Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn in 1963 and grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina. He attended Laney High School and later played at the University of North Carolina under coach Dean Smith. In the 1982 national championship game, his late jump shot helped North Carolina defeat Georgetown. The Chicago Bulls subsequently selected him third in the NBA draft.
Jordan's professional record includes six NBA championships, five regular-season Most Valuable Player awards and six Finals MVP awards. Chicago won three consecutive titles in the early 1990s and three more after his return from a period playing minor-league baseball. His career also included the Washington Wizards. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2009. The championships remain team accomplishments involving coaches and teammates, including Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
Jordan became a prominent advertising figure as well. In a 2023 book excerpt published by Andscape, historian Johnny Smith examined the marketing of Jordan as a Black athlete with a broad consumer audience.
Ownership brought a different kind of work. Jordan bought majority control of the Charlotte franchise in 2010. In August 2023, CBS Sports reported the completed sale of that controlling stake to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, with Jordan retaining a minority interest at that time.
His North Carolina philanthropy includes a partnership with Novant Health. People reported that a Wilmington clinic opened in May 2024 following his $10 million gift supporting two planned facilities in the city. Earlier clinics had opened in Charlotte. The Wilmington site offered primary care and behavioral-health resources with attention to uninsured and underinsured residents. Novant operates the services.
