Michael Jordan: Early Career and Rookie Year

In this Michael Jordan essay (500 words) I’’l talk about the start of his career and his rookie year. 

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed” (Michael Jordan). He is a well-proclaimed G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) in the way he played the sport, along with his aspect in the evolution of basketball. Michael Jordan is a historical figure because of his impact on the game in many ways, including his choices, whether good or bad, impacted himself and many others, along with his overall increase to basketball ratings of his time.

Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York on the 17th of February, 2003. Soon after his birth, his family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. He soon realized that the new living area was not as busy and problematic as a city such as Brooklyn. His love for baseball was shared by his dad, but he followed his older brother, Larry, in playing basketball. He attended Laney High School in the southern N.C. city but was cut from the varsity team due to him being a 5’11” sophomore. He grew four inches in the summer before his junior year at Laney, allowing him not to be cut from the team. His first high school game marked the start of his path to superstardom.

Jordan attended college at the University of North Carolina for all 4 years. During his years being a freshman, Michael played in the sub-shadows of other superstar players, such as James Worthy. He was a superbly high rated player, and his performance showed that factor. A great example is against Georgetown in the NCAA Championship, which he played a superb game against a well-known Patrick Ewing. Jordan shone throughout the game, which he drained a 3-pointer, which claimed the championship for the North Carolina Tar Heels in the season of 1981-82.

In his sophomore, he was named the college player of the year by a popular news organization, The Sporting News. In his junior year, he received the exact same award, along with the Naismith Award, named after James Naismith, the creator of basketball, and the Wooden Award. He was drafted 3rd by the Chicago Bulls after 2 centers were picked by the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers.

Jordan’s rookie year had much more of a spark than many other players throughout the sport, with him, along with Team USA, winning a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics (Britannnica.com). He scored about 28 points/game, which was 3rd best for that season. Michael won the NBA Rookie of the Year award, along with the All-NBA 2nd Team, which is pretty prestigious for a rookie. He helped the Bulls win enough games to get to the playoffs, but they got swept in 4 games in a best-of-seven series by the Milwaukee Bucks.

In 1985, during the All-Star Game, “The media ran with the idea that Eastern All-Star teammate Isaiah Thomas led a ‘freeze-out’ of the golden rookie, limiting his scoring chances”. Other than this conflict, Mike had a season about as average the previous season.