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Sports Card
World
South Australia's
Hobby Leader
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A young Michael Jordan
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Michael Jordan
was born on February 17th 1963 in Brooklyn, New York, as the fourth
of five children. |
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After being named College
Player of the Year, Jordan turned pro in 1984. |
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In the 1984 draft, Jordan was
the third pick after Hakeem Olajuwon by Houston, and Sam Bowie by
Portland. |
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Jordan set the scene for the
future when, as a North Carolina freshman, he nailed a 17 foot
jumper with 15 seconds left on the clock to give N.C. the 1998 NCAA
Championship over Georgetown. |
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Jordan was named Sporting
News College Player of the Year in 1983 and again in 1984. |
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The Jordan stare.
Intimidation at its best !
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Jordan was named on
the Sporting News All-American first team in 1983 and 1984. |
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Jordan was named the
NBA Rookie of the Year in 1984/85. |
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During his career,
Michael Jordan was to win five regular season Most Valuable Player
awards.
- 1987/88
- 1990/91
- 1991/92
- 1995/96
- 1997/98
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Jordan won three
consecutive NBA Finals MVPs on two occasions.
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Jordan was the second
player to win seven straight scoring titles in 1986/87 through to
1992/93. Wilt Chamberlain was the other player (1960 - 1966). |
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Anti-gravity machine!
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Jordan also took out the
scoring title in:-
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Jordan was named on the
All-NBA first team seven straight years, 1987 - 1993. He was also
named from 1996 - 1998, and 2002-2003. |
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He was named on the
All-Defence first team six straight years, 1988 - 1993. He was also
named 1996 - 1998. A record nine times altogether. |
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Jordan was the NBA
Defensive Player of the Year in 1988. |
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During his career he scored 50 points or more on an amazing 37
occasions. |
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Trademark Jordan
!
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Michael was to win two NBA
Slam Dunk Championships, in 1987 and 1988. |
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During his career, Jordan won
the NBA All-Star Game MVP three times.
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Jordan was the Bulls'
all-time leading scorer and scored 32292
points in
his whole career. |
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Michael scored a play-off
record 63 points in a 1986 first round game against Boston. |
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In 1987, Jordan set an NBA
record with 23 consecutive points against Atlanta. |
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Whether he wore #45 or #23....... it was
the same. Simply unstoppable.
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In the 1986/87 season, his
3041 points were the third highest total in NBA history. |
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Jordan holds the record for
the highest points per game average with 30.12. |
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Jordan shares single-game
record for most free throws in one quarter, 14, at Utah (4th
quarter) in 1989, and at Miami (4th Quarter) in 1992. |
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Jordan's scoring
average in All-Star Games was 20.2 points per game. This is the 4th
highest in NBA history. |
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He also holds the highest
scoring average in NBA Finals with 41.0 against Phoenix in 1993. |
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The angelic Jordan ........ but just as
dangerous !
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Michael holds the record for the most
points scored in a 6 game NBA Finals Series, with 246 points against
Phoenix in 1993. |
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Jordan has scored the most field goals
in NBA Finals, with 101 against Phoenix in 1993.
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He also holds career record for
highest points per game average in play-offs with 33.4 points per
game. |
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Michael holds the NBA Finals single
game record for most points in one half, 35.
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Michael led the Bulls
to three straight World Championships, twice.
- 90/91 to
92/93
- 95/96 to
97/98
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"If you build it .............
He will come" !!!
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Michael won two
Olympic Gold Medals, as a member of the United States basketball
team, at the Olympic Games in:-
- 1984 at
Los Angeles
- 1992 at
Barcelona
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Michael was a member
of the North Carolina National Championship team in 1982. |
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Michael was to be the
Bulls No. 1 draft pick in 1984, third overall behind Hakeem Olajuwon
(Houston) and Sam Bowie (Portland). |
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Michael scored his
career personal best 69 points, on March 28th 1990, against
Cleveland. |
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In 1996, Jordan was
named as one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History." |
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Thirsty work !
