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Adult Swim
Adult Swim logo used as of May 25, 2003
Launched	September 2, 2001 (program block) March 28, 2005 (cable network)
Network	Cartoon Network (9:00 pm – 6 am PT/ET) (US) Bravo (2006-2008), FX (2010), TCM 2 (2012-present) (UK)
Slogan	"A Place for Adults Only"
Country	United States
Language	English
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia (General) Los Angeles, California (West Coast)
Sister channel(s)	TNT, CNN, TBS, Turner Classic Movies, truTV,
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV	Channel 296 (east) Channel 297 (west) Channel 1886 (VOD)
Dish Network	Channel 176 (east) Channel 177 (west)[1]
Cable
Available on most American cable systems	Same channel as Cartoon Network; check local listings for details

Adult Swim is an adult-oriented cable programming block that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am PT/ET in the United States, which was granted it's own Nielsen ratings report due to differing target demographics, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.^[2] The block features myriad stylistically-variable animated and live-action shows, including original programming, syndicated shows, and Japanese anime, generally with minimal or no editing for content. The programs featured on Adult Swim are geared toward an 18-34 young male audience, in contrast to the originally all-ages daytime programming on Cartoon Network.

Broadcast since 2001, much of the network's general content is known for its risqué, unorthodox and often bizarre presentation, while many of the series' features are developed in stark contrast with traditional American television programs. In the United States, Adult Swim has, over the course of its history, frequently cycled through and aired either recent or older features of adult animation, foreign anime, mockumentaries and sketch comedy, among many other programs consisting of pilots and their subsequent, short-lived series' and numerous spinoffs. And while the network features trendy comedies and dramas (in this regard often anime) of all types – many of its programs could be considered aesthetically experimental, "underground", transgressive, improvised, nonlinear or surreal in nature. Adult Swim has, since its inception, contracted with various studios like Williams Street, Augenblick Studios and PFFR, for instance – all of which are notable for their productions in absurd and shock comedy.

History[link]

Several creators and writers of Adult Swim shows at the San Diego Comic Con 2006 Adult Swim panel. From left to right: Keith Crofford, Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Scott Adsit, Dino Stamatopoulos, Tommy Blacha, Brendon Small, Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer

Adult Swim grew out of Cartoon Network's previous attempts at airing content appropriate for teenagers and young adults who might be watching the channel after 11pm. The network began experimenting with its late-night programming by airing anthology shows like ToonHeads and Late Night Black and White, which both boasted uncensored classic cartoon shorts. Space Ghost Coast to Coast, one of Cartoon Network's first forays into original programming, was created in 1994 specifically for late-night audiences. The series was created by Ghost Planet Industries, which eventually became Williams Street Studios, the eventual producers and programmers of Adult Swim.

In early mornings of December 2000 (while Space Ghost Coast to Coast was on hiatus), several new Williams Street series made unannounced "stealth" premieres. Sealab 2021, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and The Brak Show all premiered unannounced;^[3][4] the official schedules listed the shows as "Special Programming".^{[citation needed]}

Adult Swim officially premiered on September 2, 2001 with the airing of the "Director's Cut" episode of Home Movies,^[5] an episode that was shelved before airing on its original network, UPN; in further years, it would become increasingly common for Adult Swim to "finish out" airing episodes of shows that never finished airing on its original network (e.g., the Family Guy episode "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein" and the rest of the first season of Mission Hill). The block initially aired on Sunday nights, with a repeat of the same block on Thursday nights. The name comes from a phrase used by public swimming pools to label designated times when children are restricted from using the facilities in favor of adults - "Adult Swim". On March 28, 2005, Atlanta-based Turner Broadcasting split Adult Swim from Cartoon Network so Nielsen Media Research could treat it as a separate channel for ratings purposes.^[2] Adult Swim operates similarly to Nick at Nite, as that channel also shares channel space with another cable channel (in their case, Nickelodeon) and is treated as a separate service for ratings purposes by Nielsen Media Research.

The network is programmed by Williams Street Studios, a division of Turner Broadcast Network, which also created Toonami and Miguzi. It plays American animated series and shorts geared towards adults. They also play a wide variety of Japanese anime series, OVAs, and movies. Promotions for Adult Swim are targeted towards the college age and those in their twenties and thirties, constituting the majority of their viewers. According to a September 1, 2004 article in Promo magazine, representatives travel to 30 universities across the U.S. to promote the Adult Swim lineup, including handing out posters for students' dorm rooms.^[6]

Adult Swim had a direct and important role in the revival of three popular animated series, Family Guy, Futurama, and The Oblongs. Family Guy premiered in reruns on Adult Swim on April 20, 2003, and immediately became the block's top-rated programming, dominating late night viewing in its time period vs. cable and broadcast competition and boosting viewership by 239 percent.^[7][8] On March 29, 2004, less than one year later, FOX announced it would be renewing Family Guy for a fourth season and reviving it from cancellation.^[7] Shortly after the announcement, Jim Samples, executive vice president of Cartoon Network, commented, "Bringing Family Guy to the Adult Swim lineup last April really helped turn the block into a cultural phenomenon with young adults."^[8]

Futurama was also revived in 2007 for Comedy Central for similar reasons: impressive viewership in syndication as well as high DVD sales.^[9] Adult Swim obtained Futurama's exclusive cable syndication rights in March 2002 for a reported ten million dollars,^[10] and the series first aired on the network in January 2002.^[11] In 2006, Twentieth Television struck a deal to produce four direct-to-video animated features based on Futurama, and, in 2009, the series was revived in normal half-hour installments beginning in 2010 on Comedy Central.^[9] In a 2006 interview, Futurama creator Matt Groening explained "There's a long, regal history of misunderstood TV shows, and to Fox's credit, the studio looked at the ratings on the Cartoon Network and how the show does overseas, and saw that there was more money to be made."^[12]

Angus Oblong, creator of The Oblongs, said new episodes of the series will return to Adult Swim.^[13] Adult Swim stated on July 4, 2010 that they asked studios to produce new episodes and "some said yes, some said no".^[14]

The first anime broadcast on Adult Swim was Cowboy Bebop, which aired on Sunday September 2, 2001, Adult Swim's launch date, at 10/9c.^[15][16]

On December 27, 2010, Adult Swim's sign-on time was moved an hour earlier, to 9:00 ET/8:00 CT, extending the networks daily schedule to a total of 9 hours.^[17]

Stylistic history[link]

Originally, all of the bumps shown in between shows featured footage of senior citizens swimming in public pools, eating, exercising, and doing other pool-related activities, with some featuring audio of a lifeguard shouting through a megaphone. The logo was the words "Adult Swim" in all capital letters, shown after a freeze frame of the footage.^[18] When the Saturday night block started on February 23, 2002, it featured clips from the various anime programs displayed on the block. The original theme music for Adult Swim, titled "D-Code," was a remix of "Mambo Gallego" done by the Melbourne musician Dust Devil, originally played by Latin jazz musician Tito Puente, Sr.^[19] On January 12, 2003, the senior citizens were replaced by animated safety manuals featuring Adult Swim characters. The logo changed to the words "adult swim" in red and a black circle with a yellow penumbra.

The current bumps debuted on May 25, 2003 and feature black intertitle "cards" in white Helvetica Neue Condensed Bold type.^[20] The cards discuss everything from programming news to personal staff opinions on unrelated subjects. In addition, the bumpers for the action shows include tilt-shift miniature and other abstract photos of Japan, often accompanied by clips of various Yesterdays New Quintet songs. The most recent bumper cards have the "[adult swim]" caption somewhere within photographs of places—often with roads or road signs throughout the world. The bumps occasionally pay tribute to a recent death, in which there is no music or sound effects, but only a fade in, showing the person's name, along with the year of his/her birth and the year of his/her death, followed by a fade out. This has been done for many celebrities who they've found worthy of such an honor, including Vincent Schiavelli, Macho Man Randy Savage, Elizabeth Taylor, Alex Toth, Harry Goz and Frank Buckles.

