Michael Jordan was one of few NBA players that changed the way fans, players and sports enthusiasts saw the game of basketball. According to Larry Schwartz, a columnist for ESPN.com, Jordan's array of incredible moves and scintillating dunks delighted fans. In 11 full seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan led the NBA in scoring 10 times, an NBA all-time record, and won six NBA Finals MVP awards.
Accomplishments And Compliments
Jordan's accomplishments stemmed further than just awards. In his career, Jordan won Rookie of the Year and became a five-time NBA MVP, six-time NBA champion, and six-time NBA Finals MVP. He was named to the All-NBA First Team ten times, the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times, Defensive Player of the Year, and NBA All-Star 14 times. In addition, Jordan was a three-time NBA All-Star MVP that was also named to the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and won 10 scoring titles.
Magic Johnson, a retired point guard of the Los Angeles Lakers commented that "there's Michael Jordan and then there was the rest of us", according to NBA.com. Furthermore, Larry Bird, a retired small and power forward for the Boston Celtics saw the Chicago Bull's phenom as "God disguised as Michael Jordan", after Jordan dropped 63 points on the Boston Celtics in his second season.
Game Play
Jordan's burst into the NBA as a rookie sensation was present through his acrobatic skills on the court, including his first pivot step speed and quickness. His dunks and acrobatic drives to the basket labeled him a cultural icon that changed the game of basketball, NBA.com states. Jordan was first recognized for his contribution on the court with his University of North Carolina team in the 1982 NCAA championship game. He contributed 16 points, nine rebounds and the winning basketball that saw North Carolina defeat Georgetown, 63-62. From there, Jordan was chosen third overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA draft.
All-time Statistics
In 1,072 games, Michael Jordan scored 32,292 points while averaging 30.1 points per game; both statistics are all-time bests, according to NBA.com. In his first season, upon winning Rookie of the Year, Jordan averaged 28.2 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game and 5.9 assists per game. Jordan's contributions were impressive, evidenced by his .515 shooting percentage in his first season with the Bulls.
College And Pre-NBA
As a sophomore with the University of North Carolina, Jordan was named College Player of the Year by "The Sporting News," an American-based sports newspaper established in 1886. Following his sophomore year, Jordan received that same award in his junior year, as well as the Naismith award, named after Naismith, a Canadian and American sports coach and innovator, and the Wooden award, named after John Wooden, 1932 national collegiate basketball Player of the Year recipient from Purdue. Jordan also played for the U.S. national basketball that competed at the 1984 Olympics where he wore number 53.
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