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Jordan was a member of
six Chicago Bulls NBA championship teams:
- 1990-91
- 1991-92
- 1992-93
- 1995-96
- 1996-97
- 1997-98
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He closed the 1997-98 season as the
Bulls all-time franchise leader in points, rebounds (5836), assists
(5012), steals, games (930), field goals made and attempted, and
free throws made and attempted. |
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He holds the NBA record
for the most seasons leading the league in scoring (10 times). |
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Jordan holds the NBA record for the most
consecutive games scoring in double digits. An amazing 842 games! |
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He also holds the NBA
record for most seasons leading the league in field goals made (10)
and attempted (10). |
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Back in # 23
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Jordan led the NBA in
steals in 1987-88 (3.16 spg), 1989-90 (2.77 spg) and 1992-93 (2.83
spg). |
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He holds the NBA single-game records for
most free throws made in one half (20 against Miami Heat on 30th
December 1992) and most free throws attempted in one half (23 in the
same game). |
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He holds the NBA Finals
record for highest single-series scoring average (41.0 ppg in 1993). |
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During his amazing career, Jordan
recorded playoff career triple-doubles, both against the New York
Knicks (9th May 1989 and 2nd June 1993). |
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Altogether, Jordan
participated in 13 NBA All-Star Games.
- 1985
- 1987-1993
- 1996-1998
- 2002-2003
He missed another through injury, and others through temporary
retirement. |
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Even Michael feels frustration sometimes.
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Jordan is the all-time
NBA All-Star Game leader in steals (37), and ranks second in
field-goal attempts (233), third in points (262), fourth in scoring
average (20.2 ppg) and eighth in assists (54). |
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Jordan notched the first triple double
in All-Star Game history, with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists
in the 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland. |
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He reached his 28th
career triple double, with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists,
against the Toronto Raptors on 14th April 1997. |
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In his first game after returning from
retirement on 19th March 1995, Jordan posted 19 points, 6 rebounds,
6 assists and 3 steals in 43 minutes against the Indiana Pacers. |
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Michael Jordan
wasn't able to lead the Wizards to the playoffs. But he did get them
close, helping restore respectability to a franchise that had nearly
hit rock bottom. |
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The Jordan smile !
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Two nights after scoring
a then career low six points in a loss at Indiana, Jordan silenced
his critics by exploding for an MCI Centre record 51 points in a win
over Charlotte. |
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In that game, Jordan became the oldest
NBA player (38) to score 50 points in a game. |
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In his first
game against his former Bulls team, Jordan scored a game-high 29
points to surpass the 30000 point plateau for his career. |
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In perhaps his best all-round
performance as a Wizard, Jordan logged a staggering 53 minutes while
contributing 41 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in an
epic 107-104 double over-time victory against Indiana.
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In that particular game,
Jordan scored 16 points in the final quarter and made a key
defensive stop on Pacers forward, Al Harrington late in the game. |
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All iced-up! |
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Two weeks after turning
40, Jordan turned back the clock one last time. He pumped 43 points
in 43 minutes to keep the Wizards' playoff hopes alive with an 89-86
win over the Nets. |
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In that game he became the first player
his age to score over 40 points in a game. |
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In 1999, Michael Jordan
was named "Athlete of the Century" by ESPN. Jordan beat Babe Ruth
for the honour. |
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During the 1985-86 NBA season, Jordan
missed 64 games with a broken foot. |
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On January 29th 1988,
Jordan had 10 steals in a game against New Jersey. |
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A young Michael
Jordan
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TIn 1993, Jordan became
the first player in NBA history to win three consecutive
Finals MVPs. |
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During that series, he recorded the
highest average in NBA Finals with 41.0 ppg. He lead the Bulls to a
third straight title. |
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On April 8th 1994,
Michael Jordan started his first pro baseball game. During the
following season, he batted .202 with 51 RBI, 30 stolen bases and
114 strikeouts in 127 games. |
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On November 1st 1994, the Chicago Bulls
retired Jordan's Number 23 and unveiled a statue of him in front of
the United Centre. |
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In 1996, in his first
season back after returning from baseball, Jordan helped the Bulls
to an NBA title. The bulls won a season-record 72 games and Jordan
wins his eighth scoring title. He was also named regular season MVP,
NBA Finals MVP and All-Star Game MVP. |
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Farewell, Michael |
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On Wednesday 16th April
2003, Michael Jordan walked off the court for the final time. At age
40, after fifteen seasons spanning twenty years, Jordan finally
pulled down the curtain on a brilliant and distinguished career. A
career, which included ten scoring titles, six championships, five
MVP awards, two comebacks and a never ending list of magical
moments. Moments that will never be forgotten!
