We witnessed him defy gravity. We witnessed him twist and turn in midair to make shots no one else could. We witnessed him play with the flu in the playoffs. And today, we celebrate his NBA debut for the Chicago Bulls as he had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in their 109-93 win over the Washington Bullets on October 26, 1984.
Michael Jordan made everyone he played with a better player. He was everyone’s idle, both young and old, and even other players. Kids pretended to be him in the driveway shooting hoops. Every kid wanted to don the 23 on their jerseys. If you told him he “couldn’t,” he would just prove you wrong. He thrived on competition, so challenging him on the hardwood only made him better. Just ask Coach Clifton Herring, the varsity basketball coach of Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. You know, the one that sent Jordan back down to the junior varsity team his sophomore year. Jordan came back the next two years, becoming a McDonald’s All-American his senior year after averaging a triple double per game with 29.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 10.1 assists.
His Airness went on to win six NBA championships, six NBA Finals MVP’s, and five regular season MVP awards. The resume of awards are far too long to list. There have been so many comparisons to him, “Kobe is the next MJ,” “LeBron is the next MJ.” Truth be told, there will never be another MJ.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAr6oAKieHk&w=560&h=315]
Photo by Ryan Leopando – Arch City Sports
