Michael Jordan’s career journey is absolutely spectacular. No one expected Jordan to become the phenomenon that he ended up becoming.
Entering the NBA in 1984, Jordan was expected to be a good player who could be a solid contributor to an NBA team. Even though he was considered a good, if not great player, it was the draft class around him that brought his stock slightly down.
But instead, Jordan entered the league and ended up becoming the greatest player of all time. Over his 14 year career, Jordan won 6 NBA championships and Finals MVPs, 5 regular-season MVPs, and even 3 retirements. Jordan went on to become one of the most decorated players in NBA history.
Jordan was part of the 1984 NBA Draft class, one of the greatest draft classes in NBA history. 1984’s draft class brought us superstars that won several NBA championships, All-Star accolades and so much more. The 1996 Draft Class is one of the few that eclipses the 1984 Draft class when it comes to accolades.
Other members of his draft class who went on to achieve greatness include Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. But as mentioned above, the attention was not on MJ.
In fact, the Chicago Bulls reluctantly selected Jordan with the number 3 pick. The Houston Rockets picked the consensus first overall pick, Hakeem Olajuwon. And the Portland Trail Blazers went with Sam Bowie, another big man who was made a bigger priority compared to Michael Jordan.
The Bulls wanted a center, but with the two best options off the board, they tried to trade their pick for another center. But that trade never materialized, and the Bulls were ‘stuck’ with Michael Jordan, picking him with the third pick (22:14 below). In reality, the Bulls narrowly avoided the biggest draft blunder in history, even if they didn’t know it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjfp0b0Qm7c
Draft night is a historic night for most NBA players. Many players look back at draft night as the moment their life changed, and they became stars in the NBA. But Michael Jordan wasn’t present at Madison Square Garden, the sight of the 1984 NBA Draft.
Where was he? In Bloomington, Indiana, practicing to make the 1984 Team USA Olympic roster. At the time, professional players would not take part in the Olympics, something that would only change in 1992, when Jordan and the rest of the NBA’s superstars would form the Dream Team.
Jordan was joined by future NBA stars Patrick Ewing, Alvin Robertson, and Chris Mullin at the camp, and these players made the final roster. Other stars like Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and John Stockton didn’t make the team but were present at the camp.
Bob Knight was the head coach for the Olympic team and knew the tough test that lay ahead of them. Getting ready to play the world’s best in Los Angeles at the Olympics, Knight arranged for the Olympic roster to play some of the NBA’s best in several tune-up games.
These teams included superstars like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, and many other superstars in the league. There were a total of 8 scrimmage games against superstars of the NBA, and Jordan helped Team USA win all 8, showing glimpses of just how good he had the potential to be.
At the Olympics, Jordan continued his upward trajectory, playing some fantastic basketball under Bob Knight and helping Team USA remain undefeated, winning 8 games en route to winning the Olympic Gold Medal for basketball. Even before Jordan entered the NBA, he had tasted gold in his basketball career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0xJa4PpbyY
Jordan winning gold at the Olympics was a great precursor for his NBA career. He entered the league that year and instantly established himself as a megastar. Jordan won the 1984-85 Rookie Of The Year and was one of the most exciting players in the league from the get-go.
From there, Jordan went on to improve each and every year. He would struggle in the playoffs for the first few years, struggling to get past the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. But once Jordan and the Bulls were able to overcome these obstacles, they went on to become a dynasty.
At the center of this dynasty was Michael Jordan. He was the central figure for the Bull, as they won 6 out of the 10 NBA championships in the 1990s, and won all 6 Finals MVP during these title wins. His resume at the end of his career was absolutely spectacular, and he walked away from the game as the greatest player to ever play it.
