Today marks the birthday of Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials MJ, who was born on February 17, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. The basketball player has been a part of many memorable moments over the course of his NBA career, and he’s also been featured in many biographies written about him and his life. To celebrate his 59th birthday, check out some interesting facts about this famous athlete’s life and legacy below! Michael Jordan Biography
Table of Contents
Early life
Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Deloris (Raymond) and James R. Jordan. James, a mechanic for United Parcel Service (UPS), died of a heart attack when Michael was three years old. Michael Jordan Biography
College years
After his 1984 graduation from Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a business major. During his time there, he played basketball for head coach Dean Smith and earned ACC Player of the Year in both 1984 and 1985. In his senior year he wrote an essay for The Daily Tar Heel about racial prejudice which was later included in . He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986 at 19 years old.
Career with the Chicago Bulls (1985–1993)
In addition to numerous individual honors, Jordan was a part of six NBA championship teams (1991–1993, 1996–1998), three with the Chicago Bulls (1991, 1992, 1993) and three with the Washington Wizards (1997, 1998, 2001). He played for six seasons at Mississippi State University before joining the NBA. In his senior year he was co-Southeastern Conference Player of The Year along with Kentucky’s Jamal Mashburn. He also finished his college career as a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
Return to the NBA (1995–1998)
Jordan returned to basketball in 1995 when he was convinced to come out of retirement by Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause. The subsequent season was not a successful one for Jordan and his new team, as they won only 15 games; at one point, they were eliminated from playoff contention with a 10–20 record. However, Jordan’s presence in Chicago generated tremendous hype around the team again and attendance skyrocketed during that season. That year also marked what would be his final All-Star Game appearance.
Later career and retirement (1998–2003)
After his third retirement, Jordan played minor league baseball, but he retired a second time in December 2001. Shortly afterward, it was announced that he would return to play for the Washington Wizards (then known as the Washington Bullets). He helped spark a Wizards revival in 2002–03 that resulted in an NBA Playoffs appearance. He continued to play for several more years before retiring for good. Michael Jordan Biography
- Born: 17 February 1963 (age 59 years), Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Height: 1.98 m
- Net worth: 170 crores USD (2022) Forbes
- Children: Jeffrey Michael Jordan, Victoria Jordan, Jasmine M. Jordan, Marcus Jordan, Ysabel Jordan
- Spouse: Yvette Prieto (m. 2013), Juanita Vanoy (m. 1989–2006)
- Number: 23 (Chicago Bulls / Shooting guard)
Charity work
Michael Jordan is a longtime supporter of children’s educational needs. Through his eponymous foundation, he has donated more than $10 million to fund college scholarships for students attending universities in North Carolina.
michael jordan rookie card
As a 14-year-old sophomore, he led his Laney High School team to North Carolina’s state title and earned MVP honors. The same year, he appeared on Wheaties boxes across America—and made his first appearance in Sports Illustrated (on Aug. 2, 1982). Michael Jordan Biography
michael jordan net worth
Michael Jordan has an estimated net worth of $1.31 billion as of 2014, which makes him one of wealthiest figures in professional sports. He is No. 26 on Forbes’ list of billionaires, making him one of three athletes to have made that list: Tiger Woods and boxer Floyd Mayweather being the other two.
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