Jordan, Michael (1963- ), American professional basketball player, a leading scorer in the National Basketball Association (NBA), who led the Chicago Bulls to five NBA championships (1991-1993, 1996, 1997). He is regarded by many as the greatest player in NBA history.

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 as a freshman scored the winning basket in the 1982 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship game. Jordan was selected college player of the year for the 1983-84 season, and in 1984 he led the United States basketball team to a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Jordan left college in 1984 to play with the Bulls. He finished his first season (1984-85) as one of the top scorers in the league, with an average of 28.2 points per game. He was also named rookie of the year and made the first of his ten All-Star game appearances (1985, 1987-1993, 1996, 1997). Jordan finished the 1986-87 season as the second player, after Wilt Chamberlain, to score more than 3000 points in a single season. He led the NBA in scoring for seven consecutive seasons (1987-1993), tying Chamberlain’s record, and averaged more than 30 points per game in each season. He also became the Bulls’ all-time leading scorer and set numerous scoring records, including most points in a playoff game (63 points against the Boston Celtics in 1986); and highest scoring average for an NBA championship series (41 points per game in the 1993 NBA finals). He led the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA championship title in 1991; with Jordan, the Bulls won again in 1992,1993, 1996, and 1997. In addition to his four league Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996), Jordan won the All-Star game MVP award twice (1988, 1996) and has won the NBA championship series MVP award in every Finals in which he has played. Jordan was also a member of the United States Olympic basketball team, known as the Dream Team, that captured the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

Stating that he had lost his desire to play professional basketball, Jordan announced his retirement prior to the 1993-94 season. Initially noted for his scoring, his tenacious defensive play had made him one of the greatest all-around basketball players in NBA history. He had also become 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 of the American League (AL), reported to spring training, and was assigned to the team’s minor league system. That summer he batted .202 with the Birmingham Barons, a class AA affiliate of the White Sox. Later in the year he batted .252 with the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. Jordan ended his retirement from professional basketball by rejoining the Bulls near the end of the 1994-95 NBA regular season. In the 1995-96 season he enjoyed another great year, leading the NBA in scoring with 30.4 points per game and being named league MVP. The Bulls also became the first NBA team to win 70 games in a season, finishing with 72 victories, and they went on to win the NBA championship title. Jordan was named MVP of the NBA finals, becoming the first player to earn the honor four times. Jordan again led the league in scoring during the 1996-97 season with 29.6 points per game. Chicago bested the Utah Jazz, 4 games to 2, in the 1997 NBA Finals and Jordan received his fifth NBA Finals MVP award.

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