Sports Card World
recognizes not only the contribution that Michael Jordan has made to
basketball and sport in general, but also acknowledges the
significant impact that he has had on the sports-card hobby in
particular.
During his career,
Michael has been an inspiration to every young athlete who has ever
dreamed of reaching the top. Jordan's artistry, power, grace,
athleticism and sheer brilliance will be missed by sporting fans all
over the world. |
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Michael Jordan
waves to fans as he walks off the court for the final time.
The Wizards lost to the Philadelphia 76ers. |
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Michael Jordan: The Numbers
Career
Shooting Stats
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Year |
G |
FG |
FGA |
FG% |
FG3 |
FG3A |
FG3% |
FT |
FTA |
FT% |
PTS |
AVG |
|
84-85 |
82 |
837 |
1625 |
51.5 |
9 |
52 |
17.3 |
630 |
746 |
84.5 |
2313 |
28.2 |
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85-86 |
18 |
150 |
328 |
45.7 |
3 |
18 |
16.7 |
105 |
125 |
84.0 |
408 |
22.7 |
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86-87 |
82 |
1098 |
2279 |
48.2 |
12 |
66 |
18.2 |
833 |
972 |
85.7 |
3041 |
37.1 |
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87-88 |
82 |
1069 |
1998 |
53.5 |
7 |
53 |
13.2 |
723 |
860 |
84.1 |
2868 |
35.0 |
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88-89 |
81 |
966 |
1795 |
53.8 |
27 |
98 |
27.6 |
674 |
793 |
85.0 |
2633 |
32.5 |
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89-90 |
82 |
1034 |
1964 |
52.6 |
92 |
245 |
37.6 |
593 |
699 |
84.8 |
2753 |
33.6 |
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90-91 |
82 |
990 |
1837 |
53.9 |
29 |
93 |
31.2 |
571 |
671 |
85.1 |
2580 |
31.5 |
|
91-92 |
80 |
943 |
1818 |
51.9 |
27 |
100 |
27.0 |
491 |
590 |
83.2 |
2404 |
30.1 |
|
92-93 |
78 |
992 |
2003 |
49.5 |
81 |
230 |
35.2 |
476 |
569 |
83.7 |
2541 |
32.6 |
|
94-95 |
17 |
166 |
404 |
41.1 |
16 |
32 |
50.0 |
109 |
136 |
80.1 |
457 |
26.9 |
|
95-96 |
82 |
916 |
1850 |
49.5 |
111 |
260 |
42.7 |
548 |
657 |
83.4 |
2491 |
30.4 |
|
96-97 |
82 |
920 |
1892 |
48.6 |
111 |
297 |
37.4 |
480 |
576 |
83.3 |
2431 |
29.6 |
|
97-98 |
82 |
881 |
1893 |
46.5 |
30 |
126 |
23.8 |
565 |
721 |
78.4 |
2357 |
28.7 |
|
01-02 |
60 |
551 |
1324 |
41.6 |
10 |
53 |
18.9 |
263 |
333 |
79.0 |
1375 |
22.9 |
|
02-03 |
82 |
679 |
1527 |
44.5 |
16 |
55 |
29.1 |
266 |
324 |
82.1 |
1640 |
20.0 |
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TOTAL |
1072 |
12192 |
24537 |
49.7 |
581 |
1778 |
32.7 |
7327 |
8772 |
83.5 |
32292 |
30.1 |
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More Jordan
Stats
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Year |
G |
MIN |
REB |
RAVG |
A |
AAVG |
STL |
SAVG |
BLK |
BAVG |
|
84-85 |
82 |
3144 |
534 |
6.5 |
481 |
