LeBron James may in fact surpass many of MJ's records, but there's no denying he'll never be as competitive or famous or beloved no matter how long he plays. The hype just isn't the same. Nor is the adoration. Only MJ's hype took on a life of its own. Before the media became obsessed with creating celebrities out of athletes at early ages, Jordan forced everyone to pay attention to him. And unlike many promises today's athletes dish out which turn up empty, Jordan always backed his up. No one can even come close to the same level.
If you read today's papers, you'll read many anecdotes from those who associated with Jordan, those who played against him and those who simply watched him play. Now, it's my turn. I direct your attention to this passage from my post recounting the second Bulls game I saw in person. It was November 5, 1997 and the Bulls were playing the Orlando Magic. That's when my best first-person account of MJ took place:
It took a couple of minutes for either team to get on the board, but Jordan finally dunked for the first two points. Because I got to see this great athlete do what he was best known for with my own eyes (well, maybe I saw it on the video board instead), it will forever be my favorite moment of his career.
As great as that dunk was, there was one other moment involving His Airness that I know I looked down on. I think it captured the essence of just how much people loved to watch this man play. At some point during the game, he stepped to the free throw line. Whenever he got into his set motion, dozens of flash bulbs behind the glass went off. It looked so automatic that I thought a camera had been set up in that area to take a bunch of pictures with the push of a button. Of course, I also knew that couldn't have been the case. With the future of the Bulls dynasty in doubt, people wanted to savor every moment they could with its centerpiece. Plus, at 34 years old, nobody knew how much he had left in the tank. This was history right here. A once-in-a-lifetime player. If you got that kind of photo opportunity from those seats and passed it up, you would have kicked yourself for the rest of your life. Us Bulls fans knew what we had and never took it for granted.
Watching Michael Jordan play and the Bulls win championships with him played a big part in who I am today. Were it not for them, sports would not have turned into an obsession for me. It's what I've built my life around, even if I never had an athletic gene in my body. Once my dreams of being just like him were dashed as a teenager (a dream I hung onto a little longer than I should have), I continued to look for ways to involve sports in my life. That's just what happened. I did play-by-play for my college radio station and now, I'm an agate editor for the sports section of the Chicago Tribune. Wherever I go from here, I can thank Michael for laying the foundation for at least the early part of my life.
Many of us dread age and getting older. That's why to some, the greatest player to ever set foot on the court turning 50 is a regrettable moment. As we get old, so do our heroes. The children of the '80s and '90s who watched him play are all grown themselves. This event is a reminder that childhood memories constantly get further away from us. That's why we hold onto them for as long as we can.
Also as time goes on, we are forced to see the imperfections of people like Jordan, whom we admired as kids. He certainly has his share (the gambling, the divorce, the grudges, the Bobcats ownership), but this generation prefers to look past that. Those in the media who covered him as a player tend to be more cynical and thus, have no reservations dishing criticism his way when they feel necessary. For us, unless he goes the O.J. Simpson route, Jordan will always be the high-flying, slick-moving, clutch player who made highlight reels every single night.
So on this day, I raise my horns to Mike. May he find happiness in all the time that is to come and be reflective of his past, which made him as famous as he has been for years. Someday, maybe all of us can be like Mike. Until then, Happy Birthday to the best that ever was and the best that ever will be.
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