Michael Jordan : biography

In 1988, Jordan was honored with the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first NBA player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in a career (since equaled by Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Kevin Garnett; Olajuwon is the only player other than Jordan to win both during the same season). In addition he set both seasonal and career records for blocked shots by a guard,Ladewski, Paul. , Hoop Magazine, December 1987, available at nba.com. Retrieved January 16, 2007. and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. He ranks third in NBA history in total steals with 2,514, trailing John Stockton and Jason Kidd., basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 23, 2008. Jerry West often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan’s defensive contributions than his offensive ones., Sports Illustrated, February 1, 1999. Retrieved January 15, 2007.

Post-retirement

After his third retirement, Jordan assumed that he would be able to return to his front office position of Director of Basketball Operations with the Wizards.Wise, Mike. , The New York Times, May 4, 2003. Retrieved February 12, 2009. However, his previous tenure in the Wizards’ front office had produced the aforementioned mixed results and may have also influenced the trade of Richard "Rip" Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse (although Jordan was not technically Director of Basketball Operations in 2002). On May 7, 2003, Wizards owner Abe Pollin fired Jordan as Washington’s President of Basketball Operations. Jordan later stated that he felt betrayed, and that if he knew he would be fired upon retiring he never would have come back to play for the Wizards.

Jordan kept busy over the next few years by staying in shape, playing golf in celebrity charity tournaments, spending time with his family in Chicago, promoting his Jordan Brand clothing line, and riding motorcycles.Grass, Ray. , deseretnews.com, June 22, 2006. Retrieved October 3, 2008. Since 2004, Jordan has owned Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team that competes with two Suzukis in the premier Superbike class sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)., Roadracing World Publishing, Inc, September 11, 2007. Retrieved March 26, 2009.Martin, Chris. , moto-racing.speedtv.com, June 25, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2008. Jordan and his then-wife Juanita pledged $5 million to Chicago’s Hales Franciscan High School in 2006,Meyer, Gregory. , chicagobusiness.com, March 13, 2006. Retrieved July 28, 2008. and the Jordan Brand has made donations to Habitat for Humanity and a Louisiana branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America., Reuters, February 14, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008. On June 15, 2006, Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming the team’s second-largest shareholder behind majority owner Robert L. Johnson. As part of the deal, Jordan was named "Managing Member of Basketball Operations," with full control over the basketball side of the operation., National Basketball Association, June 15, 2006. Retrieved January 15, 2007. Despite Jordan’s previous success as an endorser, he has made an effort not to be included in Charlotte’s marketing campaigns.Associated Press. , ESPN, June 15, 2006. Retrieved February 21, 2007.

In February 2010, it was reported that Jordan was seeking majority ownership of the Bobcats., National Ledger, February 16, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2010. As February wore on, it emerged that the leading contenders for the team were Jordan and former Houston Rockets president George Postolos. On February 27, the Bobcats announced that Johnson had reached an agreement with Jordan and his group, MJ Basketball Holdings, to buy the team pending NBA approval.Associated Press. , ESPN, February 27, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2010. On March 17, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved Jordan’s purchase, making him the first former NBA player ever to become the majority owner of a league franchise.Associated Press. , ESPN, March 17, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2010.