Michael Jordan Is Born

Setting the scene

James and Deloris Jordan raised Michael in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he played baseball and basketball at Emsley A. Laney High School. He was cut from the varsity team as a sophomore, a setback he later cited as motivation.

What happened

Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, before the family moved south. He starred at the University of North Carolina, hitting the game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA final as a freshman.

Why it still matters

Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls (1991–1993, 1996–1998), five MVP awards, and became a global brand through Nike Air Jordans. Memorable detail: he briefly retired in 1993 to play minor-league baseball for the Birmingham Barons, batting .202 in one season before returning to dominate the NBA again.

Background

Six NBA titles with the Bulls followed.