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Happy Birthday to Michael Jordan. Of course, it would only be befitting for one of the greatest basketball players of all time to be born during Black History Month. That’s right! The GOAT turns 59 today!
Here are some stunning highlights from his stellar career.
The talent of Michael Jordan was evident from his first season in the NBA; by November 1984, he had been compared to Julius Erving.
According to Larry Bird, rookie Jordan was the most talented player he had ever seen, and comparable to Wayne Gretzky in terms of abilities.
During Jordan’s first game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, he received a standing ovation lasting nearly a minute.
Bird described him as “God disguised as Michael Jordan” after he scored 63 points in a playoff game against the Boston Celtics on April 20, 1986.
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As the NBA’s leading scorer for 10 seasons, Jordan tied Wilt Chamberlain’s record of seven consecutive scoring titles.
The NBA selected him nine times for the All-Defensive First Team, a record shared with Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant.
Jordan also has the highest career-scoring averages in both regular season and playoff games.
The playoff shootout against the Jazz in 1998 cemented his reputation as a clutch player throughout the league.
The Bulls’ best chance to win a close game and to make the playoffs came from Jordan. Hence, he would always ask for the ball when it mattered most.
As a result of Jordan’s playoff performance, he has the second-highest scoring total in NBA history.
He retired fifth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.
Michael Jordan the Olympic Gold Medalist
Jordan won a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Moreover, he led the team in scoring, averaging 17.1. In addition, Black Wall Street’s own Wayman Tisdale was a member of the team.
A member of the “Dream Team”, Jordan earned his second gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
Lastly, Jordan is the most decorated player in NBA history. He holds five regular-season MVP awards, six Finals MVP awards, and three All-Star Game MVP awards.