Michael Jeffery Jordan
Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan became one of the most recognizable
athletes in professional sports history and the defining star of the
Chicago Bulls' championship era. Selected by Chicago with the third
overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, Jordan developed into one of the
most accomplished players the league has ever seen.
Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA championships in an
eight-season span, winning titles in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and
1998. He was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after each of those
six championships and won five regular-season NBA Most Valuable Player
Awards during his career.
Jordan was also one of the league's premier defensive players. He won
the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and
was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times. His impact
went well beyond scoring, as he combined elite athleticism, defense,
playmaking and an ability to take over games in crucial moments.
Jordan retired from basketball for the first time in 1993 before
returning to the Bulls in March 1995. Chicago then won three more
consecutive championships from 1996 through 1998. Jordan retired again
in 1999 before making one final comeback with the Washington Wizards
from 2001 through 2003. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
He also represented the United States in Olympic competition in
1984 and 1992, winning gold medals both times. The
1992 team became known around the world as the original
Dream Team.
Career Highlights
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6-time NBA Champion: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997,
1998.
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6-time NBA Finals MVP.
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5-time NBA Most Valuable Player.
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14-time NBA All-Star.
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10-time NBA scoring champion.
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1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
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9-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection.
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10-time All-NBA First Team selection.
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3-time NBA All-Star Game MVP.
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2-time Olympic gold medalist: 1984 and 1992.
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Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as an
individual in 2009. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Michael Jordan Career Overview
| Period |
Games |
PPG |
NBA Titles |
| 1984-85 through 1987-88 |
264 |
30.7 |
0 |
| 1988-89 through 1991-92 |
325 |
31.9 |
2 |
| 1992-93 through 1995-96 |
177 |
30.0 |
2 |
| 1996-97 through 1997-98 |
164 |
29.1 |
2 |
| 2001-02 through 2002-03 |
142 |
21.4 |
0 |
| NBA Career |
1,072 |
30.1 |
6 |
Jordan finished his NBA career with 32,292 points in 1,072
regular-season games, averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and
5.3 assists per game. His career scoring average remains one of the
defining statistical marks of his career. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
With Chicago alone, Jordan remains the Bulls' franchise leader in
points, assists and steals. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
The Bulls Championship Era
Jordan's first championship came in 1991 after Chicago defeated the Los
Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. That victory began the Bulls' first
three-peat, followed by championships over Portland in 1992 and Phoenix
in 1993.
After returning from his first retirement, Jordan helped lead Chicago
to a then-NBA-record 72 regular-season victories in
1995-96. The Bulls defeated Seattle in the Finals, then beat
Utah in both 1997 and 1998 to complete a second three-peat.
Jordan won Finals MVP in all six championship seasons, a record that
remains one of the signature achievements of his career. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Clutch Moments
Jordan became especially famous for late-game scoring and
game-winning shots. His career included the 1989 playoff jumper over
Cleveland that became known simply as "The Shot", the
1993 series-winning basket against Cleveland, and the jumper against
Utah in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals that helped secure Chicago's
sixth championship.
NBAHoopsOnline maintains a separate collection of Jordan's major
game-winning shots.
View Michael Jordan's Winning Shots »
Explore Michael Jordan
