Michael Jordan facts

- Michael Jordan

• Considered basketball's greatest-ever player
• Nicknames: His Airness, Air Jordan
• Cut from his Wilmington NC basketball team as a sophomore; eventually made the team and led it to state championship
• Won Sporting News' College Player of the Year (1983, 1984) and 1984's Naismith and Wooden awards
• League leader in scoring, with 10 titles (1986-1993, 1996-1998)
• On 2 Olympic Gold-Medal teams (1984, 1992)
• In 1994 retired to play minor-league baseball
• Bulls retired his #23 jersey when he left the game
• Returned to basketball in 1995 and in 1996 became one of two (along with Willis Reed) to win MVP for regular season, All-Star Game and Finals, all in one year
• Hosted Saturday Night Live (1991) and starred in Space Jam opposite Bugs Bunny and friends
• Finished his career with 32,292 points, third place in scoring, and a career average 30.12 ppg, the best in NBA history
• Always wore his University of N. Carolina shorts under his Bulls uniform for good luck
• Worked with United Negro College Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Special Olympicsand America's Promise
• Selected to NBA's 50 All-Time Best Players (1996)
• 1988: playing against Utah Jazz, 6' 6" (198 cm) Jordan dunked over 6' 1" (185.4 cm), 175 lb. (80 k) John Stockton. A heckler razzed, "Why don't you dunk on somebody your own size?" In his next play, Jordan dunked again, this time on 6' 11" (210 cm), 285-lb. (129 k) center Melvin Turpin. He turned to the fan and asked, "Was he big enough?"

"Even when I'm old and grey, I won't be able to play it, but I'll still love the game." – Michael Jordan

"I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying." – Michael Jordan

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." – Michael Jordan

"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." – Michael Jordan

"Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game." – Michael Jordan

"One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." – Michael Jordan

"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." – Michael Jordan

"Once Michael gets up there he says, 'Well, maybe I'll just hang up here in the air for a while, just sit back.' Then all of a sudden, he says, 'Well, maybe I'll 360. No I changed my mind. I’ll go up on the other side.' He’s just incredible." – Magic Johnson, on Michael Jordan's aerial artistry

"That play was 'Give the ball to Michael and everyone else get the @##@#% out of the way." – Chicago Bulls head coach Doug Collins, on "The Shot" made by Jordan that helped the Bulls beat the Cavaliers in game five of 1989's Eastern Conference First Round