Michael Jordan Timeline

Michael Jordan 54

1963 Michael Jordan born in Brooklyn, New York Michael Jeffrey Jordan is born to James and Deloris Jordan, the fourth of five children; the family soon moves to Wilmington, North Carolina.
1978 Cut from varsity basketball team As a sophomore at Emsley A. Laney High School, Jordan is left off the varsity roster, a setback often cited as fueling his competitive drive.
1979 Growth spurt and varsity breakthrough A significant growth spurt over the summer helps Jordan make Laney's varsity team and become a standout player.
1981 McDonald's All-American, signs with North Carolina Jordan is named a McDonald's All-American and accepts a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina under coach Dean Smith.
1982 Game-winning shot in NCAA title game As a freshman, Jordan sinks the championship-winning jump shot for North Carolina against Georgetown in the 1982 NCAA tournament final.
1984 Leaves North Carolina, enters NBA draft After three seasons averaging 17.7 points per game for the Tar Heels, Jordan declares for the NBA draft.
1984 Drafted third overall by Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls select Jordan with the third pick, after Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie.
1984 Olympic gold medal Jordan scores 20 points in the gold-medal game as the United States wins the basketball tournament at the Los Angeles Olympics.
1984 NBA debut with the Chicago Bulls Jordan begins his rookie season, immediately drawing attention for his scoring and athleticism.
1985 Rookie of the Year Jordan is named NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
1985 Air Jordan 1 released Nike releases the first Air Jordan basketball shoe, launching one of the most successful sneaker brands in history.
1985 Breaks foot, misses 64 games Jordan fractures a bone in his left foot early in his second season, sidelining him for most of the year before he returns for the playoffs.
1986 63 points in playoff game vs Celtics Jordan sets an NBA playoff scoring record with 63 points in a double-overtime loss to the Boston Celtics.
1987 First scoring title Jordan wins the first of ten NBA scoring titles, averaging over 37 points per game for the season.
1988 Wins second Slam Dunk Contest Jordan defeats Dominique Wilkins to win his second consecutive NBA Slam Dunk Contest title in Chicago.
1988 First NBA MVP award Jordan is named NBA Most Valuable Player for the first time, beating out Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
1989 Phil Jackson becomes head coach Phil Jackson is promoted to head coach of the Bulls, implementing the triangle offense that unlocks the team's championship potential.
1989 "The Shot" over the Cavaliers Jordan hits a buzzer-beating jumper over Craig Ehlo to eliminate the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
1991 Marries Juanita Vanoy Jordan marries Juanita Vanoy; the couple go on to have three children, Jeffrey, Marcus and Jasmine.
1991 First NBA championship The Bulls defeat the Los Angeles Lakers to win Jordan's first NBA title, and he is named Finals MVP.
1992 "Dream Team" selection announced Jordan is named to the 1992 US Olympic "Dream Team," widely considered the greatest basketball team ever assembled.
1992 Second NBA championship The Bulls repeat as champions, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers, with Jordan again named Finals MVP.
1992 Olympic gold with the Dream Team Jordan wins a second Olympic gold medal as part of the Dream Team at the Barcelona Olympics.
1993 Third championship — first "three-peat" The Bulls beat the Phoenix Suns to complete a three-peat; Jordan becomes the first player named Finals MVP three years running.
1993 Father James Jordan murdered James Jordan Sr. is murdered during a robbery at a highway rest stop in North Carolina; his body is found nearly two weeks later.
1993 First retirement from basketball Citing a loss of desire to play and still grieving his father, Jordan announces his retirement from the NBA at age 30.
1994 Signs minor-league baseball contract Jordan signs with the Chicago White Sox organization and is assigned to the Double-A Birmingham Barons, fulfilling a dream he shared with his father.
1995 Returns to the NBA Jordan ends his baseball pursuit amid an MLB strike and rejoins the Chicago Bulls, wearing number 45.
1995 Switches back to number 23 Jordan reverts to his familiar number 23 partway through the playoffs.
1995 Record-setting 72-win season The Bulls post a then-record 72-10 regular season record, with Jordan leading the league in scoring.
1996 "Space Jam" released Jordan stars alongside Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes in the film "Space Jam," cementing his crossover stardom.
1996 Fourth championship Chicago defeats the Seattle SuperSonics for Jordan's fourth NBA title and fourth Finals MVP.
1997 Fifth championship, "Flu Game" Despite a severe stomach illness, Jordan scores 38 points in Game 5 of the Finals against Utah in the famous "Flu Game"; the Bulls win their fifth title.
1998 Fifth MVP award Jordan wins his fifth NBA MVP award, his first since 1996.
1998 Sixth championship — "The Last Shot" Jordan hits the championship-winning jump shot over Bryon Russell in Game 6 against the Utah Jazz, securing a sixth title and second three-peat.
1999 Second retirement With the Bulls' core breaking up under management changes, Jordan retires for a second time, saying he is "99.9 percent" certain he will not return.
1999 Named "Athlete of the Century" ESPN names Jordan the Athlete of the Century, recognising his impact on sport in the 20th century.
2000 Becomes part-owner and president of Wizards Jordan takes a front-office role with the Washington Wizards as part-owner and president of basketball operations.
2001 Resigns front-office role to play again Jordan steps down from the Wizards' front office and his ownership stake to return to playing.
2001 NBA comeback with Washington Wizards At age 38, Jordan returns to professional basketball with the Washington Wizards.
2002 Becomes oldest player to score 50 in a game Jordan scores 51 points against the New Jersey Nets, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to reach 50 points in a game.
2003 Final NBA game Jordan plays his last career game for the Wizards against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring 15 points in a loss.
2004 Founds Michael Jordan Motorsports Jordan establishes a motorcycle road racing team, marking an early venture into motorsport ownership.
2006 Becomes Charlotte Bobcats part-owner Jordan acquires a minority ownership stake in the Charlotte Bobcats (later renamed the Hornets) and a basketball operations role.
2009 Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame Jordan is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
2010 Becomes majority owner of the Bobcats Jordan completes the purchase of a majority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming the first former player to be majority owner of an NBA franchise.
2013 Marries Yvette Prieto Jordan marries model Yvette Prieto in Palm Beach, Florida; the couple later have twin daughters.
2014 Becomes a billionaire Forbes estimates Jordan's net worth has surpassed one billion dollars, making him the first former athlete to reach billionaire status primarily through sports-related wealth.
2016 Donates to community organisations amid national unrest Jordan donates two million dollars to organisations addressing community-police relations, one of his first major public philanthropic statements.
2020 Announces 23XI Racing NASCAR team Jordan, with driver Denny Hamlin, launches a NASCAR Cup Series team, 23XI Racing.
2020 "The Last Dance" documentary airs The ESPN docuseries "The Last Dance," chronicling Jordan and the Bulls' final championship season, becomes a cultural phenomenon during the pandemic.
2023 Sells majority stake in Charlotte Hornets Jordan agrees to sell his majority ownership of the Charlotte Hornets, retaining a minority interest.
2025 Original Air Jordan "Space Jam" sneakers re-released Nike reissues the original "Space Jam" Air Jordans for a new generation of collectors, decades after the film's release.
2026 Addresses philanthropy and community contributions Jordan publicly discusses his approach to philanthropy, emphasising private giving over public statements.