Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. His family decided to move to Wilmington, North Carolina when he was just a toddler. Jordan was the fourth of five children his siblings include two older brothers as well as an older and younger sister. (Shoulder 9) As a child, Jordan’s athletic abilities began to surface as he participated in various sports including basketball, baseball, and football. (Adams 9) His preferred sport as an adolescent was baseball but once he began to spend an increasing amount of time on the basketball court, his outlook also began to change. (Shoulder 11) Michael’s older and taller brother, Larry, continuously would beat him when they p

Michael could not have been more excited about the camp; the best part to him was that he would not be going alone. Leroy Smith had been invited as well. Williams was very impressed with Jordan’s ambition as well as his game. “Williams rushed over to another of Dean Smith’s assistants and confided, ‘I think that I’ve just looked at the best…high school player that I’ve ever seen.’” (Adams 16)

After the season, Michael decided that he would retire from the game of basketball to spend more time with his family. Any athlete as driven as Michael though could not possibly stay in retirement that long. Soon Michael did grow restless to compete and decided to go back to playing. The game he would be playing now though was not basketball but rather to everyone’s surprise baseball! (Beckett 112)

Again the Bulls made the play-offs and easily took down Atlanta, Cleveland, and New York. For the third year in a row, the Bulls were playing for the NBA championship this year against the Phoenix Suns and the seasons MVP Charles Barkley. The Bulls again had to go to six games to decide a winner and John Paxson hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Bulls their third consecutive NBA championship! (Shoulder 22)

The following season Michael was convinced things would be different. Before the 1995-96 season the Bulls had signed Denis Rodman who was one of the top rebounders in the league. (Beckett 43) He is what Michael had said the Bulls were missing. With Michael back on the team and now Denis Rodman as well as Scottie Pippen the Bulls went on to win another three-peat defeating the Seattle Supersonics and the Utah Jazz twice. (Hubbard 89-90) During the 1998 championship game with the Jazz, Michael hit one of the most amazing shots in NBA history. In the final seconds of game six, Michael stole the ball from Karl Malone, faked out defender Byron Russell, and launched a beautiful jumper that sailed through the net with a perfect “swish”. (Adams 68) What a perfect ending to his career…again.

Michael worked very hard at trying to succeed in baseball as he worked harder than anyone else, but just could not excel in baseball as he had done in basketball. (Beckett 114-115) During the baseball season Michael had played a charity game for Scottie Pippen at the soon to be demolished Chicago Stadium. Michael's 52 points made him the top scorer that night though little defense was played on both sides. As the game ended and Michael was walking off the court he bent down and kissed the floor. After the game, something inside him slowly was being reborn. When the major league baseball players when on strike Michael officially retired from the minor leagues and soon started to attend Bulls practices and doing drills with the team. “Just when Michael's fans could barely contain their excitement and curiosity Michael finally responded with two simple thrilling words: ‘I’m Back’.” (Adams 66) Returning with only a few games left in the season the Bulls had managed to clinch a play-off spot thanks to Michael. He had prove that he still had the magic to be out their after sinking a game winning shot in his fourth game back. The Bulls however lost in the second round to the Orlando Magic.

In the spring of 1989, the Bulls made it to their first Eastern Conference finals, where they faced their previous year rivals, the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons managed to beat the Bulls four games to two then went on to sweep the Lakers. “I was so incredibly frustrated at the loss especially because I had come so close,” Michael said in his book I’m Back.

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