5.9 |
196 |
2.4 |
69 |
0.8 |
|
85-86 |
18 |
451 |
64 |
3.6 |
53 |
2.9 |
37 |
2.1 |
21 |
1.2 |
|
86-87 |
82 |
3281 |
430 |
5.2 |
377 |
4.6 |
236 |
2.9 |
125 |
1.5 |
|
87-88 |
82 |
3311 |
449 |
5.5 |
485 |
5.9 |
259 |
3.2 |
131 |
1.6 |
|
88-89 |
81 |
3255 |
652 |
8.0 |
650 |
8.0 |
234 |
2.9 |
65 |
0.8 |
|
89-90 |
82 |
3197 |
565 |
6.9 |
519 |
6.3 |
227 |
2.8 |
54 |
0.7 |
|
90-91 |
82 |
3034 |
492 |
6.0 |
453 |
5.5 |
223 |
2.7 |
83 |
1.0 |
|
91-92 |
80 |
3102 |
511 |
6.4 |
489 |
6.1 |
182 |
2.3 |
75 |
0.9 |
|
92-93 |
78 |
3067 |
522 |
6.7 |
428 |
5.5 |
221 |
2.8 |
61 |
0.8 |
|
94-95 |
17 |
668 |
117 |
6.9 |
90 |
5.3 |
30 |
1.8 |
13 |
0.8 |
|
95-96 |
82 |
3090 |
543 |
6.6 |
352 |
4.3 |
180 |
2.2 |
42 |
0.5 |
|
96-97 |
82 |
3106 |
482 |
5.9 |
352 |
4.3 |
140 |
1.7 |
44 |
0.5 |
|
97-98 |
82 |
3181 |
475 |
5.8 |
283 |
3.5 |
141 |
1.7 |
45 |
0.5 |
|
01-02 |
60 |
2093 |
339 |
5.7 |
310 |
5.2 |
85 |
1.4 |
26 |
0.4 |
|
02-03 |
82 |
3031 |
497 |
6.1 |
311 |
3.8 |
123 |
1.5 |
39 |
0.5 |
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TOTAL |
1072 |
41011 |
6672 |
6.2 |
5633 |
5.3 |
2514 |
2.3 |
893 |
0.8 |
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NBA Playoff Record - Chicago Bulls
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|
Year |
GP |
FGM-FGA |
PCT |
FTM/FTA |
PCT |
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84-85 |
4 |
34/78 |
.436 |
48/58 |
.828 |
|
85-86 |
3 |
48/95 |
.505 |
34/39 |
.872 |
|
86-87 |
3 |
35/84 |
.417 |
35/39 |
.897 |
|
87-88 |
10 |
138/260 |
.531 |
86/99 |
.869 |
|
88-89 |
17 |
199/390 |
.510 |
183/229 |
.799 |
|
89-90 |
16 |
219/426 |
.514 |
133/159 |
.836 |
|
90-91 |
17 |
197/376 |
.524 |
125/148 |
.845 |
|
91-92 |
22 |
290/581 |
.499 |
162/189 |
.857 |
|
92-93 |
18 |
251/528 |
.475 |
136/169 |
.805 |
|
94-95 |
10 |
120/248 |
.484 |
64/79 |
.810 |
|
95-96 |
18 |
187/407 |
.459 |
153/187 |
.818 |
|
96-97 |
19 |
227/498 |
.456 |
123/148 |
.831 |
|
97-98 |
21 |
243/526 |
.462 |
181/223 |
.812 |
|
Total |
179 |
2188/4497 |
.487 |
1463/1766 |
.828 |
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NBA Playoff Record - Continued
|
|
Year |
3
Pt |
PCT |
REB |
AST |
PPG |
|
84-85 |
1/8 |
.125 |
23 |
34 |
29.3 |
|
85-86 |
1/1 |
1.00 |
19 |
17 |
43.7 |
|
86-87 |
2/5 |
.400 |
21 |
18 |
35.7 |
|
87-88 |
1/3 |
.333 |
71 |
47 |
36.3 |
|
88-89 |
10/35 |
.286 |
119 |
130 |
34.8 |
|
89-90 |
16/50 |
.320 |
115 |
109 |
36.7 |
|
90-91 |
10/26 |
.385 |
108 |
142 |
31.1 |
|
91-92 |
17/44 |
.386 |
137 |
127 |
34.5 |
|
92-93 |
28/72 |
.389 |
128 |
114 |
35.1 |
|
94-95 |
11/30 |
.367 |
165 |
45 |
31.5 |
|
95-96 |
25/62 |
.403 |
89 |
74 |
30.7 |
|
96-97 |
13/67 |
.194 |
150 |
91 |
31.1 |
|
97-98 |
13/43 |
.302 |
107 |
74 |
32.4 |
|
Totals |
148/446 |
.332 |
1152 |
1022 |
33.4 |
|
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Michael Jordan: Career