At certain times during the evening, the bumps will give a programming lineup for an upcoming date. When this format is given, certain shows will be colored in a specified color (indicating a premiere), with a caption at the bottom that reads "All Times and Music Eastern." The music in the background has a decidedly Indian flair; this song can be found as a track in The Campfire Headphase, a Boards of Canada album.^[21][22][23]

In 2009, King of the Hill featured unique bumpers which only air when the program is being shown. They include the fictional restaurants, shops, organizations, and local services seen within the show itself and act as sponsors during the bump followed by an actual sponsor, e.g. "King of the Hill is brought to you by Strickland Propane", and by the United States Air Force.^[24][25][26] On December 25, 2009, the network began to air "Promos of the Decade", a special bump that showed some of the best promos since Adult Swim's debut in 2001. The air times in many of the promos were crossed out in yellow.

Ad campaign bomb scare[link]

On January 31, 2007, Boston and Massachusetts State Police were dispatched to various places in Boston after reports of suspicious packages were sighted. The next day, Boston authorities arrested two men involved with the incident. Peter Berdovsky, 27, a freelance video artist from Arlington, Massachusetts, and Sean Stevens, 28, were facing charges of placing a hoax device to incite panic, as well as one count of disorderly conduct, according to CNN,^[27] which is also owned by Turner Broadcasting.

On February 5, Turner Broadcasting and marketer Interference Inc. announced that they would pay two million dollars in amends: one million to the city of Boston, and one million in goodwill funds.^[28] Four days later, on February 9, Jim Samples, then-general manager and executive vice president of Cartoon Network, resigned.^[29]

Turner Broadcasting issued an apology for an ad campaign causing a series of bomb scares throughout Boston on January 31, 2007. A statement emailed to The Boston Globe from Turner Broadcasting said:

"The 'packages' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim's animated television show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They had been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards. We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger."

April Fools' Day stunts[link]

Adult Swim has an annual tradition of celebrating April Fools' Day by tricking and fooling their audience by altering programs or airing different and obscure programs. Starting in 2004, all of the regularly scheduled episodes were aired with random mustaches drawn on the characters; however, the next night the episodes were aired again this time without the random mustaches.^{[citation needed]} In 2005, Adult Swim aired an early, unfinished version of the Squidbillies, instead of Robot Chicken.^{[citation needed]} In 2006, Adult Swim aired old re-runs of Mr. T and Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos, and then aired episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex with fart-noises added to the dialog.^[30]

In 2007, Adult Swim aired every episode of Perfect Hair Forever in reverse order. The episodes were digitally degraded to look like several generation old videotapes with grammatically incorrect subtitles. At one point, the subtitles shown on screen were actually for an Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode.^{[citation needed]} The following night Adult Swim teased that they would air the entirety of Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters before its release in theaters. They made good on their promise, showing the first few minutes fullscreen, then shrinking it down into a small picture-in-picture screen over their regular programing block.

In 2008, Adult Swim aired a night of unfinished sneak peeks of future upcoming shows in place of their typical programing.^{[citation needed]} In 2009, Adult Swim aired The Room, with sex scenes obscured with black boxes. In 2010, Adult Swim re-aired The Room for a second year in a row, with bumps featuring Tommy Wiseau being interviewed on Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Sex scenes remained censored, but the parental rating was raised to TV-MA. In 2011 The Room was aired once again with the TV-MA rating and was followed by a 15 minute special titled Earth Ghost, a CGI version of the Lowe Country pilot shown on Adult Swim Video in 2007.

In 2012, Adult Swim replaced its lineup with Toonami, a former programming block from Cartoon Network. After first playing the opening sequence of The Room, the scene switched to the Toonami host T.O.M. noting that it is April Fools' Day before introducing that week's scheduled episode of Bleach. The Toonami bumps and programming would continue throughout the night, featuring Dragon Ball Z, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki, Outlaw Star, The Big O season 1, YuYu Hakusho, Blue Submarine No. 6, Trigun, Astro Boy, and Gigantor. T.O.M. also presented a review of Mass Effect 3 and promoted the recent DVD releases of the series featured. Subsequently, on May 16, 2012, Adult Swim announced via Twitter and later by a press release that Toonami will be returning to Adult Swim beginning May 26, 2012 as a weekly Saturday night programming block.^[31]

Programming[link]

Adult Swim has a history of unique original shows such as The Venture Bros., Squidbillies, Metalocalypse, Robot Chicken, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force (Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1). A few of their shows are remakes or relaunches of classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, Sealab 2021, and Space Ghost Coast to Coast, which got its own spinoff, The Brak Show. AS's syndicated programs that are aired are mostly from Fox and the BBC, such as Family Guy, King of the Hill, American Dad!,^[32] The PJs, The Mighty Boosh and The Office. The channel also has a history of showing anime series, now relegated to its Saturday night schedule, which currently consists of Bleach, Deadman Wonderland, Casshern Sins, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG, and Cowboy Bebop.

Merchandise and media offerings[link]

Official website[link]

Adult Swim's official website features Adult Swim Video,^[33] forum message boards,^[34] online video games,^[35] music downloads,^[36] shopping (until April 16, 2012),^[37] mobile phone downloads, adult swim show sites,^[38] and the programming schedule for adult swim.^[39]

Adult Swim Video[link]

Adult Swim Video logo

Beginning in 2006 Adult Swim Video offered a free online video on demand service for recent and older episodes of a selection of their shows. In June 2010 they began delaying episode availability on Adult Swim Video by one week after original television broadcast. Previously episodes had appeared 1-3 days after broadcast.

Adult Swim Gold[link]

In August 2011 Adult Swim Video launched Adult Swim Gold, a wide selection of full length episodes of various shows featured on Adult Swim, only available for cable subscribers. The selection episodes available on Adult Swim Video was also reduced. On September 30, 2011 Adult Swim Video ended the free viewing of show episodes that they had been offering since 2006. Some cable subscribers may continue to view episodes online using Adult Swim Gold. Viewers without a cable subscription no longer have access to full length Adult Swim episodes online. Clips from Adult Swim shows are still available for free on Adult Swim Video.^[40]

Video games[link]

Adult Swim partnered with Midway Games in 2005 to begin development on video games based on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The Brak Show, and Sealab 2021. The game based on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am, was released on November 5, 2007 for PlayStation 2.^[41] The game is a golf game with fighting and racing levels. A video game based on Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law has been released by Capcom for PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii.^[42]

Various third-party, Macromedia Flash-based games, such as Robot Unicorn Attack and the Five Minutes to Kill (Yourself) series are also available for free play on the Adult Swim website.^[43]

Music[link]

Adult Swim has a partnership with independent music label Stones Throw Records.^{[citation needed]} Many of Adult Swim's bumps and packaging have used music from artists such as J Dilla, Madlib, Oh No, MPC Geek, and Psyche Origami. In 2006, both Stones Throw and Adult Swim co-produced the album Chrome Children. When the "black card" bump format was first introduced in mid-2003, block first switched to its now 5 year standing text-bump format, the bumps would often be accompanied by the instrumental music of producers like Ayatey Shabazz, Shepard, Fat Jon, J Dilla, and Madlib. Various electronic music is also often borrowed from artists on the label Warp Records, such as Boards of Canada, Broadcast, Flying Lotus and Prefuse 73. Additionally, music is often featured from artists of the label Ninja Tune Records, including Amon Tobin, Bonobo, Coldcut, and Mr. Scruff.

Video on demand[link]

In mid-2004, Adult Swim launched a video on demand channel, on cable TV providers, branded as 'Adult Swim Video'^{[citation needed]}. The comedy section features several episodes from various Adult Swim original series, while the action section shows anime series and movies licensed by Bandai Entertainment, Geneon Entertainment, and Viz Media, some of which were never broadcast. The anime series s-CRY-ed initially premiered on demand before debuting on the regular block in May 2005.

