’’Elena Cuza” National College

Craiova

Atestat Paper

Michael Jordan- The greatest of all times

Coordinating teacher:

Carmen Mălăeț

Candidate:

Duică Monica-Cristina

12thE grade

-May-

2011

1

Contents

Rationale....................................................................................... 3

Chapter 1: Early years.................................................................4

Chapter 2: Professional Career...................................................5

2.1: Mid-career: Pistons roadblock.................................5

2.2: First three-peat.........................................................6

2.3: Retirement and baseball career................................6

2.4: ’’I’m back”: Return to the NBA................................7

Chapter 3: Legacy.........................................................................8

Chapter 4: Honors and awards.....................................................9

Chapter 5: The Greatest of All Time: Kobe Bryant

VS. Michael Jordan……………………………………....10

Conclusion....................................................................................11

Map of illustrations.......................................................................12

Bibliography..................................................................................15

`

2

Rationale

The purpose of this atestat paper is to present the tumultous and captivating life of one of the greatest basketball players the world has ever had. The progress that he has made during his life, from childhood to maturity, is an incredible one, and deserves to be shown to the whole world. Not only will it present this side of the picture, but the resposibility and the work that this sport implies as well.

The originality of this atestat paper lies in its structure and comprehensive manner of dealing with each period of Michael Jordan’s life. Each chapter contains relevant examples and facts from his life, along with the map of illustrations, which provides a better insight into his professional career.

The first two chapters are the most important. They comprise a chronological presentation of Michael Jordan’s personal and professional life, which made him known worldwide and brought him appreciation. The first chapter concentrates on his personal life, his early years, the beginnings of his career as a basketball player, while the second one focuses on his professional life, a hectic one, both with advantages and disadvantages, exultation and disappointment.

Furthermore, the third chapter talks about Michael Jordan’s legacy and his achievements during his life as a basketball player, which made him so important to a whole world. This shows how much work and resposibility his career implied, and how much moral and physical strength he needed in order to become such a great figure.

The last two chapters present his awards and the impact that he had upon the world of basketball and his fans. The countless awards he has received prove his value as a player, and this is shown in the forth chapter. Last but not least, the fifth chapter outlines the arguments between fans and the comparison made between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in order to determine which one of them is the greatest.

3

CHAPTER 1

Early Years

Jordan is the fourth of five children. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Deloris, who worked in banking, and James R. Jordan Sr, an equipment supervisor. His family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, when he was a toddler. Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, where he anchored his athletic career by playing baseball, football and basketball. He tried out for the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year, but at 1.80 m, he was deemed too short to play at that level. His taller friend, Harvest Leroy Smith, was the only sophomore to make the team.

Motivated to prove his worth, Jordan became the star of Laney's junior varsity squad, and tallied several 40 point games. The following summer, he grew 10 cm and trained rigorously. Upon earning a spot on the varsity roster, Jordan averaged about 20 points per game over his final two seasons of high school play. As a senior, he was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team after averaging a triple-double: 29.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 10.1 assists.

In 1981, Jordan earned a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in cultural geography. He was named ACC Freshman of the Year after he averaged 13.4 points per game on 53.4% shooting. He made the game-winning jump shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown, which was led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing. Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986.

4

CHAPTER 2

Professional Career

During his first season in the NBA, Jordan quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas, and appeared on the cover of ‘’Sports Illustrated” with the heading "A Star is Born". Jordan was also voted in as an All-Star starter by the fans in his rookie season. Controversy arose when several veteran players, led by Isiah Thomas, were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving. This led to a so called "freeze-out" on Jordan, where players refused to pass him the ball throughout the game. The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play. The Bulls finished the season 38–44, and lost in the first round of the playoffs in four games to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jordan's second season was cut short by a broken foot which caused him to miss 64 games.