Highlights
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March 29th
1982
Michael
sinks the winning shot in the game against Georgetown. With just 15
seconds remaining on the clock, Jordan's jump shot secures the 63-62
win in the 1982 NCAA Championship. |
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November
5th 1985
Jordan
suffered the only serious injury of his career when he broke the
navicular tarsal bone in his left foot three games into the season.
Jordan sat
out 64 games before returning late in the season. |
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April 21st
1986
When he
returned from injury, Jordan only played 18 games and averaged a
career low 22.7 points per game.
But in the
play-offs against Boston, Jordan showed that the foot injury didn't
cripple his game. Jordan was to set a play-off record of 63 points
in Game 2 against the Celtics |
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February
7th 1987
During the
All-Star Weekend in Seattle, he won his first Slam Dunk contest.
His most
memorable slam was his "Superman Slam" where he soared towards the
basket and threw the ball down as he zoomed past the rim. |
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1987
Jordan finished
the 1986-87 season with an average of 37.1 points per game to
capture his first scoring title. It wouldn't be his last as he also
won scoring crowns in 1988-93 and '96-98. He was also voted first
team all-NBA for the first time. He would earn that honour again in
1988-93 and '96-98. |
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February
5th 1988
How does Jordan
top the Superman dunk? By paying tribute to Julius Erving. At the
1988 All-Star Game Weekend at Chicago Stadium, Jordan won the Slam
Dunk contest. His dunk, after taking off from the foul line, brought
the house down. |
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1988
Jordan was
named the league's Most Valuable Player. He would also be named MVP
in 1991, '92, '96 and '98. Jordan did more than score that year --
he was also named to the first team all-Defensive team that season.
He would receive that honor eight other times (1989-93, '96-98). |
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May 7th
1989
Remember when
some people said Jordan wasn't a threat from the outside (they
seemed to have forgotten his shot against Georgetown)? Jordan sank a
jumper, despite defensive pressure from Craig Ehlo, at the buzzer as
the Bulls beat Cleveland 101-100 in a loser-out game of the Eastern
Conference playoffs. |
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March 28th
1990
Just in
case Jordan didn't think he tormented Cavalier fans enough, he
decided to drop 69 points in the 117-113 overtime win at Cleveland.
Jordan made 23 of 37 shots from the field and 21 of 23 free throws.
