MichaelJeffreyJordanwasbornonFebruary17,1963,inBrooklyn,NewYork,buthisfamilydecidedtomovetoWilmington,NorthCarolinawhenhewasstillatoddler.Jordanisthefourthoffivechildren,havingtwoolderbrothersandanolderandyoungersister.Michael'sdadworkedhardatanelectricplantwhilehismomlaboredfull-timeatabank.Jordan'sparentsworkedhardtoprovidehimandhissiblingswithacomfortablelifestyle.

　　Asachild,Jordanplayedbaseball,basketballandfootball.Hispreferredsportatthetimewasbaseballbutafterhebeganspendingalotoftimeonthebasketballcourt,hisoutlookchanged.Becausehisolderandtallerbrother,Larry,continuouslykeptbeatinghimwhentheyplayedone-on-one,hewasdeterminedtobecomeabetterplayer.

　　Ironically,in1978,whenJordanattendedLaneyHighSchoolinWilmington,NorthCarolina,hewascutfromthevarsityteam.Insteadofgivingup,however,hefoughtthroughadversityandbecamethegreatestbasketballplayerintheworld.Betweenthe10thand11thgrade,Jordangrewfrom5'11"to6'3",andbecausehehadimprovedgreatlyasaplayer,hemadethevarsityteamthefollowingyear.JordanplayedsowellinhisjuniorseasonthathewasinvitedtoattendtheFive-StarCampinPittsburgh,Pennsylvania,duringthesummerbeforehissenioryear.

　　BythetimeJordanwasfinishinghissenioryearatLaney,hehadgrownto6'5"andattainedabasketballscholarshipfromtheUniversityofNorthCarolina.Jordan'sever-growingpopularitybeganatUNCwherehemadealastminutegame-winningshotintheNCAAchampionshipgame.Inthesummerof1984,JordanplayedontheUSMen'sOlympicBasketballTeamunderheadcoachBobbyKnight.TheteamhadsuchcollegeplayersasJordan,PatrickEwing,ChrisMullin(NBAplayersweren'tallowedtocompeteintheGamesuntil1992).Jordan'splaysquicklyawedtheotherteams.

　　Hescored14pointsagainstChina,20againstCanadaand16againstUruguay.TheUSwonalleightofthegamesbyanaverageof32.1pointspergame.Jordanledtheteaminscoringwithanaverageof17.1pointspergame.TwomonthsaftertheOlympics,Jordanplayedhisfirstregular-seasongamewiththeChicagoBulls.

　　Jordanimmediatelyprovedthathebelongedinthebigleaguesandhisacrobaticmovesandhang-timewonhimtheinfamousnicknameAirJordan.HisbasketballskillsandalluremadehimtheperfectkeyfiguretomarketbothNikeproductsandtheNBA.

　　JordanledtheBullstothreeconsecutiveWorldChampionships(1991,1992and1993).JordanretiredfromtheNBAprecedingthe1993/94seasonafterthemysteriousdeathofhisfatherandafterrumorsabouthisgamblingaddictionsbegantocirculate.

　　Afterprovingthathewasthebestbasketballplayerintheworld,Jordansoughtanewchallengeanddecidedtotryhishandatprofessionalbaseball.HeplayedoutfielderfortheBirminghamBarons,affiliatesoftheChicagoWhiteSox.Jordanquicklyrealizedthathewasnotcutoutforbaseballafteradisappointingseason.

　　In1995,Jordanmadeasurprisereturntobasketballrightbeforetheplayoffsbutunfortunately,theBullsdidn'twintheChampionship.In1996,JordanledtheBullstotheirbestregularseasonrecordandthefourthChampionshiptitleinsixyears.Healsotookashotatthesilverscreen,wherehestarredalongsideBugsBunnyintheanimatedcomedySpaceJam.

　　JordandecidedtoretireafterwinninghislastChampi