Michael Jordan: 13 interesting facts about the NBA legend born in Brooklyn, New York City

Michael Jeffrey “MJ” Jordan, 57, was born at the Cumberland Hospital in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States in 1963. He is the fourth among the five children of James R. Jordan Sr. and Deloris Peoples Jordan.

When Michael was a toddler, his family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. He attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, where he played baseball, football and basketball.

Considered one of the best National Basketball Association players of all time, Michael played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1993 and from 1995 to 1998 and for the Washington Wizards from 2001 to 2003. He was named the NBA Most Valuable Player five times and the NBA Finals MVP six times.

The numbers Michael wore in the NBA were 23, 12 and 45. Here are 13 other things about the NBA legend:

1. His nickname Magic Jordan, which was after his childhood idol Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr., was on the license plate of his first car, a 1976 Grand Prix.
2. He had drowning accidents when he was 7 and 11, which led to his lifetime phobia of water.
3. In 1984, he was a member of the U.S. Olympic basketball team, which won the gold medal in Los Angeles, California.
4. In 1986, he graduated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in cultural geography.
5. In 1993, he became the first basketball player to be named the NBA Finals MVP for three consecutive years.
6. He wore number 45 when he made his official professional baseball debut at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, USA, also known as The Hoover Met, on April 8, 1994.
7. On April 16, 2003, he scored 15 points when he played his last game as a player of the Washington Wizards, which lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 107-87.
8. All of his five children were born in December.
9. He and Yvette Prieto have twin daughters named Victoria and Ysabel.
10. He and Juanita Vanoy have one daughter named Jasmine and two sons named Marcus and Jeffrey.
11. On May 6, 2014, his biographical book titled “Michael Jordan: The Life” written by Rowland Lazenby was published by Little Brown and Company.
12. On November 22, 2016, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then U.S. president Barack Obama.
13. A 10-part series titled “The Last Dance” chronicling his final season with the Chicago Bulls from 1997 to 1998 premiered on ESPN on April 19, 2020.