Several Adult Swim shows are also available for purchase on iTunes. Furthermore, as of November 22, 2006, some Adult Swim shows can be bought and accessed from the Xbox Live Video Marketplace and the PlayStation Video Store.

Podcast and Adult Swim Mobile[link]

Adult Swim offered a video podcast on Apple's iTunes from March 21, 2006, to September 19, 2006. The podcasts featured behind-the-scenes segments of shows and exclusive content; such as an interview with Saved by the Bell's Dennis Haskins and a look at Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha's Metalocalypse. The podcast reached number two in iTunes' ranking of most downloaded podcasts.

Build Your Own DVD[link]

In 2009 a special feature on the Adult Swim shop called the "Build a Custom DVD" was introduced.^{[citation needed]} This feature allowed buyers to create their own personalized recordable DVD consisting of any episode of almost every Adult Swim original they would choose. Buyers also chose from three different title screens and the design of the disc.

Since March 20, 2012, because of the Adult Swim shop's sudden and unexplained closure, this feature is no longer available.

International[link]

Adult Swim has been actively expanding its reach across the world since 2005. New Zealand, Australia, and Latin America air the block, just like in the United States. Other Cartoon Network markets choose not to air it due to local market conditions, licensing programs to other broadcasters or government content restrictions or regulations. In those markets, the block is licensed to other networks or television stations instead—such as Ofcom in the United Kingdom—where regulation issues arise.^[44][45]

Australia and New Zealand[link]

The Australia and New Zealand Adult Swim broadcast on Cartoon Network until December 31, 2007. Shows that aired at that time were Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Sealab 2021, Space Ghost Coast To Coast, Harvey Birdman (was also aired on SBS), Tom Goes To The Mayor, Home Movies, The Venture Bros, and before its closure, Squidbillies. The Comedy block aired every Friday and Saturday and an Action block aired during the week, including mature anime like Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha, Bleach, Air Gear, Black Cat, and Ghost In The Shell.

The block is no longer on Cartoon Network, but the comedy shows are now airing on The Comedy Channel.^{[citation needed]} The block returned on The Comedy Channel with Robot Chicken and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, in March 2008, with Aqua Teen Hunger Force joining the programming on July 1.^[46] The Boondocks also airs on the same channel although it is not under the Adult Swim banner and instead airs separately.

To date, the Adult Swim lineup on the Comedy Channel has grown considerably with the block now airing every Saturday from 12am-2am AEST and 6:30pm-7:30pm AEST to keep with the late night tradition of the former block. The new incarnation also premiered a lot of other Adult Swim shows including Moral Orel, Titan Maximum, Robot Chicken: Star Wars, Frisky Dingo, Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job, Childrens Hospital broadcasted uncensored with profanity intact, along with the latest additions but aired at a different time, Metalocalypse and The Venture Bros, the latter making it the third show with Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Harvey Birdman to have been aired on both the old and the new block.

Some series that aired on Adult Swim have been released to Region 4 DVD by Madman Entertainment, including shows that have never been shown on Australian television before. Madman Entertainment has also released R4 exclusive DVDs not available in the USA, including Volume 2 and 3 of Moral Orel and complete collections of Minoriteam and Assy Mcgee.

The Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters has also been quietly released to DVD.^[47]

Adult Swim does not currently air in New Zealand.

United Kingdom and Ireland[link]

Launched on July 8, 2006, the UK network Bravo used to air an Adult Swim block nightly, generally starting at midnight each night. The UK's Bravo channel is owned by Virgin Media Television, although in other parts of the world. Shows that were previously a part of the UK's Adult Swim block are Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Sealab 2021, The Brak Show, Tom Goes to the Mayor, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The Venture Bros., Moral Orel, and Metalocalypse,^[48] Non-Williams Street shows on the block include Stripperella and Kid Notorious. The first "action" series was the anime Afro Samurai, which aired on May 4, 2007 alongside a new UK animated show Modern Toss. On July 7, 2008, Adult Swim ceased to broadcast on Bravo, and its future remains uncertain.^[49]

The UK Adult Swim website, like its American counterpart, offers free access to full episodes of shows including Squidbillies, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Tom Goes to the Mayor, Minoriteam, Stroker and Hoop, Moral Orel, 12 oz. Mouse, Perfect Hair Forever, Metalocalypse, and Frisky Dingo.

Revolver Entertainment recently began distributing some original Adult Swim series on DVD in the UK and Ireland.^[50]

FX (UK) aired Robot Chicken, Titan Maximum, Venture Brothers and "Metalocalypse". These shows were advertised with [adult swim] branding. They began airing on 5 June 2010 in conjunction with their regular schedule and ended on 27 November 2010.

On December 14, 2011, the Robot Chicken Star Wars trilogy appeared on on the Uk's SyFy Channel at 10pm.^[51]

The block currently airs on TCM 2 at 10pm, starting on January 4, 2012.^[52]

Canada[link]

Teletoon's English-language service in Canada has an adult-oriented block called "Teletoon at Night" (previously known as "The Detour") that airs programming similar to Adult Swim every night. Adult Swim programs that aired on Teletoon at Night include 12 oz. Mouse, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Family Guy, Futurama, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, American Dad!, Metalocalypse, Robot Chicken, Squidbillies, Stroker and Hoop, The Boondocks, The Venture Bros., Home Movies, Tom Goes to the Mayor, Space Ghost Coast to Coast. The show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is the only Adult Swim original not to air on Teletoon in Canada, and instead airs on CTVglobemedia's The Comedy Network. Since July 2007, seven of the fourteen Adult Swim programs airing on The Detour were canceled and replaced by Canadian-produced adult cartoon shows.

Teletoon's French-language service in Canada also has an adult-oriented block called "Télétoon la Nuit" that airs shows like The Boondocks, Family Guy, Home Movies, South Park, American Dad!, and Futurama. Similarly, YTV airs some anime originally broadcast on Adult Swim in its "Bionix" block.^[53] G4techTV Canada's Anime Current block aired several anime that premiered on Adult Swim, such as Lupin III Part II (First 52 episodes), Paranoia Agent, and Trigun. Razer (Now MTV2) aired Cowboy Bebop, Crayon Shin-Chan, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Samurai Champloo, and Trinity Blood, which have premiered on Adult Swim. SCREAM later aired Death Note in 2008 and Super Channel is currently airing Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

In June 2009, G4 in Canada launched "Adult Digital Distraction", a programing block featuring many Adult Swim shows such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Delocated, Fat Guy Stuck in Internet, Superjail, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Tom Goes to the Mayor, Metalocalypse and The Venture Bros.^[54] In late 2011, the block has been discontinued due to pressure from the CRTC because of the channel deviating from its original format (which was to air technology-related programming). However, the block has been relaunched and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Eagleheart, NTSF:SD:SUV::, Delocated, Metalocalypse, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Superjail!, and The Venture Bros. currently air on the block.

On February 2, 2012 Teletoon Canada Inc. announced that it would be bringing a Canadian version of Adult Swim to Canada as part of the Canadian launch of Cartoon Network on July 4, 2012 Cartoon Network Canada.^[55]

India and Pakistan[link]

In India and Pakistan, an Adult Swim block is airing on WB Channel, an English General Entertainment channel owned by Turner International India.

Latin America[link]

In Latin America, an Adult Swim block aired during the overnight hours. It was originally carried on the regional version, when it was picked up by I.Sat, another Turner Broadcasting System/Time Warner-owned network, due to that it was received with negative reviews from parents.

