Michael will be know as the greatest basketball player every to play the game forever. He also has all the qualities to be a role model and hero. He was always one for me and that is why I chose him as my hero.