Biography of Michael Jordan

"There's Michael, then there is the rest of us," Magic Johnson famously quoted. Even the brilliant stars of his era praise Michael's greatness. This shows how great he really is on the court. Michael has the unique combination of grace, power, speed, quickness, and an unquenchable competitive desire. But, who knew that Michael was cut from the varsity team when he was a sophomore at Laney High School? Are you out of your mind! I know that if I were the coach, I would definitely keep a guy of Michael's caliber. During this time, Michael was just a slim guy with average skills. His failure to make the varsity team motivated him to strive to be the best by practicing as often as the sun rises. He attended North Carolina in college and in his freshman year he knocked down the game winning shot at the National Championship game. After that shot, his life was never the same.

In 1984, Michael was drafted third by the Chicago Bulls. He was supposed to be drafted second by Portland but they chose Sam Bowie instead. He signed a shoe contract with Nike shortly after the draft day. Today, Michael Jordan's shoes are the most sought after sneakers in the market because many admires him and the eye catching shoes he helps design. His signature shoes similar to his style of play redefined the NBA because it is the first shoe that wasn't dominantly white. So the league banned it but he kept on wearing them while it cost him money every game he did. Nike supported him all the way and paid all the fines and after this shoe sales skyrocketed to its all time high. Everything was going well with Michael. He won the Rookie of the Year Award, All-Star Game MVP, Slam Dunk Champion, and he caught everybody's attention with his blazing dunks. Except he didn't have a championship ring which is every great player's goal. His quest for the championship title was stalled when the Detroit Pistons knocked his Chicago Bulls out of the playoffs for two consecutive years. The Pistons (aka The Bad Boys) imposed what they call the "Jordan rules," a tactic in which they promote rough style of play to frustrate him. They double-teamed him every chance they get, hacked him, and fouled him hard every time he drove to the basket. The third time the Bulls faced them, they got revenge and eliminated the Pistons. This time they had great coaching with Phil Jackson on the bench. Phil ran a system called the Triangle Offense, which incorporated every player and gave rhythm to the offense. They went on to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals to become the World Champions. The Bulls came up victorious the next two years beating Portland and Phoenix to cap off a three-peat. Then, he won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in the 1992 Olympic Games.

During the off-season after their three-peat, a tragedy struck Michael's life. His father was murdered during an armed robbery in their house. His father's death ended one of the most successful and difficult periods of his life. He was devastated by his dad's death, but later realized that it happened for a reason. After the three-peat, Michael decided to retire from the game he loved. All the stress, tension, and attention overcame him so he wanted to relieve his self from all of that. For him, retirement means no restraints. He wants to have the freedom to do anything he feels like