He also grabbed 18 rebounds, 11 defensive. Ehlo, by the way, scored
26 for the Cavs. |
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June 12th
1991
Jordan and
the Bulls spotted the Lakers the first game in the NBA Finals before
winning four straight to claim Chicago's first title. Jordan
averaged 31.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists during the
postseason. He also was named the MVP of the NBA Finals. |
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June 14th
1992
Who can
forget Jordan shrugging to the courtside media during the first half
of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Blazers? Jordan torched the
Blazers by making six 3-pointers in the first half to set a NBA
Finals record by scoring 35 points before halftime. Jordan was the
Finals MVP once again and averaged 34.5 points for the postseason. |
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June 20th
1993
Jordan met
up with his pal Charles Barkley in the NBA Finals. The Bulls won
their third straight title by ousting the Suns in six games. Big
surprise -- Jordan was named MVP for the Finals for the third
straight year after averaging 41.0 points against the Suns, a NBA
Finals record. |
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October 6th
1993
Jordan
stuns the world by announcing his retirement from basketball at age
30. Jordan says he retired because he had nothing to prove in
basketball. His father, James, was murdered earlier that summer in
North Carolina. Jordan retired with the highest career scoring
average in NBA history at 32.3 points per game. |
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April 8th
1994
On Feb. 7,
1994, Jordan signs a professional baseball contract with the Chicago
White Sox. He is assigned to the Class AA Birmingham Barons and
makes his debut on April 8. He ends the season with a .202 average
with 30 stolen bases, 51 RBI and 114 strikeouts in 127 games. |
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November
1st 1994
The Bulls
pay tribute to Jordan by retiring his No. 23. Why did Jordan pick
No. 23? Jordan's favorite number growing up was No. 45. When Jordan
got to high school, his older brother, Larry, wore No. 45. So Jordan
decided to split that in half -- 22½. So he rounded it up to No. 23. |
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March 19th
1995
Jordan just
couldn't stay away from basketball. With baseball sidelined by a
players' strike, Jordan decided to return to the Bulls. He made his
return against the Pacers, and a rusty Jordan (wearing No. 45)
scored 19 points in the 103-96 overtime loss. On March 29, he shook
off the rust by dropping a double-nickel (55 points) against the
Knicks. |
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June 16th
1996
Just in case
anyone wondered how much Jordan meant to the Bulls, in his first
full season since his premature retirement, Jordan powers the Bulls
to the NBA championship. He is named MVP for the Finals after
averaging 27.3 points against Seattle. |
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October
29th 1996
The NBA, to
publicize the league's 50th anniversary, decided to honor the game's
50 Greatest Players. We don't know if the vote was unanimous, but
you know Jordan was one of the locks for that team. |
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June 13th
1997
Jordan
finally had a ring for each finger on his hand as the Bulls beat the
Jazz in six games for their fifth title of the decade. Jordan again
was named MVP of the Finals by averaging 32.3 points while getting a
measure of revenge against Utah's Karl Malone, who ended Jordan's
streaks of being named the regular season MVP. |
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May 18th
1998
Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar. Bill Russell. Michael Jordan. They are the only
players to be named the NBA's regular season Most Valuable Player at
least five times. Chamberlain and Jordan have each won the award
five times. Abdul-Jabbar won it six times. Yeah, but Jordan sat out
almost two full seasons in his prime while he tried to hit a
baseball. |
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June 14th
1998
The Jazz
must know how Craig Ehlo felt after Jordan got the best of Utah on
the national stage again. Jordan delivered the final blow, sinking
the game-winning jumper with 5.2 seconds left after faking out Bryon
Russell. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the sixth time, averaging
33.5 points against the Jazz. |
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January
13th 1999
Some held
out hope that he'd change his mind right to the end, but Michael
Jordan sat at a podium at the United Center and told the world that
he won't be coming back to the Bulls. "I played it to the best I
could play it. I tried to be the best basketball player I could be,"
Jordan said. |
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January
19th 2000
Joins the
Washington Wizards as part-owner and president of basketball
operations. Jordan also acquires an ownership stake in the
Washington Capitals.
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September 25th,
2001
Jordan announces
his return to the game, agreeing to a two-year deal to play for the
Wizards. "I am returning as a player to
the game I love. I am especially excited about the Washington
Wizards, and I'm convinced we have the foundation on which to build
a playoff-contention
team." |
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April 16, 2003
Michael
Jordan's fabulous career comes to an end amid cheers and tears. His
Washington Wizards are trounced 107-87 by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Perhaps the greatest player in NBA history, Jordan scored 15 points
in his finale to a 15-year career.
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What Others Said
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Michael
Jordan retired three times during his career. Many
things were said by many people each time. Here is a
selection of quotes. |
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"It's sad for
everyone to see the greatest basketball player in the
world come to that conclusion. There comes a time in
every player's career that he has to make that decision,
and he feels it's his time."
