The legend began in 1981 with seventeen seconds left on the clock and seventeen feet between Michael and the basket. It was a shot any coach drawing up a play for a talented player for the final shot would die for. He knocked it in and North Carolina had its first National championship.

Even though North Carolina had the best college player in the country in James Worthy and other great stars in Sam Perkins and Matt Doherty, it was the scrawny freshman who had come on the scene that year to become the first Carolina freshman to ever start that took the biggest shot in the program's history. It was Michael Jordan who w

Michael went on to become two-time national college player of the year and in 1999, was voted the greatest college basketball player ever. (CNN/Sports Illustrated) After his junior year, having accomplished everything possible for a college player, Michael decided to turn professional. (He later completed his degree taking summer school courses) But first he would go on to dominated the 1984 Olympics and lead the United States to the gold medal. It could be left up to Spanish Olympian Fernando Martin to sum up the Michael Jordan phenomenon, circa 1984.

Michael Jordan's life from 1980 to 1993 was that of a storybook. The success that he achieved in that short time frame quit possibly is unparallel in American history. But at the same time it seemed possible by a very unique and gifted individual. However, the events that occurred in Michael Jordan's life from 1994-1999, in my and many others opinion, at times do not seem possible and in fact almost immortal. You could almost get a sense watching him over the years that you were not in fact witnessing a real story, but one made of fiction. As if all the major media sources in the world got together and decided to concoct this seemingly unbelievable human that never seems to fail. To put the success that Michael Jordan achieved in the last six years in the proper perspective would significantly increase the length of this paper so I would like to instead let some well known others describe Michael Jordan.

"He's god's child," teammate Wes Matthews said in Jordan's first year. And there were a number of players more talented than Matthews who agreed. "Jesus in Nikes," in the words of Jayson Williams of the Nets. After Jordan led the Bulls to their second title, Larry bird said that there had never been an athlete like Jordan.

I think author Scott Turow says it best, "Michael Jordan plays basketball better than anyone else in the world does anything else."

Michael continued for the next three years to grow in both his basketball achievements and his fame. Michael won every single individual basketball award possible and was already considered one of the best players in the history of the game. And outside of basketball the public became more and more fond of him. But in his mind and the mind of many others, Michael was missing something. A championship. For years Michael had carried a seemingly inferior team to the brink, only to succumb to either the great Celtic teams of the early 80's, or the great Pistons, led by Isaah Thomas, in the late 80's. But in 1991 the basketball world could no longer contain Michael Jordan's destiny.

Management finally did let him play and the Bulls did make the playoffs where they faced the best team in the league, the Boston Celtics. It was the stage that Michael lived for and he took full advantage. Although the Bulls were swept by the eventual champions, Michael's fame and notoriety had a quantum increase after the series. No one was really prepared

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Approximate Word count = 2012
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)