The Legacy of Michael Jordan
53811
Recreation & Sports > Basketball
Nov 9, 2007
j_hardcastle89
The Legacy of Michael Jordan
Although he has been retired for several years now, Michael Jordan is still widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. His influence was felt not only in the way the game was played, but also in how it was perceived around the world. Ultimately, his excellence at his sport was instrumental in catapulting the popularity of basketball and the National Basketball Association all over the world during the eighties and nineties. Beyond all this, Jordan was also a marketing force and was hands-down the most successfully marketed athlete of his generation and, possibly, all time. In 1999, Jordan was named by ESPN as "the greatest athlete of the 20th century." Jordan retired from the NBA after 15 seasons, during which he established a number of prestigious records. His 30.12 points per game average is the highest ever in NBA history. He also won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls and was the MVP of the NBA Finals every time they claimed the championship. In addition, Jordan has been the NBA's leading scorer for 10 straight seasons and was the league's Most Valuable Player five times. He was also selected to the All-NBA First Team 10 times, the All-Defensive First Team nine times aside from leading the NBA in steals in three years. The Associated Press also ranked him as second only to Babe Ruth as top athlete of the century. Jordan's wizardry on the basketball court was evident from the very first time he stepped onto an NBA court as a rookie in 1985. He unveiled the full package - a dazzling array of dunks, ferocious defense and the amazing ability to score any time he wanted to. His leaping ability was off the charts and quickly earned him such colorful nicknames as "Air Jordan" and "His Airness." In one playoffs game against the Boston Celtics in 1986, Jordan scored a record 63 points, which prompted the league's then-reigning MVP Larry Bird to proclaim that he was "God disguised as Michael Jordan." The media has portrayed a number of players as "the next Michael Jordan" upon entering the NBA, including such renowned hoopsters as Grant Hill, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, who have all fallen short of their lofty billing. The latest to earn the sobriquet are LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but they have a long way to go before they can earn the right to be called the next Jordan.
Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Sports, Recreation, and Games
send email to j_hardcastle89
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
Six months ago, one of my best friends called me to announce that she was going to visit Alaska and participate in a hiking group adventure!
Category:
Next Sunday morning, surprise your angels by inviting them to the kitchen and join them in creating their own breakfast.
Category:
Executives and managers are involved in meetings, presentations, interviews, conferences, telephone conversations, memos or emails, participating in all sorts of communications methods to exchange the necessary information.
Category:
The divorce rate spikes among married couples after they have children. The pressures of raising kids, running a household and holding down a job leave precious little time for reconnecting with each other, leaving spouses vulnerable to affairs.
Category:
Hopefully you never had to endure a situation of someone close to you to suffer from transient ischemic attach (TIA), also known as mini stoke, or from a stroke.
Category:
Tomatoes are made out of water and vital biological substances. The tomato is a plant belonging to the Solanaceae or nightshade family, native to Central and South America, from Mexico to Peru.
Category:
According to Peter Drucker in his article The Transnational Economy written back in 1987, To maintain a leadership position in any one developed country, a business-whether large or small-increasingly has to attain and hold leadership positions in all dev
Category:
According to Greek mythology, the ancient gods of Mount Olympus, like Zeus and Athena, used to eat nectar and ambrosia to maintain their healthy looks and perform their rather unusual human-like activities.
Category:
There was this story on Afghanistan that hit the newswires a few weeks ago. Unlike most stories about Afghanistan that comment on the ouster of the Taliban and the end of the totalitarian regime in that country, this news story appeared to be on the other
Category:
10. Dancing Your Way
I adore dancing! Since early childhood, I always admired the movement of professional dancers and my mother used to laugh every time I glued my head in front of the TV set, during a dancing contest or a dancing video.
Category:
In the late 90s, feature stories began appearing in the national media about children and parents who were so overwhelmed by the amount of homework that it was destroying their family life and causing psychological damage.
Category:
Many of the marketing texts argue that marketing is a logical process with a natural structure which can be viewed primarily as a method of: understanding the marketing environment; using the marketing mix; developing a marketing plan based upon the use o
Category:
American and Canadian football both descended from rugby and began in Canada as a game played between British soldiers garrisoned in Montreal. The soldiers played a series of games against students at McGill University.
Category:
Pocket Billiards tables, sometimes simply called pool tables, are part of a great alternative sport, the Pool or Billiards. For those who wish to spend an evening out with friends and play an exciting new game, pool is also a great start for amateurs.
Category:
One of the best ways to tone your body is actually jumping around. Not exactly as a kid does because it just received those happy news that it is going to get the bicycle of its dreams, but close enough.
Category:
The city of Orlando, located in the U.S. State of Florida, is known all around the world thanks to its theme parks.
Category:
What is architecture? What do we mean by Post-Modernism? Does Postmodernism still exist in architectural design? As Jameson suggests, Postmodernism, by definition resists definition.
Category:
18. Nowitzki vs Shaq
It is one of the sportswriter's favorite tricks before every NBA finals to pick one leading player of each finalist team and call the series a duel between those players.
Category:
19. Pet Phobia
Fear is a natural feeling, people can fear different things all the time and this fear can be a result of any circumstance.
Category:
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a classic horror movie which has been replicated in every shape and form over the years by a host of movies. Wes Craven paid homage to the storyline in the 1980s when he released the original The Hills Have Eyes.
Category:
Other links at Recreation & Sports > Basketball
Larry Bird is widely regarded as one of the three greatest NBA players to ever lace up their sneakers on basketball's premiere stage alongside Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
Category:
Mark Cuban made himself great businesses to become a billionare. Now he owns the Dallas Mavericks and is going for the Chicago Cubs.
Category:
Being part of a basketball team or even leading the team requires certain tactics and strategies that must be put into play. The game of basketball is about a lot more than just shooting some hoops. It requires a lot of planning and preparation in making
Category:
How should a shooter take cover after his or her long shot? Is it really safe to loosen up on defense after losing possession of the basketball? These are just a few of the challenging situations that put most novice basketball players in a quandary.
Category:
This article will discuss some of the most frequently asked questions about how to increase and improve vertical jump including what vertical jump programs should be avoided at all costs.
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68285
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
