Monday, October 11, 2010

Michael Jordan - Basketball Hero

Today Michael Jordan is a part-owner and Managing Member of Basketball Operations of the Charlotte Bobcats in North Carolina. He is divorced from his wife Jaunita; the couple has three grown children, Jeffrey, Marcus and Jasmine. It is reported that Juanita received a $168 million settlement, making it the largest celebrity divorce settlement in history on public record, according to celebrity magazines.



Michael Jordan, born in 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, grew up in North Carolina. He started out his stellar basketball career at the famed University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1982 he led the team to a National Championship. This accomplishment landed Michael Jordan and teammate Sam Perkins on the cover a 1983 Sports Illustrated magazine cover; it would not be his last. In 1984 he became a professional basketball player, joining the NBA's Chicago Bulls team.

From the start Michael Jordan was a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line earned him the nickname "Air Jordan." He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball.

In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993; fans called the triple accomplishment a "three-peat." To read more about Michael Jordan's championships with the Chicago Bulls, read sports magazines like Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, Sports Weekly and The Sporting News magazine.

Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993-94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball. He rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997 and 1998) as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995-96 season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons in 2001 as a member of the Washington Wizards.

Jordan's individual accolades include five MVP awards, 10 All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, 14 NBA All-Star Game appearances, three All-Star Game MVP awards, 10 scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

He also holds the NBA records for highest career regular-season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.4 points per game). In 1999, ESPN named him the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century, which ran in many magazines.

Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. During his career he was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation. This recognition was instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

At the height of his career he was a major spokesman for brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, McDonald's, Wheaties and Hanes to name a few. A couple of his most-famous commercials include the "Like Mike" commercials for Gatorade and a commercial for his signature shoe, Air Jordan, by Nike, featuring legendary film director Spike Lee.



Article Source: http://fungro.blogspot.com/

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