Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York, and when he was still a child, his parents moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. Jordan played baseball, basketball and football as a child. He loved baseball, but his love for basketball began to grow when his older brother, Larry, continued to beat him in one-on-one games. Because of this, Jordan was determined to become a better basketball player. Jordan played basketball for Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. Ironically, he was cut from the varsity team his sophomore year. Instead of giving up after not making the team, Jordan used it to encourage himself to do better, spending hours on the basketball court. He said that whenever he trained and got tired, and thought he should stop, he would just picture the list in the locker room without his name on it, and that was enough to get him going again. Jordan eventually joined the team and led it to the state championship. After high school, Jordan accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina. As a freshman, Jordan's popularity grew when he hit the game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA championship game against Georgetown. He was selected college player of the year in the 1983-84 season and led the United States men's basketball team to the Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. In 1984, Jordan moved on to the NBA. He was selected third in the draft by the Chicago Bulls. Jordan played his first professional game against Washington on October 26, 1984. He made an immediate impact on the league and proved that he belonged among the elite players. Jordan finished his rookie season as one of the league's top scorers, averaging 28.2 points per game, and was named... middle of paper... on July 4, 2002 against his former team , the Chicago Bulls. . Unfortunately, Jordan was never able to lead his Wizards into the postseason as a player. He retired for the third and final time after playing his last game on April 16, 2003. There is no doubt that Michael Jordan is the greatest player to ever play the game. He single-handedly redefined basketball. No player in NBA history has accomplished that much in any period of time. He is a five-time league MVP, ten-time scoring champion, six-time Finals MVP and home to six NBA championships. This time Michael Jordan left the game of basketball on his own terms. His return was to scratch an itch and teach younger players how to play the game. He finished his career with 32,292 points and a career average of 30.12 ppg, the best in NBA history. Jordan has now officially passed the baton to the younger stars.