Kendall Gill

Gill in 2010
No. 13, 9, 12
Shooting guard / Small forward
Personal information
Born	(1968-05-25) May 25, 1968 (age 44) Chicago, Illinois
Nationality	American
High school	Rich Central (Olympia Fields, Illinois)
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
College	Illinois (1986–1990)
NBA Draft	1990 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Pro career	1990–2005
Career history
1990–1993	Charlotte Hornets
1993–1995	Seattle SuperSonics
1995–1996	Charlotte Hornets
1996–2001	New Jersey Nets
2001–2002	Miami Heat
2002–2003	Minnesota Timberwolves
2003–2004	Chicago Bulls
2004–2005	Milwaukee Bucks
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1991) Consensus NCAA All-American Second Team (1990)
Career NBA statistics
Points	12,914 (13.4 ppg)
Rebounds	4,002 (4.1 rpg)
Assists	1,519 (1.6 spg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Kendall Cedric Gill (born May 25, 1968) is a retired American professional basketball player, now a sports analyst for Comcast Sports Net and the Big Ten Network.^[1]

Early life[link]

Gill was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, Illinois. Graduating in 1986, as a senior Gill led Rich Central to a 2nd place finish in the IHSA class AA state boys basketball tournament. Gill led Rich Central in scoring with 54 points in the 4 games of the tournament finals, and was named to the six-player All-Tournament team.

After high school, Gill attended the University of Illinois. Playing four years for the Fighting Illini, Gill was a starter for his last three seasons. As a junior, Gill led the Fighting Illini to the 1989 Final Four before losing to Michigan on a last second shot. Also among that fabled "Flyin' Illini" squadron were future NBA players Nick Anderson, Marcus Liberty, Kenny Battle and Illini TV/radio broadcaster Stephen Bardo as well as four year starter, Lowell Hamilton. As a senior, Gill led the Big Ten in scoring and was named a first-team All-American (UPI). Gill left Illinois as the 7th all-time leading scorer in school history. Gill's Illini earned NCAA bids each year he played. Gill also won the NCAA Slam Dunk championship at the Final Four his senior season.

Gill was elected to the "Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team" in 2004.

NBA career[link]

Gill was chosen in the 1990 NBA Draft with the fifth overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets, and was named First Team All-Rookie for the 1990-91 season. Kendall also participated in an NBA Slam-Dunk Competition. Gill played in 15 seasons in the NBA for the Hornets (including two separate stints), Seattle SuperSonics, New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls, and Milwaukee Bucks. In two different seasons Gill averaged over 20 points per game, first as a second-year player for the Hornets in 1991-92 (20.5 ppg), and again for the Nets in 1996-97 (21.8 ppg). In the 1997-98 NBA season, Gill led the league in steals as a member of the Nets. On April 3, 1999, he recorded 11 steals in a game against Miami, tying Larry Kenon's single-game record. In this game, he also recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds for a rare Points-Rebounds-Steals triple double. Gill's career totals include 12,914 points in 966 regular season games. He made an appearance as himself in a Nickelodeon TV Show, My Brother and Me.

After retiring as a player[link]

As a means to maintain his conditioning, Gill took up boxing, eventually entering the professional ranks. Gill had his first bout on June 25, 2005 at the age of 37.

He appeared on the January 23, 2008 edition of Spike TV's Pros vs. Joes.

On May 15, 2010, Gill sang a rendition of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, as they took on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Gill currently does pregame and postgame live shows on CSN Chicago for all Chicago Bulls games. He also makes appearances on NBA TV as a guest analyst, usually when the Bulls are on WGN.

NBA stats[link]

See also[link]

• List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game

Notes[link]

1. ^ Bulls legend Van Lier mourned

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (November 2011)

• IHSA 1986 Class AA Boys Summary
• Career NBA Statistics
• NBA.com player profile
• Professional boxing record for Kendall Gill from BoxRec
• Gill joins Bulls Pre-Game Live
• [1]
• [2]

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]