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Retired basketball legend Michael Jordan was born on Feb. 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, N.Y., but was raised in Wilmington, North Carolina. Michael went to Emsley A. Laney High School, where as a sophomore he was cut from the varsity basketball team. By the time he was a senior he averaged 29.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 10.1 assists a game and was chosen for the McDonalds All-American team. Michael received a scholarship to the University of North Carolina and is best known for his game winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Basketball Championship.

He was the third pick overall for the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA draft and was named the Rookie of The Year for 1985. Michael played thirteen seasons with the Bulls, where they won Six NBA Championships, and was the league's MVP five times. On October 6, 1993, Michael retired from basketball, and he decided to give baseball a shot by signing a minor league contract with the Birmingham Barons. He had a 202 batting average, 3 HR, and 51 RBIs for the Chicago White Sox farm team.

On March 18, 1995, Michael returned to the NBA and had several very triumphant seasons with the Bulls before retiring again on January 13, 1999. In January 2000, he became part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards. In the 2001-2002 season, Michael return the court and led his team in scoring, assists and steals, and on April 16, 2003, he played in his final game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He has appeared on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" a record 49 times and was named "The Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century" by ESPN. Michael is one of the most successfully marketed athletes in history with endorsements for Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonalds and Hanes, to name a few.

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