Michael Jordan: Legends in Sports

by Matt Christopher

  For the season, Michael had averaged exactly 20 points per game and was named the Tar Heels Defensive Player of the Game 12 times. At the end of the year, he was selected to virtually every All-American team and named Player of the Year by the Sporting News. But Michael wasn’t satisfied; the loss to Georgia in the NCAA tournament hurt. He knew there was room for improvement in his game.

  That summer, he was invited to join the United States basketball team playing in the Pan American games. Michael knew that playing against some of the best players in the world would help him improve his game and hone his skills. As a member of the team, he was able to travel to Caracas, Venezuela. The team won the gold medal, and visiting a foreign country opened Michael’s eyes to a world outside the United States.

  He became fascinated with different cultures. So, after talking with his academic adviser at the start of his junior year at North Carolina, he decided to become a geography major, specializing in cultural geography.

  At the college level, geography is much more than just knowing the state capitals. It is a rigorous academic program that studies how landforms and other geographic features influence the development of societies. Michael enjoyed travel and thought the program would help him appreciate his experiences. He even hoped to become a geography teacher some day.

  Michael took the academic side of college seriously. He had to. Every time he called home, the first thing his mother asked him about was his studies. Only after Michael assured her that he was studying hard and keeping up with his classwork would she ask him about basketball.

  Yet it seemed unlikely that Michael would ever become a geography teacher. Entering his junior year, he was the best-known player in college basketball. Most people assumed that Michael Jordan’s future would be in professional basketball. But for now, everyone expected him to lead the Tar Heels to another NCAA championship.

  Coach Smith acknowledged that Michael had earned his place as team leader by giving him more responsibility. On defense, he was allowed to exercise his own judgment and leave his man if he thought he could make a steal or block a shot. In all his years of coaching, Coach Smith had only given two other players the same freedom.

  But was Michael ready to take on so much so quickly? While North Carolina began the season with a string of victories, Michael played poorly. He suffered through the first shooting slump of his college career. Instead of scoring his usual 20 or 25 points per game, Michael struggled for every basket.

  Everyone wondered what was wrong. Was Michael feeling the pressure? Was he becoming lazy? Did the constant double-team he faced from the opposition bother him? Was he really as good as people thought?

  Michael asked himself the same questions. When he could not find an answer, he went to his father and asked for his advice.

  “Son,” James Jordan said, “you’re trying to force things. You’ve got enough talent that if you just play like Michael Jordan, things will fall into place.”

  The advice soon worked. Michael started relaxing on the court and let the game come to him.

  The Player of the Year was back. On January 29, the Tar Heels were losing to Louisiana State University at the end of the first half, 37–34. Then Michael Jordan took over the game.

  In the final 20 minutes of play, Michael was everywhere, blocking shots, making steals, rebounding, and scoring baskets in increasingly spectacular fashion. He finished with 29 points, and North Carolina won in a rout, 90–79.

  As Michael got better and better, the Tar Heels cruised through the remainder of the regular season. North Carolina easily won the ACC championship and tournament, finishing with a record of 27 wins and only 2 losses. Entering the NCAA tournament, the Tar Heels were ranked number one in the country.

  In their first game, they easily defeated Temple University, 77–66. Michael was magnificent, hitting 11 of 15 shots and scoring 27 points.

  The victory earned the Tar Heels the right to play Indiana University. Indiana Hoosiers coach Bobby Knight was considered one of the best college coaches in the nation, and his team reflected his basketball savvy. On offense, the Hoosiers were patient and disciplined. On defense, they controlled the tempo of the game and challenged every shot.

  That style bothered North Carolina. The Tar Heels never got untracked, and for the first time in months, Michael had an off game, scoring only 13 points. North Carolina lost, 72–68.

  Despite the loss, Michael collected a number of individual honors. Once again, he was named college basketball’s Player of the Year and selected to virtually every all-American team. The pressure of the basketball season was over, but there was no rest for Michael Jordan. He had to make several important decisions.

  After playing for three years at North Carolina, there was little left for Michael to accomplish in college basketball. His team had won an NCAA championship and three ACC championships. He himself had won almost every individual award college basketball offered. Over the last half of his third season, it became clear that the college game provided no challenge for his skills.

  Michael Jordan was in the perfect position to enter professional basketball. In everyone’s estimation, he ranked with the best three or four players in college basketball and was certain to be one of the first players selected in the NBA draft. He was also healthy. If he played another year of college basketball; Michael could get hurt. Even a minor injury in a college game could affect his chances to make it in the NBA.

  Then there was the money. Michael knew that if he turned pro, he and his family would be wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. Michael’s parents had worked hard their entire lives. Michael wanted to provide them with things they had done without in order to raise their children. Michael promised his mother a new house and he wanted to buy his father a car. He wanted both his parents to be able to retire.

  But Michael’s parents, particularly his mother, didn’t care about the money he would make in professional basketball and all the things he promised to buy. His mother’s only dream was for Michael to receive his college degree. “No matter where you go and how much money you make,” she told him, “you’ll always have your education.”