On October 29, 2010, I.Sat revealed that the block was going to end "forever" due low ratings. Also, they added: "No matter if we add new shows, it would not work".^[56]

The defunct Latin American cable channel Locomotion, which was known for airing adult series such as South Park, Duckman, Crapston Villas, and The Critic, aired several titles that aired on Adult Swim US, such as Cowboy Bebop, Reign: The Conqueror, Pilot Candidate, Super Milk Chan, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Bob and Margaret, which has aired on Locomotion, also aired on Adult Swim following its acquisition & shutdown by Sony Pictures Entertainment. The channel's successor, the now-defunct Animax Latin America aired several titles that aired on Adult Swim US, such as Blood+, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Pilot Candidate, Bleach, Crayon Shin-Chan, Wolf's Rain, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Trinity Blood, The Boondocks, and s-CRY-ed. The channel's current incarnation, Sony Spin, aired Blood+, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Russia[link]

2×2, a Russian channel specializing in animation, features a prime time Adult Swim programming block featuring Adult Swim's original series. The block begins at 0:00am and shows are aired in Russian. At 2:40am, the shows re-air in English. Adult Swim produced shows that have aired include Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, Sealab 2021, 12 oz. Mouse, The Venture Bros, The Brak Show, Stroker & Hoop, Tom Goes to the Mayor, Squidbillies, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Frisky Dingo, The Boondocks, Perfect Hair Forever, and Metalocalypse. Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil began airing on May 27, 2010.

High definition channels and service[link]

A high definition feed of Adult Swim is available from many cable and all satellite service providers.

See also[link]

• List of Adult Swim home videos
• Category:Adult Swim albums

References[link]

External links[link]

• AdultSwim.com Official website
• AdultSwim.co.uk Official UK website
• AdultSwimCanada.com Official Canadian website

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A group of adult people.

An adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age. In human context, the term has other subordinate meanings associated with social and legal concepts; for example, a legal adult is a legal concept for a person who has attained the age of majority and is therefore regarded as independent, self-sufficient, and responsible (contrast with "minor"). Adulthood can be defined in terms of physiology, psychological adult development, law, personal character, or social status.

These different aspects of adulthood are often inconsistent and contradictory. A person may be biologically an adult, and have adult behavior but still be treated as a child if they are under the legal age of majority. Conversely one may legally be an adult but possess none of the maturity and responsibility that may define adult character.

An event relating to the oncoming of adulthood is Coming of age, which encompasses passing a series of tests to demonstrate that a person is prepared for adulthood, or reaching a specified age, sometimes in conjunction with demonstrating preparation. Most modern societies determine legal adulthood based on reaching a legally specified age without requiring a demonstration of physical maturity or preparation for adulthood.

Some propose that moving into adulthood involves an emotional structuring of denial, suggesting this process becomes necessary to cope with one's own behavior, especially in uncomfortable situations, and also the behavior of others.^{[citation needed]}

Biological adulthood[link]

Historically and cross-culturally, adulthood has been determined primarily by the start of puberty (the appearance of secondary sex characteristics such as menstruation in women, ejaculation in men, and pubic hair in both sexes). In the past, a person usually moved from the status of child directly to the status of adult, often with this shift being marked by some type of coming-of-age test or ceremony.^[1]

Most medical and general English dictionaries define childhood as the period from infancy to puberty, thus historically adulthood began with puberty. After the social construct of adolescence was created, adulthood split into two forms: biological adulthood and social adulthood. Thus, there are now two primary forms of adults: biological adults (people who have attained reproductive ability, are fertile, or who evidence secondary sex characteristics) and social adults (people who are recognized by their culture and/or law as being adults). Depending on the context, adult can indicate either definition.

Although few or no established dictionaries provide a definition for the two word term biological adult, the first definition of adult in multiple dictionaries includes "the stage of the life cycle of an animal after reproductive capacity has been attained".^[2][3] Thus, the base definition of the word adult is the period beginning at puberty. Although this is the primary definition of the base word adult, the two word term biological adult stresses or clarifies that the original definition, based on the beginning of puberty, is being used (that is, the organism has matured to the biologically important point of being able to reproduce).

Although there is no scientific agreement on when physical maturation completes, in modern society social adulthood somewhat corresponds to the completion of physical maturation. Because the term adult is most often used without the adjective social or biological, and since the term is frequently used to refer to social adults, some writers have taken the meaning of the two word phrase biological adult to begin at the end of physical maturation rather than the onset of puberty.

In modern developed countries, puberty and therefore biological adulthood generally begins around 10 or 11 years of age for girls and 12 or 13 years of age for boys, though this will vary from person to person. ^[4][5]

Legal adulthood[link]

Legally it means that one can engage in a contract. The same or a different minimum age may be applicable to, for example, parents losing parenting rights and duties regarding the person concerned, parents losing financial responsibility, marriage, voting, having a job, serving in the military, buying/possessing firearms (if legal at all), driving, traveling abroad, involvement with alcoholic beverages (if legal at all), smoking, sex, gambling (both lottery and casino) being a prostitute or a client of a prostitute (if legal at all), being a model or actor in pornography, etc. Admission of a young person to a place may be restricted because of danger for that person, concern that the place may lead the person to immoral behavior, and/or because of the risk that the young person causes damage (for example, at an exhibition of fragile items).

One can distinguish the legality of acts of a young person, and of enabling a young person to carry out that act, by selling, renting out, showing, permitting entrance, participating, etc. There may be distinction between commercially and socially enabling. Sometimes there is the requirement of supervision by a legal guardian, or just by an adult. Sometimes there is no requirement, but just a recommendation.

With regard to pornography one can distinguish:

• being allowed inside an adult establishment
• being allowed to purchase pornography
• being allowed to possess pornography
• another person being allowed to sell, rent out, or show the young person pornography, see disseminating pornography to a minor
• being a pornographic actor: rules for the young person, and for other people, regarding production, possession, etc. (see child pornography)

With regard to films with violence, etc.:

• another person being allowed to sell, rent out, or show the young person a film, a cinema being allowed to let a young person (under 18) enter

The legal definition of entering adulthood usually varies between ages 16–21, depending on the region in question. Some cultures in Africa define adult at age 13.

According to Jewish tradition, adulthood is reached at age 13 (the age of the Bar Mitzvah), for Jewish boys, for example, are expected to demonstrate preparation for adulthood by learning the Torah and other Jewish practices. The Christian Bible and Jewish scripture has no age requirement for adulthood or marrying, which includes engaging in sexual activity. The age of consent for sexual relations in the Vatican is 13,^{[citation needed]} the age when many girls achieve menses, and are thus reproductive and therefore physically capable of marriage and childbirth. However, the Vatican does not allow sex outside of marriage.^[6] The 1983 Code of Canon Law states, "A man before he has completed his sixteenth year of age, and likewise a woman before she has completed her fourteenth year of age, cannot enter a valid marriage".^[7] According to The Disappearance of Childhood by Neil Postman, the Christian Church of the Middle Ages considered the age of accountability, when a person could be tried and even executed as an adult, to be age 7.

In most of the world, including most of the United States, parts of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Wales), India and China, the legal adult age is 18 (historically 21) for most purposes, with some notable exceptions:

1. The United Kingdom: Scotland (16)
2. British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Yukon Territory in Canada; Nebraska and Alabama in The United States, and South Korea (19)
3. Indonesia and Japan (20)

See also[link]

References[link]

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls in 1997
No. 23, 45, 9, 12
Shooting guard / Small forward
Personal information
Born	(1963-02-17) February 17, 1963 (age 49) Brooklyn, New York
High school	Emsley A. Laney
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	216 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	North Carolina (1981–1984)
NBA Draft	1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	1984–2003
Career history
1984–1993, 1995–1998	Chicago Bulls
2001–2003	Washington Wizards
Career highlights and awards
6× NBA Champion (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) 5× NBA Most Valuable Player (1988, 1991–1992, 1996, 1998) 14× NBA All-Star (1985–1993, 1996–1998, 2002–2003) 6× NBA Finals MVP (1991–1993, 1996–1998) 10× NBA scoring champion (1987–1993, 1996–1998) 3× NBA steals champion (1988, 1990, 1993) NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988) 10× All-NBA First Team (1987–1993, 1996–1998) All-NBA Second Team (1985) 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1988–1993, 1996–1998) NBA Rookie of the Year (1985) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1985) 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998) 2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1987–1988) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team #23 Retired by Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat NCAA Champion (1982) 2× Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1983–1984) ACC Player of the Year (1984) Oscar Robertson Trophy (1984) Naismith College Player of the Year (1984) John R. Wooden Award (1984) Adolph Rupp Trophy (1984)
Career statistics
Points	32,292 (30.1 ppg)
Rebounds	6,672 (6.2 rpg)
Assists	5,633 (5.3 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time."^[1] Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.^[2]

After a three-season career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball.^[3] In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998) as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.

Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include five MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances, three All-Star Game MVP awards, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today.^[4] Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam as himself. He is the majority owner and head of basketball operations for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, having won a bidding war to buy controlling interest in the team from founding owner Robert L. Johnson.

Jordan is sometimes referred to simply by his initials MJ.^[5]

Early years[link]

Michael Jordan's jersey in the rafters of The Dean Smith Center

Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Deloris (née Peoples), who worked in banking, and James R. Jordan, Sr., an equipment supervisor. His family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, when he was a toddler.^[6] Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, where he anchored his athletic career by playing baseball, football, and basketball. He tried out for the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year, but at 5'11" (1.80 m), he was deemed too short to play at that level. His taller friend, Harvest Leroy Smith, was the only sophomore to make the team.^[7]

Motivated to prove his worth, Jordan became the star of Laney's junior varsity squad, and tallied several 40 point games.^[7] The following summer, he grew four inches (10 cm)^[1] and trained rigorously. Upon earning a spot on the varsity roster, Jordan averaged about 20 points per game over his final two seasons of high school play.^[8][9] As a senior, he was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team^[10] after averaging a triple-double: 29.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 10.1 assists.^[11]

In 1981, Jordan earned a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in cultural geography. As a freshman in coach Dean Smith's team-oriented system, he was named ACC Freshman of the Year after he averaged 13.4 points per game (ppg) on 53.4% shooting (field goal percentage).^[12] He made the game-winning jump shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown, which was led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing.^[1] Jordan later described this shot as the major turning point in his basketball career.^[13] During his three seasons at North Carolina, he averaged 17.7 ppg on 54.0% shooting, and added 5.0 rebounds per game (rpg).^[8] He was selected by consensus to the NCAA All-American First Team in both his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984) seasons. After winning the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984, Jordan left North Carolina one year before his scheduled graduation to enter the 1984 NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick, after Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers). Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986.^[14]

Professional career[link]

During his first season in the NBA, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting.^[12] He quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas,^[15][16][17] and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the heading "A Star is Born" just over a month into his professional career.^[18][19] Jordan was also voted in as an All-Star starter by the fans in his rookie season.^[1] Controversy arose before the All-Star game when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by Isiah Thomas, were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving.^[1] This led to a so called "freeze-out" on Jordan, where players refused to pass him the ball throughout the game.^[1] The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted Rookie of the Year.^[20] The Bulls finished the season 38–44,^[21] and lost in the first round of the playoffs in four games to the Milwaukee Bucks.^[20]

Jordan's second season was cut short by a broken foot which caused him to miss 64 games.^[1] Despite Jordan's injury and a 30–52 record,^[21] the Bulls made the playoffs. Jordan recovered in time to participate in the playoffs and performed well upon his return. Against a 1985–86 Boston Celtics team that is often considered one of the greatest in NBA history,^[22] Jordan set the still-unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2.^[23] The Celtics, however, managed to sweep the series.^[20]

Jordan had recovered completely by the 1986–87 season, and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in NBA history. He became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score 3,000 points in a season, averaging a league high 37.1 points on 48.2% shooting.^[12] In addition, Jordan demonstrated his defensive prowess, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100 blocks in a season. Despite Jordan's success, Magic Johnson won the league's Most Valuable Player Award. The Bulls reached 40 wins,^[21] and advanced to the playoffs for the third consecutive year. However, they were again swept by the Celtics.^[20]

Mid-career: Pistons roadblock[link]

Jordan led the league in scoring again in the 1987–88 season, averaging 35.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting^[12] and won his first league MVP award. He was also named the Defensive Player of the Year, as he had averaged 1.6 blocks and a league high 3.16 steals per game.^[24] The Bulls finished 50–32,^[21] and made it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in Jordan's career, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.^[25] However, the Bulls then lost in five games to the more experienced Detroit Pistons,^[20] who were led by Isiah Thomas and a group of physical players known as the "Bad Boys".

In the 1988–89 season, Jordan again led the league in scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the field, along with 8 rpg and 8 assists per game (apg).^[12] The Bulls finished with a 47–35 record,^[21] and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the Cavaliers and New York Knicks along the way. The Cavaliers series included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit The Shot over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer in the fifth and final game of the series.^[26] However, the Pistons again defeated the Bulls, this time in six games,^[20] by utilizing their "Jordan Rules" method of guarding Jordan, which consisted of double and triple teaming him every time he touched the ball.^[1]

The Bulls entered the 1989–90 season as a team on the rise, with their core group of Jordan and young improving players like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, and under the guidance of new coach Phil Jackson. Jordan averaged a league leading 33.6 ppg on 52.6% shooting, to go with 6.9 rpg and 6.3 apg^[12] in leading the Bulls to a 55–27 record.^[21] They again advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals beating the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers en route. However, despite pushing the series to seven games, the Bulls lost to the Pistons for the third consecutive season.^[20]

First three-peat[link]

In the 1990–91 season, Jordan won his second MVP award after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season.^[12] The Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in 16 years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season.^[21] With Scottie Pippen developing into an All-Star, the Bulls had elevated their play. The Bulls defeated the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where their rival, the Detroit Pistons, awaited them. However, this time the Bulls beat the Pistons in a surprising sweep.^[27][28] In an unusual ending to the fourth and final game, Isiah Thomas led his team off the court before the final seconds had concluded. Most of the Pistons went directly to their locker room instead of shaking hands with the Bulls.^[29][30]

The Bulls compiled an outstanding 15–2 record during the playoffs,^[27] and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, where they beat the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one. Perhaps the best known moment of the series came in Game 2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan avoided a potential Sam Perkins block by switching the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot in.^[31] In his first Finals appearance, Jordan posted per game averages of 31.2 points on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks.^[32] Jordan won his first NBA Finals MVP award,^[33] and he cried while holding the NBA Finals trophy.^[34]

Jordan and the Bulls continued their dominance in the 1991–92 season, establishing a 67–15 record, topping their franchise record from 1990 to 91.^[21] Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with averages of 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on 52% shooting.^[24] After winning a physical 7-game series over the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals in 6 games, the Bulls met Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the Finals. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic-Bird rivalry, highlighted the similarities between "Air" Jordan and Clyde "The Glide" during the pre-Finals hype.^[35] In the first game, Jordan scored a Finals-record 35 points in the first half, including a record-setting six three-point field goals.^[36] After the sixth three-pointer, he jogged down the court shrugging as he looked courtside. Marv Albert, who broadcast the game, later stated that it was as if Jordan was saying, "I can't believe I'm doing this."^[37] The Bulls went on to win Game 1, and defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row^[33] and finished the series averaging 35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5 apg, while shooting 53% from the floor.^[33]

In 1992–93, despite a 32.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 5.5 apg campaign,^[24] Jordan's streak of consecutive MVP seasons ended as he lost the award to his friend Charles Barkley. Coincidentally, Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and his Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. The Bulls captured their third consecutive NBA championship on a game-winning shot by John Paxson and a last-second block by Horace Grant, but Jordan was once again Chicago's catalyst. He averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the six-game series,^[38] and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards.^[33] He scored more than 30 points in every game of the series, including 40 or more points in 4 consecutive games. With his third Finals triumph, Jordan capped off a seven-year run where he attained seven scoring titles and three championships, but there were signs that Jordan was tiring of his massive celebrity and all of the non-basketball hassles in his life.^[39]

Gambling controversy[link]

