TIMELINE
One Childhood
1963-1979
Michael Jordan is born in Brooklyn, New York in 1963. By 1979, he enrolls at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he begins playing basketball with a passion.
Taking Off
1981-1982
Jordan earns a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1982 Jordan sinks the game-winning shot in the NCAA Championship game, securing UNC's victory over Georgetown.
Getting Big
1984-1985
Jordan is drafted third overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA draft and a year later earns NBA Rookie of the Year honors and signs a five-year endorsement deal with Nike to launch the Air Jordan line of sneakers.
An Unstoppable Force
1986-1993
Jordan leads the NBA in scoring, averaging 37.1 points per game, and earns his first All-Star Game MVP award. Between 1991 and 1993, Jordan leads the Chicago Bulls to their first three NBA championships, winning Finals MVP honors each time.
Rough Waters
1993
Jordan was embroiled in controversy soon after his return from Olympic duty. He was forced to testify in February 1993 over a $57,000 check to James “Slim” Boulder, a gambler and alleged drug dealer.
The Beginning of an End...
2003-2006
Jordan retires from basketball for the final time, but becomes part-owner and managing member of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets).
...and the Beginning of a Start
2020-Present
Jordan has become the majority owner of the Hornets and has thriving business ventures, including the launch of the Jordan Brand's first ever WNBA player signature shoe, the "Jordaia," in collaboration with Asia Durr.