Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, but was raised in North Carolina. As a youth, Jordan’s first love was baseball, but he played basketball from a young age. While attending Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, the sophomore was infamously cut from the varsity basketball team. Jordan’s ability would grow dramatically in high school, and he secured a full scholarship to the University of North Carolina.

During the 1981-82 season, his first year with legendary coach Dean Smith, Jordan would be named the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, and make a game-winning three-point shot during the final seconds of the National Championship game against Georgetown. He would be named College Player of the Year twice, as well as winning the Naismith and Wooden awards his junior year.

Michael Jordan was selected as the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. During his pro career, Jordan continually wore his North Carolina shorts under his uniform, and unlike most other players had a clause in his contract allowing him to play basketball in the off-season. It was known as a “love of the game clause.”

Jordan was unable to play for most of his second season due to a broken bone in his left foot.  Despite the injury, Jordan returned late in the season and would score an NBA playoff record 63 points in a first-round game against the Boston Celtics. Between 1990 and 1998, the Chicago Bulls won six championships with Jordan leading the team.

After the death of his father in 1992, Michael Jordan retired from basketball, and spent the 1994 season fulfilling a childhood dream of playing professional baseball with a AA team owned by the Chicago White Sox. He would return for the 1995-96 season, and resume domination of the NBA. Citing a lack of competitive desire in basketball, Jordan again retired in 1999. By this time he was one of the most recognizable athletes in the world.  

In 2000 Jordan took a position as part owner and part manager of the Washington Wizards.  Frustrated over the team’s performance, he emerged from retirement a third time, signing a two-year contract for the 2001-02 season.  Jordan became the first owner-manager-player in the history of the NBA.  Despite his age, Jordan averaged over 20 points a game, and scored 40 points in one game shortly after his 40th birthday.

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Sources: Africanaonline, http://www.africanaonline.com/michael_jordan.htm ; NBA Encyclopedia, http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_bio.html ;NBA.com Player Profile, http://www.nba.com/playerfile/michael_jordan/index.html