During the Bulls' playoff run in 1993, controversy arose when Jordan was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey the night before a game against the New York Knicks.^[40] In that same year, he admitted to having to cover $57,000 in gambling losses,^[41] and author Richard Esquinas wrote a book claiming he had won $1.25 million from Jordan on the golf course.^[41] In 2005, Jordan talked to Ed Bradley of the CBS evening show 60 Minutes about his gambling and admitted that he made some reckless decisions. Jordan stated, "Yeah, I've gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I've pushed the envelope. Is that compulsive? Yeah, it depends on how you look at it. If you're willing to jeopardize your livelihood and your family, then yeah."^[42] When Bradley asked him if his gambling ever got to the level where it jeopardized his livelihood or family, Jordan replied, "No."^[42]

First retirement and baseball career[link]

Michael Jordan while playing with the Scottsdale Scorpions

On October 6, 1993, Jordan announced his retirement, citing a loss of desire to play the game. Jordan later stated that the murder of his father earlier in the year shaped his decision.^[43] James R. Jordan, Sr. was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina, by two teenagers, Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery. The assailants were traced from calls they made on James Jordan's cellular phone,^[44] caught, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. Jordan was close to his father; as a child he had imitated his father's proclivity to stick out his tongue while absorbed in work. He later adopted it as his own signature, displaying it each time he drove to the basket.^[1] In 1996 he founded a Chicago area Boys & Girls Club and dedicated it to his father.^[45][46]

In his 1998 autobiography For the Love of the Game, Jordan wrote that he had been preparing for retirement as early as the summer of 1992.^[47] The added exhaustion due to the Dream Team run in the 1992 Olympics solidified Jordan's feelings about the game and his ever-growing celebrity status. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world.^[48]

Jordan then further surprised the sports world by signing a minor league baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox. He reported to spring training and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994.^[49] Jordan has stated this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who had always envisioned his son as a Major League Baseball player.^[50] The White Sox were another team owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball.^[51] In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 30 stolen bases, and 11 errors.^[9] He also appeared for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League, batting .252 against the top prospects in baseball.^[52] On November 1, 1994, his number 23 was retired by the Bulls in a ceremony that included the erection of a permanent sculpture known as The Spirit outside the new United Center.^[53][54][55]

"I'm back": Return to the NBA[link]

In the 1993–94 season, the Bulls, without Jordan, achieved a 55–27 record,^[21] and lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. But the 1994–95 version of the Bulls was a shell of the championship squad of just two years earlier. Struggling at mid-season to ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago was 31–31 at one point in mid-March.^[56] The team received a lift, however, when Jordan decided to return to the NBA for the Bulls.

On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a 2-word press release: "I'm back."^[1] The next day, Jordan donned jersey number 45 (his number with the Barons), as his familiar 23 had been retired in his honor following his first retirement. He took to the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points.^[57] The game had the highest Nielsen rating of a regular season NBA game since 1975.^[58]

Although he hadn't played an NBA game in a year and a half, Jordan played well upon his return, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. He then scored 55 points in the next game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1995 (his first appearance at Madison Square Garden since retiring).^[20] Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 13-4 to make the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic. Though at the end of Game 1, Orlando's Nick Anderson stripped Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the Magic; he would later comment that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan",^[59] after which Jordan returned to wearing his old number. Jordan averaged 31 points per game in the series, but Orlando prevailed in 6 games.^[8]

Second three-peat[link]

Jordan going in for a slam dunk with his signature exposed tongue.

Freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, Jordan trained aggressively for the 1995–96 season.^[60] Strengthened by the addition of rebound specialist Dennis Rodman, the Bulls dominated the league, starting the season 41–3,^[61] and eventually finishing with the best regular season record in NBA history: 72–10.^[22] Jordan led the league in scoring with 30.4 ppg,^[62] and won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards.^[1] In the playoffs, the Bulls lost only three games in four series, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA Finals to win the championship. Jordan was named Finals MVP for a record fourth time,^[33] surpassing Magic Johnson's three Finals MVP awards. He also achieved only the second sweep of the MVP Awards in the All-Star Game, regular season and NBA Finals, Willis Reed having achieved the first, during the 1969–70 season.^[20] Because this was Jordan's first championship since his father's murder, and it was won on Father's Day, Jordan reacted very emotionally upon winning the title, including a memorable scene of him sobbing on the locker room floor with the game ball.^[1][34]

In the 1996–97 season, the Bulls started out 69–11, but narrowly missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season by losing their final two games to finish 69–13.^[63] However, this year Jordan was beaten for the NBA MVP Award by Karl Malone. The Bulls again advanced to the Finals, where they faced Malone and the Utah Jazz. The series against the Jazz featured two of the more memorable clutch moments of Jordan's career. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied at 2, Jordan played despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus. In what is known as the "Flu Game", Jordan scored 38 points, including the game-deciding 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining.^[64] The Bulls won 90–88 and went on to win the series in six games.^[63] For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Jordan received the Finals MVP award.^[33] During the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, Jordan posted the first triple double in All-Star Game history in a victorious effort; however, he did not receive the MVP award.

Jordan with coach Phil Jackson in 1997

Jordan and the Bulls compiled a 62–20 record in the 1997–98 season.^[21] Jordan led the league with 28.7 points per game,^[24] securing his fifth regular-season MVP award, plus honors for All-NBA First Team, First Defensive Team and the All-Star Game MVP.^[1] The Bulls captured the Eastern Conference Championship for a third straight season, including surviving a grueling seven-game series with Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals; it was the first time Jordan had played in a Game 7 since the 1992 series with the Knicks. After prevailing, they moved on for a rematch with the Jazz in the Finals.

The Bulls returned to Utah for Game 6 on June 14, 1998 leading the series 3–2. Jordan executed a series of plays, considered to be one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history.^[65] With the Bulls trailing 86–83 with 41.9 seconds remaining, Phil Jackson called a timeout. When play resumed, Jordan received the inbound pass, drove to the basket, and hit a layup over several Jazz defenders.^[65] The Jazz brought the ball upcourt and passed the ball to forward Karl Malone, who was set up in the low post and was being guarded by Rodman. Malone jostled with Rodman and caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind him and swatted the ball out of his hands for a steal.^[65] Jordan then slowly dribbled upcourt and paused at the top of the key, eyeing his defender, Jazz guard Bryon Russell. With fewer than 10 seconds remaining, Jordan started to dribble right, then crossed over to his left, possibly pushing off Russell,^[66][67][68] although the officials did not call a foul. Jordan then made what would become the climactic shot of his career. After John Stockton missed a desperation 3-pointer, Jordan and the Bulls claimed their sixth NBA championship, and secured a second three-peat. Once again, Jordan was voted the Finals MVP,^[33] having led all scorers by averaging 33.5 points per game, including 45 in the deciding Game 6.^[69] Jordan's six Finals MVPs is a record; Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, and Tim Duncan are tied for second place with three apiece.^[33] The 1998 Finals holds the highest television rating of any Finals series in history, and Game 6 holds the highest television rating of any game in NBA history.^[70][71]

Second retirement[link]

Plaque at the United Center chronicling Jordan's career achievements.

With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen (who stated his desire to be traded during the season) and Dennis Rodman (who would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent) looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999.

