Here’s a look at basketball legend and NBA superstar Michael Jordan.
Personal:
Birth date: February 17, 1963
Birth place: Brooklyn, New York
Birth name: Michael Jeffrey Jordan
Father: James Jordan, business owner
Mother: Deloris (Peoples) Jordan
Marriages: Yvette Prieto (April 27, 2013-present); Juanita Vanoy (September 2, 1989-December 29, 2006, divorced)
Children: with Yvette Prieto: Victoria and Ysabel, twins; with Juanita Vanoy: Jasmine; Marcus; Jeffrey
Education: University of North Carolina, B.A., Cultural Geography, 1986
Other Facts:
Led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998).
Five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and six-time NBA Finals MVP.
Played 15 NBA seasons in total: 13 with the Chicago Bulls (1984-1985 through 1992-1993, then 1994-1995 through 1997-1998) and two seasons with the Washington Wizards (2001-2002 and 2002-2003).
Has enjoyed lucrative endorsement deals with Nike, Hanes, Gatorade, Upper Deck and others.
Played in 1,072 NBA games, scored 32,292 points, and had 5,633 assists and 6,672 rebounds.
Timeline:
1982-1984 – Plays for the University of North Carolina. They win the NCAA championshipin 1982.
1984 – Member of the US Olympic basketball team that wins the gold medal in Los Angeles.
1984 – Is drafted by the Chicago Bulls, the third overall pick.
1992 – Member of the “Dream Team,” helps the US men’s team win the gold in the Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
1993 – Becomes the first player to be named NBA Finals MVP three years in a row.
August 3, 1993 – The body of Jordan’s father, James, is found in South Carolina. Two young men are later convicted of his murder.
October 6, 1993 – Announces his retirement from the NBA.
February 7, 1994 – Signs a free agent minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox and is assigned to their AA affiliate Birmingham Barons.
March 2, 1995 – Leaves the White Sox spring training camp.
March 18, 1995 – Announces he is rejoining the Chicago Bulls and will wear number 45. His previous number, 23, had already been retired.
1996 – Is named NBA Finals MVP, regular season MVP, and All-Star Game MVP.
1996 – Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History by the NBA.
January 13, 1999 – Announces again he is retiring from basketball and that he is “99.9%” sure that he won’t be coming back.
December 1999 – ESPN names him Athlete of the Century.
January 19, 2000 – Becomes part owner of the basketball team, the Washington Wizards.
October 30, 2001 – After resigning his position as president of basketball operations and selling his part ownership, makes a comeback playing basketball for the Washington Wizards.
April 16, 2003 – Plays his last game, against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Wizards lose 107-87 and Jordan scores 15 points.
February 1, 2004 – Founds Michael Jordan Motorsports, a motorcycle racing team.
December 13, 2007 – An Illinois appellate court rules in favor of Jordan in a dispute with a former lover who alleges he promised her $5 million to keep quiet about their affair.
January 24, 2009 – Named the new “Chief Wish Ambassador” for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Jordan will be the most prominent figure on the foundation’s new Wish Ambassador Council.
September 11, 2009 – Is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
March 17, 2010 – The NBA’s Board of Governors approves Jordan’s purchase of the Charlotte Bobcats team, for $275 million. He becomes the second black majority owner of a major professional sports team.
February 6, 2013 – Pamela Smith files a paternity suit against Michael Jordan in Fulton County Superior Court (Georgia) claiming that Jordan is her son’s father.
March 4, 2013 – Files a dismissal to the paternity suit filed against him.
March 15, 2013 – Smith withdraws the paternity suit, without prejudice. The possibility of refiling remains, as she stands by her claim that Jordan is the father of her teenage son.
December 12, 2013 – Former Utah Jazz ball boy Preston Truman sells the shoes Jordan wore during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals at auction for $104,765. Despite suffering flu-like symptoms, Jordan scored 38 points and led the Bulls to win the game. Afterward, Jordan autographed and gave the sneakers, Air Jordan XII’s, to Truman.
May 6, 2014 – Little Brown and Company publishes his biography, “Michael Jordan: The Life.”
May 20, 2014 – The Charlotte Bobcats officially reclaim the Charlotte Hornets name after a long-running campaign.
June 2014 – Forbes announces that Jordan officially reaches billionaire status partly due to his ownership of the Hornets.
November 22, 2016 – Jordan is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
October 2, 2017 – The sale of the Miami Marlins baseball team to a 16-person investment group for $1.2 billion is finalized. The investment group is led by principal owner Bruce Sherman and includes CEO Derek Jeter and Jordan — Jordan owns about 0.5%.
October 9, 2017 – Novant Health announces a $7 million gift from Jordan to open two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte, North Carolina.
December 2017 – Ranks first on Forbes’ list of Highest-Paid Athletes of All Time, with estimated career earnings of $1.85 billion.
March 2019 – Forbes, in its annual list of billionaires, estimates Jordan’s net worth at $1.8 billion.
