Michael Jordan: Legends in Sports (16 page)

The announcement came on the heels of the Bobcats’ second season in the NBA. A glance at their two-year record showed that
they were not a great team but that they were improving. In 2004–2005, they had a dismal year of 18 wins and 64 losses. In
2005–2006, they had added eight more wins to bring their record to 26 and 56.

They improved again in 2006–2007, with a final of 33 wins and 49 losses. Did Michael Jordan’s involvement have anything to
do with that improvement? Possibly — after all, Jordan’s role was to give a final okay to all decisions related to building
the franchise.

But throughout the season itself, he did his best to
keep a low profile. He didn’t sit courtside at games, for instance, in part because he didn’t want the Bobcats to be seen
as a “Michael Jordan” team, as he once put it. After all, he reminded reporters and fans, “I’m not playing.”

There may be another reason he preferred a behind-the-scenes role that season. In late December 2006, he and his wife, Juanita,
decided to divorce. The split was amicable, but still, Jordan didn’t want to subject his wife or three children to any more
media attention than was absolutely necessary.

Despite this setback in his personal life, he was a strong presence for the Bobcats, attending practices and shootouts. In
the 2007 off-season, he faced significant challenges, including hiring a new coach and strengthening the Bobcats’ roster through
the draft, trades, and international recruitment. Just how sound his decisions were will be seen when the Bobcats’ fourth
season begins in November of 2007.

Before then, Jordan had plenty of other commitments to fulfill. One of those was overseeing the Jordan Brand All-American
Classic.

First held in 2002, the Classic has become the premier high school all-star game in the country.
The top teenage players are selected for one of two teams; the teams meet for a single game in April. College and professional
scouts as well as basketball fans and celebrities come to the games to see the next generation of NBA stars. Past players
include LeBron James, now with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2007, the roster of one team included a familiar last name: Jordan.

Seventeen-year-old Jeffrey Jordan is the oldest of Michael Jordan’s three children. Not surprisingly, he had learned the sport
of basketball at an early age. By all accounts, he’s a good player, although so far he’s drawn more attention for who he is
rather than for his skills on the court.

“I’m probably a bigger target than anybody out there just because of my last name,” Jeffrey once said, adding that his opponents
“go at him a little harder” when they discover who he is.

Prior to the Classic, the media attacked Air Jordan’s heir apparent pretty hard, too. Some people went so far as to claim
that Jeffrey had been selected for the Classic because of his father, not his skill. But whatever the case, Jeffrey earned
the respect of his peers with his solid play in April. In his twenty-three
minutes on the court, he scored nine points and had one assist and two rebounds.

Whether Jeffrey Jordan will eventually follow in his father’s footsteps — or even wants to, for that matter — is unknown.
After all, Michael Jordan’s shoes are bigger than most. Filling them would be quite an achievement.

EPILOGUE

Michael Jordan has been an American icon for nearly a quarter of a century. His years in the NBA redefined the game of basketball
and inspired hundreds of young players to be “Like Mike.” His Air Jordan basketball shoes, now in their twenty-second style,
continue to be top sellers. His Jordan Brand athletic clothing line outfits kids and adults throughout the world.

But Jordan’s scope reaches far beyond the court, to the diverse worlds of motorcycle racing and golf. He has appeared in movies,
television shows, and is the author of several books and the subject of countless others. He has lent his name to charity
events and restaurants; his instantly recognizable smile and shaved head have helped sell products from underwear to hot dogs.

But what does the future hold?

“In all honesty, I don’t know what’s ahead,” he says in his most recent book for adults,
Driven from Within.
“You ask me what I’m going to do in five years, I can’t tell you.”

One thing, at least, seems certain: Whatever Michael Jordan chooses to do, he’ll give it his all.

“I couldn’t have imagined everything that has happened. But dreams are like that,” he says in his book. “Dreams are realized
by effort, determination, passion, and staying connected to that sense of who you are.”

“Why me?” he adds. And with his answer, one can almost see his impish grin: “Why not me?”

His answer also seems to imply something more, too, something that every person who aspires to greatness should ask themselves:

Why not
you
?

Read them all!

Baseball Flyhawk	Dirt Bike Runaway
Baseball Pals	Dive Right In
Baseball Turnaround	Double Play at Short
The Basket Counts	Face-Off
Body Check	Fairway Phenom
Catch That Pass!	Football Fugitive
Catcher with a Glass Arm	Catching Waves
Center Court Sting	Goalkeeper in Charge