Michael Jordan: Beyond an Icon Many people in this modern time would agree that we need someone in the sports world to step up and take a leading role. There are so many athletes out there today involved in scandals such as, affairs, taking of performance enhancing drugs, and even run-ins with the law. We need someone to step up not just as a role model, or some factory icon. But to bring back the integrity of the word athlete. Michael Jordan was the Chicago Bulls superstar who beat Charles Barkley and Akeem Olajuwon for Rookie of the Year back in 1985. He may be the greatest player to ever play the game. He even has six championship rings to back up his claim, including 3 straight from 1991-1993, and 3 more in 1996-1998. Michael was named the NBA Finals MVP in all of those titles. In 1991, Jordan's Bulls finally overcame the greatest impediment to their team's success, the Detroit Pistons, who had regularly eliminated the Bulls from the playoffs. In 1993 he averaged 41.0 ppg in the finals, for a record. This 6'6" guard is a NBA first teamer (10 times) He was once again an All-NBA First Team member in 1996.

You can always pencil Mike in as the starting guard for the all-star game (13 appearances). He started for the ninth time in 1997, as the first player EVER to receive more than 2 million votes. In the 1997 Game he became the first player ever to record a triple double in the all-star game with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Jordan was not named MVP that year, but he did win the Game's MVP award in 1988 after scoring 40 points and again in 1996. Jordan was once again elected to start in 1998 after leading the eastern conference in voting. After coming out of retirement, Jordan was elected to start again for the eastern all-stars in 2002. Jordan holds the record for most career scoring titles with eight, including 7 straight, also a record. I believe that he has scored so many points that it is almost unfair to compare him with other players. On November 6, 1996 Michael scored 50 points for the 36th time in his career! Jordan eclipsed the 25,000 career points total, and he continues to dominate in that statistical category. He was the tenth player to score that many points, accomplishing the feat in 1996. In 2001 Michael Jordan scored his 30,000 career point, becoming the fourth player in NBA history to reach the 30,000 point milestone. Jordan, now with 30,014 points, joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (33,669), and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) in the 30,000+ club. He's also the Bull's All-Time leading scorer, no surprise there. His career scoring average of around 32 ppg is the best of all-time. He will undoubtedly bury this record, as there is no end in sight to his double-digit habits. He ended the season with 840 consecutive games. Jordan wins the MVP Award for the 4th time in 1996 and wins it again a 5th time in 1998. Yet this man has not been involved in so many scandals like so many players in the professional industry today are involved in. Michael Jordan is one of the most poised and proper

men that you could find. On the court he may be aggressive and forceful but off the court he is a true gentleman. What else can Mike do? Play defense. He became the fourth player to record 2,000 career steals in 1996. He has led the league in steals 3 times. He was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1988 and has 9 All-Defensive First Team Selections to his name Jordan, a UNC alum, was named the Consensus College player of the year. He is a true Tar Heel, always wearing his Carolina Blue shorts during a game...for good luck. He also won the NCAA Championship as a freshman at UNC. Michael was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 1982. He was the 3rd pick in the draft after declaring early eligibility, with Coach Dean Smith's blessing, after his junior season. The Portland Trailblazers will always be associated with one of the biggest blunders in basketball history by passing on Jordan. Jordan started for the eastern all-stars as a Rookie and was named to the All-NBA Second Team as well as the All-Rookie First Team and Rookie of the Year. Mike has integrity that is second to no man. He is also a family man, he is married, and he and his wife Juanita have 3 kids, named Jasmine, Jeffrey and Marcus. He has been on two Olympic Gold Medal teams. Once as a college player and the second time on Dream Team I in 1992. Air Jordan, is one of the two most explosive dunkers of all-time, the other being Dr. J. He has won the Slam Dunk Contest Twice, then basically retired from the competition. Michael dons a brand new pair of "Air Jordans" for each game, usually donating the pair after the game. Jordan's father, James, was killed in a robbery in 1993. This devastating event in Michael's

life was partially responsible for him leaving the NBA. He claimed that basketball held no more challenges for him. He turned to Baseball for a challenge where he played in the White Sox organization. He was quick, and could play defense, but he just couldn't do enough with the bat.
His return to basketball came against Indiana. The Bulls had retired Jordan's number 23 in late 1994. When Michael returned he wore number 45, but soon returned to his familiar number 23. After a shaky return at the end of the 1995 season, he was back in full form for 1995-96, winning another scoring title. He was named the MVP for the fourth time in 1996 and won his fourth NBA Championship and won his fourth NBA Finals MVP Trophy. Jordan was only the second person, the other was Willis Reed, to win the MVP for the regular season, Finals and All Star Game. Jordan did it in 1996 after making his return and leading the Bulls to an NBA record 72 wins. Jordan led his Bull's to a Sixth NBA Championship in 1998, and he added a fifth MVP Trophy in 1998, after losing out to Karl Malone in 1997. He also beat Karl's Jazz for the Title that year. Jordan was named MVP in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996 and now in 1998. In 1996 he was also selected to be on the All-Interview team. He was a repeat on the All-Interview in 1998 when everyone asked him about his retirement. In 1996, Michael starred in his first feature movie. Space Jam alongside Bugs Bunny, Marvin Martian and Porky Pig. The movie idea was born in a series of McDonalds commercials. The movie was definately Michael's thing, as it focused on his life, giving us some bits of what it was like to grow up as MJ. I felt that this was almost noble. Granted he was being payed for the movie. It was great

that he did this project and worked with directors to give something back to the public and to the kids. Jordan signed a huge one year contract for 1996-97 in which he will make over 30 million dollars. Finally, since Jordan has always been one of the most underpaid players in the league, making most of his salary from endorsements. The Bulls renewed his contract in 1997-98 for a reported 33 million for one year. Michael announced his retirement from basketball and the Chicago Bulls for a second time on January 13, 1999. Debate will continue for years whether or not he was the greatest of all time. On September 25, 2001 Jordan ended his retirement and returned to basketball, giving up his ownership of the Washington Wizards, he picked up his sneakers and signed a two year contract to play for them. In conclusion I believe that Michael Jordan was much more in this modern time than someone who simply picked up the tools of his trade and played a game. Jordan was much more than some factory billboard. Or the face of a brand. He was truly an athlete. He kept his name clean. Stayed out of scandals, and represented so much more than an icon.