Jordan is a Hall of Famer…
Michael Jordan
Has it sunk in yet that the player who wore number 23 at Chapel Hill and for most of his NBA career is now enshrined in the Hall of Fame? I have to say, maybe because of my age and how long I have watched the sport of basketball for me the fact I saw Michael Jordan give his acceptance speech has yet to make me believe that the greatest of all time won’t be lighting it up in Carmichael or the Dean Dome or some NBA venue any more. Yes, I know it’s been a while since MJ took to the court, but in the back of my mind I always thought “one more dunk”, “one more play for the highlight reel”, “one more shot to make you pump your fist and think ‘damn I am a Tar Heel and so is he’”.
Michael Jordan
I will leave it to the so called experts to decide if Jordan is the best of the best or amongst the best. For me he is and always will be the best. He brough to the greatest basketball coach his first national title when a lot of doubters thought that would never happen. He brought home the gold as a college player and when the pride of the USA basketball program needed to be restored he went out there and once again brought back another medal for his country. He did it with style, he did it with hard work, but most of all (say what you want), when Michael Jordan had to get it done, he did it!
Michael Jordan
Yesterday I had a discussion with basketballista, a very savvy NBA person who I chat with regularly on Twitter, where we discussed numbers versus memories. I am one for the memories rather than the numbers when thinking of a career such as Jordan’s. I think that might be due to the fact that MJ is a Tar Heel and for me once part of the family always part of the family. I mean the numbers can be rattled off and they are plenty for 5 NBA careers, not just one, but they will never replace the game winning shots, the powerful moves, the breath taking dunks.
These are the numbers on Jordan, but always remember this, I have a lot more memories than this, and that is something no one can ever take away from me!
6 NBA Champion (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
5 NBA MVP (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)
14 NBA All-Star (1985-1993, 1996-1998, 2002-2003)
6 NBA Finals MVP (1991-1993, 1996-1998)
1 NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988)
10 All-NBA First Team Selection (1987-1993, 1996-1998)
1 All-NBA Second Team Selection (1985)
9 NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1988-1993, 1996-1998)
1985 NBA Rookie of the Year
1985 NBA All-Rookie Team
3 NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998)
2 NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner (1987, 1988)
2 Gold Medal Winner in the Olympics (1984,1992)
NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
1 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champion (1982)
82 ACC Freshman of the Year
1 ACC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year (1984)
1 USBWA College Player of the Year (1984)
1 Naismith College Player of the Year (1984)
1 John R. Wooden Award (1984)
1 Adolph Rupp Trophy (1984)
Michael Jordan (UNC)
Let me end by saying this as well, the speech that Jordan gave Friday night was one for the ages, and while some from the media have tried to bash it, I found it conforting that someone like MJ would step up to the podium and say what he felt. People need to remember this, a couple of night ago a great class entered the Hall of Fame, and with it the greatest that ever played (at least for me). I am not ashamed to say I am a homer in this discussion, but then again, it’s not like I am taking anyone on my side, I am taking Michael Jordan over the rest. And I will admit this to you, I keep going over this post and not wanting to post it, maybe because I haven’t said enough about MJ, but that’s not it. I know that once I post this Jordan goes from the player I always wish I could see more of, to Michael Jordan, Hall of Famer, and that will mean I won’t see him again playing amongst the best of the rest.
I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but I’ve read some of the media bashing about the speech and I can’t help but think those guys are longtime MJ haters who were just waiting for/looking for any opportunity to write about him negatively. What I also know is that they missed the whole point of MJ’s speech. He was thanking every person who ever challenged him or said he wasn’t good enough or said they were better than him. He was thanking them because every single one of those times that they said or thought something along those lines just fueled the fire of his competitiveness and made him work harder and become an even better player than he already was. So to all the MJ haters…if they’re looking for someone to point a finger at for MJ’s superior airness, they have only themselves to blame for supplying the wood for the fire.
The Jerry Krause comments were definitely MJ’s anger coming out, but after all these years I loved it. MJ deserved to explain his side of what happened there. I have hated that man (Jerry) for so many years because he broke up such an incredible team. And whatdaya know…Chicago hasn’t won a championship since. Shocking!