  While Michael tried to decide whether or not to turn professional, he faced yet another challenge. He was invited to try out for the 1984 United States Olympic basketball team.

  Unlike today, in 1984, professional players were not allowed to play for the United States Olympic team. The squad team was to be made up entirely of college players. So, in mid-April, 72 athletes were invited to try out for the team. Indiana coach Bobby Knight served as coach.

  Many people thought that Michael Jordan would have a hard time playing in Coach Knight’s structured offense. Yet once the tryouts began, it was obvious to everyone, even Coach Knight, that Michael was a special player. Michael was spectacular on both ends of the court. To no one’s surprise, Knight selected him for the Olympic team.

  Playing for the Olympic team was an honor, but it didn’t change the fact that Michael had a decision to make. The NBA draft took place before the Olympics. If Michael wanted to play professionally next season, he had to make up his mind — soon.

  He went to talk with Coach Smith. Jordan respected the coach and knew Smith would be honest with him.

  “Coach,” asked Michael, “what do you think? Should I turn pro?”

  As much as Smith enjoyed having Michael Jordan on his team, he was also a realist. He knew his star player was ready for the NBA. Smith didn’t think it made any sense for Michael to take a chance playing another year of college basketball when some NBA team was willing to pay him millions of dollars.

  Besides, Smith knew Michael Jordan’s game was made for professional basketball. In college, Michael had to play within the confines of Smith’s system. Smith knew that Michael often had to slow down in order to involve his teammates in the Tar Heel offense. The slashing drives and magnificent dunks that he made only once or twice a game at North Carolina would become commonplace in the NBA. Smith advised Mi
chael to turn pro.

  The deadline for making his decision was May 5. Until the very last moment, Michael was unsure what to do. On the evening of May 4, he went out to dinner with Buzz Peterson and kept asking his friend, “What should I do?”

  Over and over again, Peterson replied, “I can’t help you. You’re the only person that knows the right answer.”

  The roommates talked late into the night, lying on their beds in their dorm room and staring at the ceiling. When Michael woke the next morning, he quietly got dressed and left for the press conference held for him to announce his decision.

  By the time Michael arrived at the press conference, he had decided what to do. Although he knew how much his mother wanted him to get his degree, he had decided to turn pro. He promised his mother that he wouldn’t let professional basketball stop him from finishing his studies some day.

  Michael looked around at the reporters and TV cameras, took a deep breath, and said, “I have to do what’s best for me. If I owe anyone, it’s my parents, who have put up with me for twenty years. Money plays a big part in our lives, but who knows? I may not be around next year. I think it’s better to start now. But this wasn’t solely a financial decision. Here was a chance to move up to a higher level.”

  College was over. Soon, Michael Jordan wouldn’t be playing basketball just for fun anymore. Soon, it would be a full-time job. Basketball had become his life.

  CHAPTER THREE

  1984–1985

  Rookie of the Year

  Although Michael had made the decision to turn pro, his immediate future was uncertain. He still had to go through the NBA draft, then play for the Olympic team in Los Angeles.

  While many people thought Michael would be successful in professional basketball, not everyone was as confident as Coach Smith. Some pro scouts thought Michael might have trouble making the transition from the college game. They wondered if his jump shot was accurate enough for him to play guard and if, at six foot six, he might be too small to play forward. While Michael had been the best player in college basketball, few thought he would become the best professional player.

  The NBA draft was held on June 19, 1984. The Houston Rockets had the first pick. As expected, they selected University of Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon, the best pivot man in college basketball. The Rockets needed a center and selecting a player from the University of Houston was a smart public relations move.

  The Portland Trail Blazers picked next. Many people thought Portland would pick Michael. But the Trail Blazers needed a center, too. They selected Sam Bowie of the University of Kentucky.

  As soon as Portland made its pick, officials from the Chicago Bulls let out a big sigh of relief. The Bulls, with the third pick in the draft, had hoped that Michael Jordan would still be available.

  In a Chicago hotel, thousands of Bulls fans watching the draft on television started chanting, “Jordan, Jordan, Jordan.” Bulls general manager Rod Thorn, in a room two floors above the ballroom, could hear the commotion. A big smile crossed his face. A few moments later, the Bulls released a brief statement. “The Chicago Bulls Pick Michael Jordan, Guard, from the University of North Carolina.”

  As soon as the Bulls fans heard the announcement, they erupted in applause and cheers.

  Ever since the Bulls franchise was born in 1966, Bulls fans had been waiting for a winner. In the early 1970s, they nearly got their wish. The Bulls made regular appearances in the playoffs, and even won the Central Division championship in the 1971–72 season. But the team never went very far in the playoffs, and in the last decade had been doormats in the NBA. While the Bulls players were individually talented, they didn’t play together well as a team. They didn’t just lose; they lost badly. None of the Bulls demonstrated much leadership on court, and no one was particularly exciting to watch.

  The Bulls hoped Michael Jordan would change all that. Members of the press started referring to him as the team’s “savior.” But before Michael could join the Bulls, he had some unfinished business to take care of. He still had to play in the Olympics.