Despite Jordan's injury and a 30–52 record, the Bulls made the playoffs. Jordan recovered in time to participate in the playoffs and performed well upon his return. Against a 1985–86 Boston Celtics team, that is often considered one of the greatest in NBA history, Jordan set the still-unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2. The Celtics, however, managed to sweep the series.

2.1: Mid-career: Pistons roadblock

Jordan led the league in scoring again in the 1987–88 season, averaging 35.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting and won his first league MVP award. He was also named the Defensive Player of the Year.. The Bulls finished 50–32, and made it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in Jordan's career, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. However, the Bulls then lost in five games to the more experienced Detroit Pistons, who were led by Isiah Thomas and a group of physical players known as the "Bad Boys".

The Bulls entered the 1989–90 season as a team on the rise, with their core group formed of Jordan and young improving players, and under the guidance of a new coach, Phil Jackson, and they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals beating the Bucks. However, despite pushing the series to seven games, the Bulls lost to the Pistons for the third consecutive season.

5

2.2: First three-peat

In the 1990–91 season, Jordan won his second MVP award. The Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in 16 years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season. The Bulls defeated the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where their rival, the Detroit Pistons, awaited them. However, this time the Bulls beat the Pistons. In an unusual ending to the fourth and final game, Isiah Thomas led his team off the court before the final minute had concluded. Most of the Pistons went directly to their locker room instead of shaking hands with the Bulls.

In 1992–93, Jordan's streak of consecutive MVP seasons ended as he lost the award to his friend Charles Barkley. Coincidentally, Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and his Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. The Bulls captured their third consecutive NBA championship on a game-winning shot, and a last-second block, but Jordan was once again Chicago's catalyst. He averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the six-game series, and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards.

2.3: Retirement and baseball career

On October 6, 1993, Jordan announced his retirement, citing a loss of desire to play the game. Jordan later stated that the murder of his father earlier in the year shaped his decision.

Jordan then further surprised the sports world by signing a minor league baseball contract. He reported to spring training and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994. Jordan has stated this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who had always envisioned his son as a Major League Baseball player. The White Sox were another team owned by Bulls owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball.

2.4: ’’I’m back”: Return to the NBA6

In the 1993–94 season, the Jordan-less Bulls notched a 55–27 record, and lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. But the 1994–95 version of the Bulls was a shell of the championship squad of just two years earlier. Struggling at mid-season to ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago was 31–31 at one point in mid-March. The team received a lift, however, when Jordan decided to return to the NBA for the Bulls. On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a pithy press release: "I'm back!”.

Although he had not played in an NBA game in a year and a half, Jordan played well upon his return, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls made the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Orlando Magic.

7

CHAPTER 3

Legacy

Jordan's basketball talent was clear from his rookie season. In his first game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, Jordan received a prolonged standing ovation, a rarity for an opposing player. After Jordan scored a playoff record 63 points against the Boston Celtics in 1986, Celtics star Larry Bird described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan”.

Jordan led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons (NBA record) and tied Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven consecutive scoring titles. He was also a fixture on the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Jordan also holds the top career regular season and playoff scoring averages of 30.1 and 33.4 points per game. By 1998, the season of his Finals-winning shot against the Jazz, he was well known throughout the league as a clutch performer. In the regular season, Jordan was the Bulls' primary threat in the final seconds of a close game and in the playoffs, Jordan would always demand the ball at crunch time. Jordan's total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the highest in NBA history. He retired with 32,292 points in regular season play, placing him third on the NBA's all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.

Although Jordan has done much to increase the status of the game, some of his impact on the game's popularity in America appears to be fleeting. Television ratings in particular increased only during his time in the league and have subsequently lowered each time he left the game.

In August 2009, the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, opened a Michael Jordan exhibit containing items from his college and NBA careers, as well as from the 1992 "Dream Team". The exhibit also has a batting glove to signify Jordan's short career in baseball. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in September 2009, with former Bulls teammates Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and Toni Kukoc in attendance.

8

CHAPTER 4

Honors and awards

Jordan won numerous awards and set many records during his career.

