As a sophomore at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan did not make his school's varsity (main) basketball team. This inspired him to work harder, and he made the team the next year. In 1981, he went to the University of North Carolina to play. He averaged 13.5 points per game his freshman year, and 20 points per game his sophomore year. Under coach Dean Smith's system, no player was allowed to average more than 20 ppg. North Carolina won the national championship in 1982, Jordan's freshman year. Jordan made the winning shot with 18 seconds left in the championship game. After Jordan's junior year in college, he said that he would be leaving college to play in the NBA. The Chicago Bulls chose him with the third pick in the 1984 NBA draft. He never served as a team captain in college.
Jordan made an appearance in Michael Jackson's "Jam" music video in 1992; in the video, Jackson teaches Jordan how to dance and Jordan also teaches Michael how to play basketball. In 1993, after winning three NBA championships in a row, Jordan said that he would retire and switch to a career in minor league baseball. He played for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league team in the Chicago White Sox's system, but hit only one home run during his whole baseball career. In 1995, Jordan announced that he would return to the NBA with a two word announcement: "I'm back". He was back in time to play for the Bulls in the 1995 playoffs, but the Bulls lost in the playoffs before reaching the NBA Finals. However, the next three seasons after that, the Bulls won the championship. This included the 1995-1996 season, when the Bulls won 72 games in the regular season and only lost 10. In 1996, he starred in the live-action/animated comedy movie "Space Jam" as himself. Jordan retired for a second time in 1998, but was still not done playing. He would buy part of the Washington Wizards basketball team, and played for the Wizards from 2001 to 2003, and ended his playing career after that.
During his NBA career, Jordan had at least 29 game-winning shots on field goals or free throws when deciding a game in the last 30 seconds of the game. In addition to well-documented instances, he made a pair of free throws in a road game at New Jersey, on March 16, 1996. While making the free throws, WGN play-by-play announcer Wayne Larivee remarked, "Michael Jordan, ice water in his veins".
Michael Jordan played mostly shooting guard. Other than a brief spell in April 1989 during which he played point guard, Jordan almost always played shooting guard during his time with the Chicago Bulls. He was widely heralded as the most skilled and accomplished basketball player of all time. He could score from anywhere on the floor and was a 83% free throw shooter, coupled with being the greatest defensive shooting guard of all time. He is widely considered the greatest offensive player of all time, in part due to his ability to aggressively drive, finish at the rim and mid-range game. He scored using post-ups, layups - often reverse layups, dunks, three-pointers and fadeaways. He had great jumping ability and was extremely agile in the air. These two qualities, coupled with his very large hands, measuring almost 10 inches, allowed him to double- and even triple-clutch the basketball in mid-air. He was skilled at scoring in the air, even when fouled by the opponent, and at converting traditional three-point plays. During the 1986-87 season, he averaged 37.1 points per game. Jordan was a great rebounder for his size. Sometimes he would intimidate his teammates or opponents. Jordan wore a suit to every playoff game. He was a very focused player with a great work ethic.
Jordan is now the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. He was chosen to enter the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Notes
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor (February 4, 1959) is a retired American football player who played for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL). Taylor was famous for sacking the other team's quarterbacks. After he retired he got in trouble for doing drugs. He has since stopped doing drugs. He also appeared on Dancing With the Stars in the 2009 season.
New York Giants
The New York Giants are an American football team. They are a part of the National Football League (NFL). Even though they are called the New York Giants they do not play in New York. They play in East Rutherford, New Jersey. New York is right across the Hudson river from East Rutherford, so they consider New York as home. The Giants play in MetLife Stadium, which they share with the New York Jets.
The New York Giants started playing in 1925. They were named for the baseball team also called the New York Giants. They have won six NFL championships, including some before the Super Bowl era. On February 3, 2008, the Giants beat the previously unbeaten New England Patriots (17-14) to win their third Super Bowl championship in Super Bowl XLII as well as stopping them from achieving the NFL's first 19-0 season. The previous two Super Bowl victories came against the Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills (when they won the game on a missed last second field goal that went "wide right".) The Giants won Super Bowl XLVI against the Patriots but this time the Patriots went 13-3 in the regular season. The Giants beat them in Foxborough during the 2011 season.
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (born January 21, 1963 in Lagos, Nigeria; pronounced ah-KEEM ah-LAH-zhoo-wahn), formerly Akeem Olajuwon, is a retired Nigerian-American basketball player. He is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. He is considered by some to be the greatest defensive player in basketball history. Hakeem Olajuwon travelled all the way from his home country of Nigeria to play basketball in the United States. He won two National Basketball Association (NBA) championships with the Houston Rockets. During his career, he was nicknamed "The Dream", often extended to "Hakeem the Dream", due to his grace both on and off the court. His best move was called the "Dream Shake". He also called himself "Little Moses" after one of his biggest idols, Moses Malone, who played for the Houston Rockets while Olajuwon played for the University of Houston Cougars men's basketball team.
Ecomuseum
An ecomuseum is a museum which shows things about the identity of a place or landscape. Many of the people who live in that place help to organize things in the museum. The ecomuseum tries to help the welfare and development of the local community.
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen (born September 25, 1965) is a retired American basketball player. He played for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for most of his career and won six championships with the Bulls, although he also played with Charles Barkley in 1999 for the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers near the end of his career.
In addition to his chemistry with Michael Jordan, Pippen was known for his defense. His unusually long wingspan allowed him to clog passing lanes and make chase-down blocks.
Pippen went by Scott Pippen early in his NBA career. Later on he earned the nicknames Pip, Robin (to Michael Jordan's Batman) and later Batman (Jordan was then called Superman). Off the court, Pippen developed a reputation for not leaving tips at restaurants, and got the nickname No Tippin' Pippen.
Pippen's nephew Kavion Pippen currently plays basketball for the Southern Illinois Salukis.
Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team. They play in Chicago, Illinois at the United Center. The Bulls are a part of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They were named the Bulls in reference to the Chicago Union Stockyards, which was once a major business in Chicago. The current head coach is Fred Hoiberg.