On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player, but as part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards.^[72] Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive. He controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations, and had the final say in all personnel matters. Opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed.^[73][74] He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland),^[75][76] but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA Draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown, who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons.^[73][77]

Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" that he would never play another NBA game,^[34] in the summer of 2001 Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback,^[78][79] this time with his new team. Inspired by the NHL comeback of his friend Mario Lemieux the previous winter,^[80] Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago.^[81] In addition, Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return.^[78][79]

Washington Wizards comeback[link]

Jordan as a member of the Washington Wizards on April 14, 2003

On September 25, 2001 Jordan announced his return to professional play with the Wizards, indicating his intention to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.^[82][83] In an injury-plagued 2001–02 season, he led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.42 spg).^[1] However, torn cartilage in his right knee ended Jordan's season after only 60 games, the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the 1994–95 season.^[12]

Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2003, Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star game history (a record since broken by Kobe Bryant).^[84] That year, Jordan was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games, starting in 67 of them. He averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.^[1] He also shot 45% from the field, and 82% from the free throw line.^[1] Even though he turned 40 during the season, he scored 20 or more points 42 times, 30 or more points nine times, and 40 or more points three times.^[20] On February 21, 2003, Jordan became the first 40-year-old to tally 43 points in an NBA game.^[85] During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the MCI Center were sold out, and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20,172 fans a game at home and 19,311 on the road.^[86] However, neither of Jordan's final two seasons resulted in a playoff appearance for the Wizards, and Jordan was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him.^[87][88] At several points he openly criticized his teammates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity, notably that of the number one draft pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, Kwame Brown.^[87][88]

With the recognition that 2002–03 would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA. In his final game at his old home court, the United Center in Chicago, Jordan received a four-minute standing ovation.^[89] The Miami Heat retired the number 23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though Jordan had never played for the team.^[90] At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson,^[91] but refused both; in the end, however, he accepted the spot of Vince Carter, who decided to give it up under great public pressure.^[92]

Jordan's final NBA game was on April 16, 2003 in Philadelphia. After scoring only 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter and with his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers, 75–56. Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike!". After much encouragement from coach Doug Collins, Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game for Larry Hughes with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' Eric Snow, and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie John Salmons, who in turn was intentionally fouled by Bobby Simmons one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. Jordan received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials and a crowd of 21,257 fans.^[93]

Olympic career[link]

Medal record
Member of  United States
men's national basketball team
Pan American Games
Gold	1983 Caracas	men's basketball
Olympic Games
Gold	1984 Los Angeles	men's basketball
Gold	1992 Barcelona	men's basketball
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold	1992 Portland	men's basketball

Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams. As a college player he participated, and won the gold, in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The team was coached by Bob Knight and featured players such as Patrick Ewing, Sam Perkins, Chris Mullin, Steve Alford, and Wayman Tisdale. Jordan led the team in scoring, averaging 17.1 ppg for the tournament.^[94]

In the 1992 Summer Olympics he was a member of the star-studded squad that included Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and David Robinson and was dubbed the "Dream Team". Jordan was the only player to start all 8 games in the Olympics. Playing limited minutes due to the frequent blowouts, Jordan averaged 14.9 ppg,^[95] finishing second on the team in scoring.^[96] Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and fellow Dream Team member Chris Mullin are the only American men's basketball players to win Olympic gold as amateurs (all in 1984) and professionals.^[94][95]

After retiring as a player[link]

Jordan on a golf course in 2007

After his third retirement, Jordan assumed that he would be able to return to his front office position of Director of Basketball Operations with the Wizards.^[97] However, his previous tenure in the Wizards' front office had produced the aforementioned mixed results and may have also influenced the trade of Richard "Rip" Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse (although Jordan was not technically Director of Basketball Operations in 2002).^[73] On May 7, 2003, Wizards owner Abe Pollin fired Jordan as Washington's President of Basketball Operations.^[73] Jordan later stated that he felt betrayed, and that if he knew he would be fired upon retiring he never would have come back to play for the Wizards.^[42]

Jordan kept busy over the next few years by staying in shape, playing golf in celebrity charity tournaments, spending time with his family in Chicago, promoting his Jordan Brand clothing line, and riding motorcycles.^[98] Since 2004, Jordan has owned Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team that competes with two Suzukis in the premier Superbike class sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA).^[99][100] Jordan and his then-wife Juanita pledged $5 million to Chicago's Hales Franciscan High School in 2006,^[101] and the Jordan Brand has made donations to Habitat for Humanity and a Louisiana branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.^[102] On June 15, 2006, Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming the team's second-largest shareholder behind majority owner Robert L. Johnson. As part of the deal, Jordan was named "Managing Member of Basketball Operations," with full control over the basketball side of the operation.^[103] Despite Jordan's previous success as an endorser, he has made an effort not to be included in Charlotte's marketing campaigns.^[104]

In February 2010, it was reported that Jordan was seeking majority ownership of the Bobcats.^[105] As February wore on, it emerged that the leading contenders for the team were Jordan and former Houston Rockets president George Postolos. On February 27, the Bobcats announced that Johnson had reached an agreement with Jordan and his group, MJ Basketball Holdings, to buy the team pending NBA approval.^[106] On March 17, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved Jordan's purchase, making him the first former NBA player ever to become the majority owner of a league franchise.^[107]

During the 2011 NBA lockout, The New York Times wrote that Jordan led a group of 10 to 14 hardline owners wanting to cap the players' share of basketball-related income at 50 percent and as low as 47. Journalists observed that, during the labor dispute in 1998, Jordan had told Washington Wizards then-owner Abe Pollin, "If you can’t make a profit, you should sell your team."^[108] Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com called Jordan a "sellout" wanting "current players to pay for his incompetence."^[109] He cited Jordan's executive decisions to draft disappointing players Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison.^[109]

Player profile[link]

Jordan was a shooting guard who was also capable of playing small forward (the position he would primarily play during his second return to professional basketball with the Washington Wizards). Jordan was known throughout his career for being a strong clutch performer. He decided numerous games with last-second plays (e.g., The Shot) and performed at a high level even under adverse circumstances (e.g., Flu Game). His competitiveness was visible in his prolific trash-talk^[110] and well-known work ethic.^[111][112]

Jordan had a versatile offensive game. He was capable of aggressively driving to the basket, as well as drawing fouls from his opponents at a high rate; his 8,772 free throw attempts are the ninth highest total of all time.^[113] As his career progressed, Jordan also developed the ability to post up his opponents and score with his trademark fadeaway jump shot, using his leaping ability to "fade away" from block attempts. According to Hubie Brown, this move alone made him nearly unstoppable.^[114] Despite media criticism as a "selfish" player early in his career, Jordan's 5.3 assists per game^[12] also indicate his willingness to defer to his teammates. In later years, the NBA shortened its three-point line to 22 feet (from 23 feet, 9 inches), which coupled with Jordan's extended shooting range to make him a long-range threat as well—his 3-point stroke developed from a low 9/52 rate (.173) in his rookie year into a stellar 111/260 (.427) shooter in the 1995–96 season.^[12] For a guard, Jordan was also a good rebounder (6.2 per game).^[12]

In 1988, Jordan was honored with the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first NBA player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in a career (since equaled by Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Kevin Garnett; Olajuwon is the only player other than Jordan to win both during the same season). In addition he set both seasonal and career records for blocked shots by a guard,^[115] and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. His 2,514 steals are second highest all-time behind John Stockton, while his steals per game average is third all-time.^[116] Jerry West often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan's defensive contributions than his offensive ones.^[117]

Legacy[link]

Jordan's basketball talent was clear from his rookie season.^[15][17] In his first game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, Jordan received a prolonged standing ovation,^[17] a rarity for an opposing player. After Jordan scored a playoff record 63 points against the Boston Celtics in 1986, Celtics star Larry Bird described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan."^[23]

Jordan led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons (NBA record) and tied Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven consecutive scoring titles. He was also a fixture on the NBA All-Defensive First Team, making the roster nine times (NBA record shared with Gary Payton). Jordan also holds the top career regular season and playoff scoring averages of 30.1 and 33.4 points per game,^[1] respectively. By 1998, the season of his Finals-winning shot against the Jazz, he was well known throughout the league as a clutch performer. In the regular season, Jordan was the Bulls' primary threat in the final seconds of a close game and in the playoffs, Jordan would always demand the ball at crunch time.^[118] Jordan's total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the highest in NBA history.^[119] He retired with 32,292 points in regular season play,^[120] placing him third on the NBA's all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.^[120]

With five regular-season MVPs (tied for second place with Bill Russell; only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won more, six), six Finals MVPs (NBA record), and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan is the most decorated player ever to play in the NBA. Jordan finished among the top three in regular-season MVP voting a record 10 times, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.

