Michael Jordan is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. The brilliant shooting guard was famous for cutting through the opponents and deploying his favorite Fadeaway moves at his own will.
Earning him the title of ‘Air Jordan,’ Jordan’s giant leaps helped him slam dunk from free throw lines at the tip of a hat. The New York-born also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players of his time.
The legendary basketball player won the NBA championship a record six times with Chicago Bulls and was credited for popularizing the sport during the 80s and 90s. But before raking through the opponent formations in the NBA, Jordan had accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Let us take a look at his college basketball career today.
Michael Jordan averaged 17.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in college
As a freshman Jordan was named ACC Freshman of the Year due to 13.4 points per game average on a 53.4% shooting (field goal percentage). He was lauded for making the winning jump shot during the NVAA Championship game against Georgetown led by a future rival Patrick Erwing.
During the three seasons with Tar Heels, Jordan averaged 17.7 points per contest with 5 rebounds per game and 1.8 assists per game. The 5-time NBA most valuable player was selected by consensus to the NCAA All-American First Team twice during both his sophomore and junior seasons.
During his third year, Jordan averaged 19.6 points with a humongous 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Owing to his spectacular record, Jor5dan left North Carolina a year prior to his graduation to enter the 1984 NBA draft. However, the 14-time NBA All-Star player returned to the university to complete his degree in 1986.
Commemorating his achievements, ACC named Jordan in their 50th Anniversary men’s basketball team in 2002. Michael Jordan has left an indelible mark on the game of basketball and will be remembered throughout the game’s history for his charisma, skills, athleticism, and determination to win at all costs. He will not only be reminisced by players but also by franchise owners for globalizing the game of basketball.
He has had such a large impact that we owe today’s sneaker revolution to Michael Jordan since Nike recruited him by launching a sneaker batch named Air Jordan inspired by him.