Former NBA
superstar,
Larry Bird |
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"When I
lay my head down on the pillow at night, I'll know there was
one guy I never had a chance to beat. It doesn't look like
I'll get another chance. That bothers me."
NBA Coach, Pat Riley |
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"His game speaks
for itself. With all his off-the-court marketing and
everything he did, it makes me want to do something like
that in my life. He set a standard for everybody."
NBA great, Allen Iverson |
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"There are
few names that even come close to being associated with
Michael Jordan in the sports world: Babe Ruth and Muhammed
Ali. And as great as those two names were, Michael Jordan
competed in a world that was much more wired."
Founder of Nike, Phil Knight |
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"We're going to miss him, but
he's leaving on his terms. He's leaving with
championships. He's leaving with a ton of
accomplishments. But the NBA will be all right. I think
the league will survive without a dominant, Michael
Jordan-type player."
NBA great, Grant Hill |
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"I'll tell
my grandchildren I got to play against him. I'm going to
miss seeing his aerial, acrobatic moves."
Shaquille O'Neal |
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"I feel responsible as a
young player to try to carry on the tradition that he and
other players have developed, both on and off the court."
Lakers Guard, Kobe Bryant |
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"I don't think anyone's ready
to take the baton. Michael is the Babe Ruth, and that's the
truth. If we're waiting for one guy, we're going to be
waiting for a long, long time."
Sports Analyst, Doc Rivers |
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"This is a
day I hoped would never come. It has to be the toughest day
in the history of the Chicago Bulls."
Bulls Owner, Jerry Reinsdorf |
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"For our own
selfish reasons, we never wanted to see Michael Jordan
retire. He represented our personal flight of fantasy
about what great things an individual can do , and he
made them look so easy."
Ex
Bulls Coach, Phil Jackson |
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"He's won
one more championship than I did. He'll be rubbing it into
my face for eternity."
Retired
Los Angeles Lakers star, Magic Johnson |
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"Every
player should take some of the money out of his pocket and give it to
Michael Jordan," retired Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson said. "He
is the reason they are making it."
Retired
Los Angeles Lakers star, Magic Johnson |
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"I always got the sense that Michael was
consumed with the game, consumed with winning and competing. Every day
was a war in practice and in games. That was the focus. He could put on
a show every single night. It just never ceased. Every arena was sold
out. Every fan was there to see him. And no matter how tired he was, he
never disappointed."
Former
Bulls guard, Steve Kerr |
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"I don't think he tarnished his legacy whatsoever. What he did just
reinforced in everyone's mind how great a player he truly is. To come
back at that age with a team that's not a championship team and almost
get that team to the playoffs, that says a lot."
New York
coach, Don Chaney |
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"Every
player in the NBA has been influenced by him. This whole
generation is a reflection of wanting to be like him."
Seattle's,
Ray Allen |
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"He's the
greatest to ever put on a pair of basketball shoes."
Toronto's,
Vince Carter |
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The Final Word
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Michael Jordan has had a profound impact on the game of
basketball.
Since Jordan joined the NBA in 1984 after leading the US
Olympic team to gold in Los Angeles, NBA attendance has doubled to more than 20
million people a season.
US television viewership of the NBA has more than doubled
to more than 100 million people. Throw in another 2.5 billion watching in the
rest of the world and one begins to comprehend the scope of Jordan's impact.
The number of international players in the NBA has grown
from eight when Jordan began to 68 as he departs.
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In many ways, Jordan helped open the NBA
to China's Yao Ming, Germany's Dirk Nowitzki, Australia's
Andrew Gaze, Africa's Dikembe Mutombo and dozens more.
The average player salary has
skyrocketed from $325,000 to four million dollars.
From landmark endorsement deals to souvenir sales to
likeness rights and record television deals, Jordan has
lifted the money to new heights.
And he has lifted the game to new
heights as well.
In addition, Sports Card World
recognizes the outstanding contribution made to the sports
card hobby by Michael Jordan.
We salute a living legend .......
Arguably, the greatest athlete ever ! |
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Sports Card World
South Australia's Hobby Leader
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