Many of Jordan's contemporaries label Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time.^[117] An ESPN survey of journalists, athletes and other sports figures ranked Jordan the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century, above icons such as Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali.^[121] Jordan placed second to Babe Ruth in the Associated Press's list of 20th century athletes.^[122] In addition, the Associated Press voted him as the basketball player of the 20th century.^[123] Jordan has also appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated a record 49 times.^[124] In the September 1996 issue of Sport, which was the publication's 50th anniversary issue, Jordan was named the greatest athlete of the past 50 years.^[125]

Jordan's athletic leaping ability, highlighted in his back-to-back slam dunk contest championships in 1987 and 1988, is credited by many with having influenced a generation of young players.^[126][127] Several current NBA All-Stars have stated that they considered Jordan their role model while growing up, including LeBron James^[128] and Dwyane Wade.^[129] In addition, commentators have dubbed a number of next-generation players "the next Michael Jordan" upon their entry to the NBA, including Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Vince Carter, and Dwyane Wade.^{[130][131][132]} Although Jordan was a well-rounded player, his "Air Jordan" image is also often credited with inadvertently decreasing the jump shooting skills, defense, and fundamentals of young players,^[126] a fact Jordan himself has lamented.

Although Jordan has done much to increase the status of the game, some of his impact on the game's popularity in America appears to be fleeting.^[133][134] Television ratings in particular increased only during his time in the league and have subsequently lowered each time he left the game.^[133][134]

In August 2009, the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, opened a Michael Jordan exhibit containing items from his college and NBA careers, as well as from the 1992 "Dream Team". The exhibit also has a batting glove to signify Jordan's short career in baseball.^[135] After Jordan received word of his being accepted into the Hall of Fame, he selected Class of 1996 member David Thompson to present him.^[136] As Jordan would later explain during his induction speech in September 2009, growing up in North Carolina, he was not a fan of the Tar Heels, and greatly admired Thompson, who played at rival North Carolina State. He was inducted into the Hall in September, with several former Bulls teammates in attendance, including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and Toni Kukoc.^[137] Former coaches of Jordan's, Dean Smith and Doug Collins, were also among those present.

Personal life[link]

Michael Jordan, 2006

Jordan is the fourth of five children. He has two older brothers, Larry Jordan and James R. Jordan, Jr., one older sister, Deloris, and a younger sister, Roslyn. Jordan's brother James retired in 2006 as the Command Sergeant Major of the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army.^[138]

He married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989, and they have two sons, Jeffrey Michael and Marcus James, and a daughter, Jasmine. Jordan and Vanoy filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but reconciled shortly thereafter. They again filed for divorce and were granted a final decree of dissolution of marriage on December 29, 2006, commenting that the decision was made "mutually and amicably".^[139][140] It is reported that Juanita received a $168 million settlement, making it the largest celebrity divorce settlement in history at the time on public record.^[141]

In 1991, Jordan purchased a lot in Highland Park, Illinois, to build a 56,000 square foot mansion, which was completed four years later.^[142] Both of his sons attended Loyola Academy, a private Roman Catholic high school located in Wilmette, Illinois.^[143] Jeffrey graduated as a member of the 2007 graduating class and played his first collegiate basketball game on November 11, 2007, for the University of Illinois. After two seasons, Jeffrey left the Illinois basketball team in 2009. He later rejoined the team for a third season,^[144][145] then received a release to transfer to the University of Central Florida, where Marcus was attending.^[146][147] Marcus transferred to Whitney Young High School after his sophomore year at Loyola Academy and graduated in 2009. He began attending UCF in the fall of 2009.^[148]

On July 21, 2006, a Cook County, Illinois judge determined that Jordan did not owe his alleged former lover Karla Knafel $5 million.^[149] Jordan had allegedly paid Knafel $250,000 to keep their relationship a secret.^{[150][151][152]} Knafel claimed Jordan promised her $5 million for remaining silent and agreeing not to file a paternity suit after Knafel learned she was pregnant in 1991. A DNA test showed Jordan was not the father of the child.^[149]

Jordan's private jet features a stripe in North Carolina blue, the "Air Jordan" logo on the tail, and references to his career in the identification number.^[153] He proposed to his long time girlfriend, Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto, on Christmas Eve, 2011, and is engaged to be married.^[154] He listed his Highland Park mansion for sale in 2012.^[142]

Media figure and business interests[link]

Michael Jordan in 2008

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald's, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Wheaties, Hanes, and MCI.^[155] Jordan has had a long relationship with Gatorade, appearing in over 20 commercials for the company since 1991, including the "Like Mike" commercials in which a song was sung by children wishing to be like Jordan.^[155][156]

Nike created a signature shoe for him, called the Air Jordan. One of Jordan's more popular commercials for the shoe involved Spike Lee playing the part of Mars Blackmon. In the commercials Lee, as Blackmon, attempted to find the source of Jordan's abilities and became convinced that "it's gotta be the shoes".^[155] The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spate of "shoe-jackings" where people were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. Subsequently Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own division named the "Jordan Brand". The company features an impressive list of athletes and celebrities as endorsers.^[157][158] The brand has also sponsored college sports programs such as those of North Carolina, Cincinnati, Cal, St. John's, Georgetown, and North Carolina A&T.

Jordan also has been associated with the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. A Nike commercial shown during the 1993 Super Bowl XXVII featured Jordan and Bugs Bunny playing basketball against a group of Martian characters.^[159] The Super Bowl commercial inspired the 1996 live action/animated movie Space Jam, which starred Jordan and Bugs in a fictional story set during his first retirement.^[160] They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI.^[160]

Jordan's yearly income from the endorsements is estimated to be over forty million dollars.^[161][162] In addition, when Jordan's power at the ticket gates was at its highest point the Bulls regularly sold out every game they played in, whether home or away.^[163] Due to this, Jordan set records in player salary by signing annual contracts worth in excess of US $30 million per season.^[164] An academic study found that Jordan’s first NBA comeback resulted in an increase in the market capitalization of his client firms of more than $1 billion.^[165]

Most of Jordan's endorsement deals, including the first deal with Nike, were engineered by his agent, David Falk.^[166] Jordan has said of Falk that "he's the best at what he does", and that "marketing-wise, he's great. He's the one who came up with the concept of 'Air Jordan.'"^[167]

In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 20th most powerful celebrity in the world with $55 million earned between June 2009 and June 2010. According to the Forbes article, Jordan Brand generates $1 billion in sales for Nike.^[168]

Honors and awards[link]

Michael Jordan and Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill game honoring the 1957 and 1982 men's basketball teams.

Jordan won numerous awards and set many records during his career. The following are some of his achievements:^{[1][169][170]}

• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009
• 2 Olympic Gold Medals – 1984, 1992
• 6× NBA Champion
• 6× NBA Finals MVP
• 5× NBA MVP
• 10 NBA Scoring Titles
• 3× steals leader
• 3× minutes leader
• 14 NBA All-Star Selections
• 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP
• 11 All-NBA Selections
• 9 All-Defensive First Team Selections
• 2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion – 1987, 1988
• NBA Rookie of the Year – 1984–85
• NBA Defensive Player of the Year – 1987–88
• NCAA National Championship – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: 1981–82
• ACC Freshman of the Year – 1981–82
• 2× Consensus NCAA All-American First Team – 1982–83, 1983–84
• ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year – 1983–84
• USBWA College Player of the Year – 1983–84
• Naismith College Player of the Year – 1983–84
• John R. Wooden Award – 1983–84
• Adolph Rupp Trophy – 1983–84
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year – 1991
• Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996
• Ranked No.1 by SLAM Magazine's Top 50 Players of All-Time
• Ranked No.1 by ESPN Sportscentury's Top 100 Athletes of the 20th century
• Elected to North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

See also[link]

	African American portal
	Basketball portal
	Biography portal
	Chicago portal