The following are some of his achievements:

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009 2 Olympic Gold Medals – 1984, 1992 6-time NBA Champion 6-time NBA Finals MVP 5-time NBA MVP 10 NBA Scoring Titles 3-time steals leader 3-time minutes leader 14 NBA All-Star Selections 3-time NBA All-Star Game MVP 11 All-NBA Selections 9 All-Defensive First Team Selections 2-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion – 1987, 1988 NBA Rookie of the Year – 1984–85 NBA Defensive Player of the Year – 1987–88 NCAA National Championship - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:

1981—82 ACC Freshman of the Year – 1981–82 2-time Consensus NCAA All-American First Team – 1982–83, 1983–84 ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year – 1983–84 USBWA College Player of the Year – 1983–84 Naismith College Player of the Year – 1983–84 John R. Wooden Award – 1983–84 Adolph Rupp Trophy – 1983–84 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year – 1991 Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 Ranked #1 by SLAM Magazine's Top 50 Players of All-Time Ranked #1 by ESPN Sportscentury's Top 100 Athletes of the 20th century Elected to North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

9

CHAPTER 5

The Greatest of All Time: Michael Jordan VS. Kobe Bryant

In the basketball field it’s highly debated if Kobe Bryant can ever be considered as good as Michael Jordan, who is currently considered the greatest of all times.

Taking a closer look at the comparison of Jordan and Bryant requires more than just subjective standpoints based on fan bias and common assumptions. Most longtime fans would agree that Michael Jordan is the superior player. However, some of the younger fans choose Kobe over MJ. When taking full analysis, it comes quite clear that MJ is the better basketball player, and possibly the best of all-time.

This is a brief comparison between the two player’s careers:

Michael Jordan:

6× NBA Champion 5× NBA MVP 14× NBA All-Star6× NBA Finals MVP1× NBA Defensive Player of the Year10× All-NBA First Team Selection 1× All-NBA Second Team Selection9× NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection1985 NBA Rookie of the Year1985 NBA All-Rookie Team3× NBA All-Star Game MVP

Kobe Bryant:

4× NBA Champion NBA Finals MVP NBA MVP11× NBA All-Star7× All-NBA First Team2× All-NBA Second Team2× All-NBA Third Team7× All-Defensive First Team

2× All-Defensive Second Team

NBA All-Rookie Second Team 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP

What stands out the most - and the thing that will always separate Michael Jordan from Kobe Bryant - is that Jordan won 6 NBA Finals and was the MVP in all 6 of them. That is astounding. Moreover, Michael Jordan never lost a Finals, which Bryant did. However, it can easily be seen that Kobe Bryant has got a lot of potential and he stands a good chance of becoming the next best basketball player. Meanwhile, Jordan is unquestionably the best player the world has ever seen, and it will take a long time for someone to achieve what he did.

10

11

Conclusion

All things considered, basketball seems to be a great sport, with a lot of competition between the teams, which brings appreciation to those who manage to make a profitable career out of it. This is what Michael Jordan managed to do and it surely brought him a lot of advantages and praises.

Michael Jordan is a perfect combination between the thoughtful man, who is able to take his job seriously and beat outstanding records, and the man who can escape the routine and take time to relax. Moreover, he is the perfect example that you can achieve anything if you are emotionally involved and you like what you do.

From James Naismith’s first basketball game to the latest games, this industry of basketball managed to show to the world valuable players such as Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Dwayne Wade, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, and last but not least, Michael Jordan.

12

MAP OF ILLUSTRATIONS

13

14

15

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Christopher, Matt, ’’Legends in sports: Michael Jordan”, Hachette Book Group, New York, 2008

2. Houghton, Sarah, ’’Michael Jordan: The best ever”, Red Bricklearning, New York, 2006

3. Vancil, Mark, ’’For the love of the game: My story”, Crown 1st edition, New York, 1998

4. www.duclarion.com5. www.wikipedia.org

16