Sports Nicknames - Air Jordan, Black Cat, His Airness

Michael Jordan is one of the most famous athletes of all time, much less in just basketball. It is widely considered a contest between him and Lebron James as the greatest to ever play basketball.





Michael Jordan played at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under Dean Smith before being drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984. His rookie year, he helped the Bulls to the playoffs and garnered the attention of the entire United States. His marketing would improve even more, eventually launching his own line of shoes: Nike's Air Jordans.

Between 1991 and 1993, Jordan helped the Bulls win 3 consecutive NBA titles. However, after this, Jordan retired from the NBA and announced a move to Minor League Baseball. He claimed that the death of his father influenced this decision. However, this didn't last long, and the "Black Cat" returned to the Bulls a year later.

While Jordan initially struggled to regain his form, he recovered in the 1996 season. "MJ" helped the Bulls create another astonishing run of championship titles, winning 3 more NBA Championships between 1996 and 1999. Jordan retired again in 2000, although he would play for 2 more years for the Washington Wizards, the team he partially owned.

"Air Jordan" didn't just influence results on the court. He became one of the most marketed athletes ever. He made appearances in movies like Space Jam (1996) and an Emmy-winning miniseries about his playing days The Last Dance (2020). He became the first billionaire in NBA history in 2014 thanks to his playing career marketing and investments since then.

It is likely that the debate of who is the true "King" between Lebron and Jordan will go on forever. What cannot be denied is that there would not be a debate, had Michael Jordan not set such a high standard during his playing days.


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