Elena Cuza National College

Craiova

Atestat Paper

Michael Jordan- The greatest of all times

Coordinating teacher:

Candidate:

Carmen Mle

Duic Monica-Cristina
12thE grade

-May2011
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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: Im 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

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 Jordans 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 Jordans 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 Jordans 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.

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 gamewinning 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.

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 3844, 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 3052 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 198788 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 5032, 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 198990 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.

2.2: First three-peat

In the 199091 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 199293, 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: Im back: Return to the NBA

In the 199394 season, the Jordan-less Bulls notched a 5527 record, and lost to the New
York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. But the 199495 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 3131 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.

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 AbdulJabbar 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.

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 198485
NBA Defensive Player of the Year 198788
NCAA National Championship - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
198182
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 ACC Freshman of the Year 198182

2-time Consensus NCAA All-American First Team 198283, 198384
ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year 198384
USBWA College Player of the Year 198384
Naismith College Player of the Year 198384
John R. Wooden Award 198384
Adolph Rupp Trophy 198384
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.

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CHAPTER 5
The Greatest of All Time: Michael Jordan VS. Kobe Bryant

In the basketball field its 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 players careers:

Michael Jordan:

Kobe Bryant:

6 NBA Champion
5 NBA MVP
14 NBA All-Star
6 NBA Finals MVP
1 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
10 All-NBA First Team Selection
1 All-NBA Second Team Selection
9 NBA All-Defensive First Team
Selection
1985 NBA Rookie of the Year
1985 NBA All-Rookie Team
3 NBA All-Star Game MVP

4 NBA Champion
NBA Finals MVP
NBA MVP
11 NBA All-Star
7 All-NBA First Team
2 All-NBA Second Team
2 All-NBA Third Team
7 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.

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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 Naismiths 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.

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MAP OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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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.com
5. www.wikipedia.org