Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan,who is said to be the greatest player ever to touch a basketball, is my hero. Michael is a kind, giving, and tough enough to stick-it-out in hard times. He overcame many obstacles in his life. In his sophmore year in high school, he was cut from his high-school varsity basketball team. This didn't stop Michael from being an NBA superstar. MIchael persisted in his goal and lifelong dream to be in the NBA.

In Michael's childhood, he dreamed to get a basketball scholarship to a good college. Michael's dream came true when he recieved a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina. Michael made one of the best teams in the country in his freshman year. Michael was a starting guard in the lineup that went on to win the NCAA championship. Michael was awarded with the ACC's Rookie of the Year. Michael improved his defense to win the UNC's defensive player of the game award 12 times. His team lost in the third round of the NCAA tournament. In his junior year, he lead his league in scoring, with 19.6 points per game. Michael also won the Wooden Award which was the award for the best player in the country. At the end of his junior year, Michael had to decide to go to the NBA or finish college and then try for the NBA. He chose to enter the NBA draft after six hard weeks of problem solving.

Michael was selected to the Chicago Bulls as the third pick of the NBA Draft. Michael was named Rookie of the Year in the season of 1984-1985. Michael made the all-star team as a starting guard also in his rookie season. In his second season, Michael broke a bone in his food that sidelined him for 63 games, but when he came back he helped the Bulls squeak back into the playoffs. When he played the Boston Celtics in the first round, he averaged 43.7 points per game. In game 2, Michael had 63 points in the game as a record. In his third season, he averaged 37.1 points per game and won his first Dunk Contest and NBA Scoring Title. The Bull's finished with a 40-42 record, which is very bad. They were eliminated again by the Boston Celtics. In Michael's fourth season he averaged 35 points per game to earn his second NBA Scoring Title. Also, he was named the league's MVP, Defensive Player of the Year Award, All-Star game MVP, and won the Slam Dunk contest for the second straight year. The Bulls made it to the playofs with a winning record. They beat the Cavaliers in the first round, but then lost to the Detroit Pistons. In Michael's fifth and sixth seasons the Bulls came closer and closer to winning an NBA Championship. They reached as far as the Eastern Conference Finals only to be beaten again by the Pistons.

Michael Jordan's hunger for an NBA Championship was like an elephant that hadn't eaten in a month. He finally won his first championship in 1991 with Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen at his side. He won six championships in his NBA career(91,92,93,96,97,98). At the end of the 1992-1993 season Michael retired from basketball to play professional baseball for the Chicago White Sox Organization. He attended spring training and was placed on the AA Birmingham Barons. Michael realized that baseball wasn't his professional sport, and then ended his retirement and rejoined the Bulls for the start of the 1994-1995 season. Michael then proved to the rest of the world that he was the best with all of the records that he set and surpassed. Michael Jordan is the best player that ever touched a basketball in my mind.