A detailed timeline of the impact and legacy of Michael Jordan across different fields.
Michael Jordan, often known as MJ, is a businessman and former professional basketball and baseball player. Dominating the NBA from 1984-2003, he secured six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players ever. He played a key role in globally popularizing the sport and the NBA in the 80s and 90s, becoming a global icon. As of 2025, he is also the world's richest athlete.
In the 1969–70 NBA season, Willis Reed completed the first sweep of the MVP awards in the All-Star Game, regular season, and NBA Finals.
Since 1976, the year of the ABA–NBA merger, Jordan and Pippen are the only two players to win six NBA Finals playing for one team.
By November 1984, Michael Jordan was being compared to Julius Erving due to his talent in his first NBA season.
In 1984, Nike created a signature shoe for Michael Jordan, called the Air Jordan. One of his more popular commercials for the shoe involved Spike Lee playing the part of Mars Blackmon: Lee, as Blackmon, attempted to find the source of Jordan's abilities and became convinced that "it's gotta be the shoes".
In 1984, Nike introduced Air Jordan sneakers, endorsed by Michael Jordan, which became a major success.
Michael Jordan won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. men's basketball team in 1984.
On April 20, 1986, Michael Jordan established a single game playoff record of 63 points against the Boston Celtics, leading Larry Bird to describe him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan".
Since 1991, Michael Jordan has appeared in over 20 commercials for Gatorade, including the "Be Like Mike" commercials.
During 1992's Super Bowl XXVI, a Nike commercial featured Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny playing basketball together.
Michael Jordan won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. men's basketball team in 1992.
In the September 1996 issue of Sport, Michael Jordan was named the greatest athlete of the past 50 years.
In 1996, Michael Jordan was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
By 1998, the season of his Finals-winning shot against the Jazz, Michael Jordan was well known throughout the league as a clutch performer.
In September 2022, Jordan's jersey in which he played the opening game of the 1998 NBA Finals was sold for $10.1 million, making it the most expensive game-worn sports memorabilia in history.
In December 1999, the Associated Press voted Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of the 20th century and placed him second to Babe Ruth in its list of 20th century athletes.
In 1999, Michael Jordan was named the 20th century's greatest North American athlete by ESPN.
During the 2001 NBA Finals, Phil Jackson compared Michael Jordan's dominance to Shaquille O'Neal, noting that Jordan had to overcome fouls to perform.
In 2002, Michael Jordan was selected to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team and named the greatest athlete in ACC history.
In 2002-03, with the recognition that it would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA.
On April 16, 2003, Michael Jordan played in his final NBA game in Philadelphia, scoring 13 points and receiving a standing ovation from teammates, opponents, and fans.
Since 2008, Michael Jordan's yearly income from endorsements is estimated at over $40 million.
Between June 2009 and June 2010, Michael Jordan earned $55 million, as reported by Forbes in June 2010.
In August 2009, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame opened a Michael Jordan exhibit.
In September 2009, Michael Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame, selecting David Thompson to present him. His emotional reaction during his speech when Jordan began to cry was captured by Associated Press photographer Stephan Savoia and would later go viral on social media as the "Crying Jordan" meme.
In 2009, Michael Jordan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his individual career.
In June 2010, Forbes ranked Michael Jordan as the 20th most powerful celebrity in the world, noting he earned $55 million between June 2009 and June 2010.
In 2010, Michael Jordan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, also known as "The Dream Team".
In June 2014, Michael Jordan was named the first NBA player to become a billionaire after increasing his stake in the Charlotte Hornets.
In 2014, Michael Jordan became the first billionaire player in NBA history.
In 2015, Michael Jordan's income was estimated at $110 million from his Jordan Brand income and endorsements, the most of any retired athlete.
In the 2015–16 season, the Golden State Warriors broke the Bulls' record of 72–10, which was set in the 1995–96 season.
In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Michael Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2016, President Barack Obama honored Michael Jordan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2017, Forbes designated Michael Jordan as the athlete with the highest career earnings.
In August 2020, the shoes Michael Jordan wore during the backboard-shattering dunk game on August 26, 1985, were auctioned for $615,000, a record for a pair of sneakers.
In 2020, Michael Jordan was the focus of the Emmy-winning documentary series The Last Dance.
In October 2021, Michael Jordan was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
In 2021, Michael Jordan was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
In 2021, a ticket stub from Michael Jordan's NBA debut game on October 26, 1984, sold at auction for $264,000.
In September 2022, Michael Jordan's jersey in which he played the opening game of the 1998 NBA Finals was sold for $10.1 million, making it the most expensive game-worn sports memorabilia in history.
In December 2022, the NBA unveiled a new MVP trophy, named in Michael Jordan's honor, to be awarded beginning with the 2022–23 season, replacing the original trophy named after Maurice Podoloff.
As late as 2022, NBA Finals television ratings had not returned to the level reached during Michael Jordan's last championship-winning season.
As of 2025, Forbes estimated Michael Jordan's net worth at $3.8 billion, making him one of the richest celebrities.
As of 2025, Michael Jordan's net worth is estimated to be $3.8 billion, making him one of the world's richest celebrities.
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