  All summer long, Michael practiced with the Olympic team. During a series of exhibitions, it became clear that even on a team that included stars like Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing and St. John’s guard Chris Mullin, Michael Jordan was the best player. In practice, even Coach Bobby Knight, who was known for his stern and serious disposition, marveled at Michael’s ability. While Knight expected players to listen and do things his way on the court, he allowed Michael more freedom than others. Knight knew that once Michael got going, few players could stop him.

  The world found out about Michael Jordan when the 1984 Olympics began in July.

  In the first game, against China, Michael scored 14 points and led the United States to a lopsided win, 91–47. In the next game, versus Canada, he scored 20 as the United States won big again, 89–68. Then, in a 104–68 blasting of Uruguay, he dropped in 16 points as the United States moved on to the medal round.

  Players from the opposing teams were awed by Michael Jordan. Many had never seen a player do the things he did. When he jumped into the air, he seemed to soar and “hang,” as if defying gravity. He didn’t just score; he did so in spectacular fashion, spinning 360 degrees then jamming the ball, or launching himself into the air from the free throw line and throwing down a tomahawk slam, or twisting beneath the basket for a reverse layup. As Uruguayan coach Ramon Etchamendi said about playing the American squad. “Maybe we have a chance with seven against five.” One Canadian player lamented, “We just couldn’t stay with Jordan.”

  Michael saved his best performances for medal-round play. In a 101–68 rout of Spain, he scored 24 points, 18 in the first half. After the game, Spanish coach Antonio Díaz-Miguel joked, “I asked my good friend Bob Knight if he wanted my whole team in trade for Michael Jordan.”

  To win the gold medal, the United States had to beat Spain for a second time. Coach Knight worried that his team would be overconfident. A U.S. Olympic victory was anything but a sure thing. Only four years before, in the 1980 Olympics, the United States had finished a disappointing third.

  When Knight entered the locker room before the final game, he wondered what he could say to his team to get them ready. As he approached the blackboard to write down his starting lineup, he noticed a note taped to the board. Knight looked at the note closely. It was from Michael Jordan.

  “Coach,” it read, “after everything we’ve been through, we’re not going to lose this game.”

  The note was prophetic. Far from suffering from a letdown or overconfidence, the team rode roughshod over Spain. Michael scored 20 points, and the United States knocked off Spain, 96–65, to win the gold.

  After the medal ceremony, Michael found his mother, Deloris, in the crowd. Without saying a word, he took the gold medal from his neck and draped it around hers.

  On a team of stars, Michael shone brightest, as he led the U.S. squad with a scoring average of 17 points. In eight games, the United States won by an average of 32 points.

  Michael had little time to celebrate his Olympic accomplishments. As soon as the games ended, he signed a seven-year contract with the Chicago Bulls worth more than $6 million and began his professional career.

  Coach Smith had been right. Professional basketball was perfectly suited to Michael’s game. Each team had to play man-to-man defense, giving Michael more room to maneuver than he had had in college. The 24-second clock made the entire game move faster. Individual ability was highlighted, and few players had as much individual ability as Michael Jordan. The spectacular plays he made once or twice a game in college were commonplace in the NBA.

  Even in practice, Bulls coach Kevin Loughery could tell Michael was going to be something special. As he told one reporter, when the Bulls scrimmaged, “If I put him in with the starters, they win. If I put him in with the second team, they win. … No matter what I do with Michael, his team wins.”

  In early October, Michael Jordan made his professional
debut in an exhibition game against the Milwaukee Bucks played at a high school in East Chicago. While teenage girls screamed his name as if he were a rock star, Michael scored 22 points despite being guarded by Sidney Moncrief, the NBA Defense Player of the Year! The Bulls won easily.

  With each game, Michael played better and better. And he played just as hard in practice as he did during the games. Some Bulls players were accustomed to “coasting” through practice. But when Michael was on the floor, they soon began playing hard. If they didn’t, Michael would easily embarrass them with his magnificent play.

  When the regular season began, Michael barely slowed down. It took him only a few games to adjust to the pace of the NBA. The Bulls won their opener, 109–93, against the Washington Bullets. Michael chipped in 16 points. In their second game, the Bulls lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 108–106, when Michael missed a last-second shot. Two nights later, again against the Bucks, Michael broke out for 37 points as the Bulls won again.

  Word of Michael Jordan traveled quickly through the league. Nearly every night, he dominated highlight programs shown on television. In every game he played, it seemed, Michael Jordan did something no one had ever seen before.

  Almost overnight, Michael became the biggest drawing card in the NBA. No matter where he went, fans crowded around him and clamored after his autograph. After only a few weeks as a professional basketball player, Michael found it impossible to go to a movie or walk through a mall like a regular person. He was just too popular.

  All over the country, young basketball players who had always imitated stars like Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers or Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics suddenly started imitating Michael Jordan. On playgrounds everywhere, you could find kids driving to the hoop with their tongues sticking out like Michael. His Bulls jersey, number 23, became the most popular uniform, and his sneakers, known as Air Jordans, soon outsold all others.