In 1984, the Chicago Bulls signed the no. 3 draft pick, Michael Jordan. One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Jordan came from humble beginnings. When he grew up in Wilmington, NC, Jordan was selected to play on his high school junior varsity team as a sophomore. Standing at 5’11″, he was deemed too short and not skilled enough. It was only after Jordan dropped several 40 plus point games, had a growth spurt, and vigorous training over his sophomore summer, that he finally earned a spot on the varsity squad. Jordan’s talent was soon noticed and he would be heavily recruited by division one college programs.Â
At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Jordan shot over 50% (fgp) and averaged 13.4 points as a freshman. Playing alongside Patrick Ewing, Jordan made the game winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown (63-62). After three seasons at North Carolina, Jordan had made the NCAA All-American First Team twice. Jordan also won both the Naismith and John Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984, yet he was still drafted third following Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie. However, by the end of his 15 season NBA career, there would be no doubt that Jordan was a generational talent and the best player of his draft.
As a player, Jordan led the Bulls to two three peat championships. Jordan was a six time NBA Champion and was named NBA Finals MVP in all six finals. Jordan’s accolades include being a 14x All-Star, 5x NBA MVP, 10x All-NBA First Team, 10x NBA scoring champion, 3x NBA steals leader, and NBA Defensive Player of the Year. In 2009, Jordan was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and his no. 23 is retired by the Chicago Bulls.
