Editing Michael Jordan (section)

==== Early NBA years (1984–1987) ====
The [[1984–85 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago Bulls]] selected Jordan with the third overall pick of the [[1984 NBA draft]] after [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] ([[1984–85 Houston Rockets season|Houston Rockets]]) and [[Sam Bowie]] ([[1984–85 Portland Trail Blazers season|Portland Trail Blazers]]). One of the primary reasons why Jordan was not drafted sooner was because the first two teams were in need of a [[center (basketball)|center]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Trail Blazers don't regret bypassing Jordan |date=November 26, 1984 |first=David |last=DuPree |newspaper=USA Today |page=6C}}</ref> Trail Blazers general manager [[Stu Inman]] contended that it was not a matter of drafting a center but more a matter of taking Bowie over Jordan, in part because Portland already had [[Clyde Drexler]], who was a guard with similar skills to Jordan.<ref>{{cite news |title=Portland GM is happy with Bowie |date=November 25, 1984 |first=Bob |last=Sakamoto |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |page=B2}}</ref> Citing Bowie's injury-laden college career, [[ESPN]] named the Blazers' choice of Bowie as the worst draft pick in North American professional sports history.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schoenfield |first=David |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=schoenfield/060427 |title=The 100 worst draft picks ever |publisher=ESPN |access-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-date=July 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708081517/http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=schoenfield/060427 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Jordan made his NBA debut at [[Chicago Stadium]] on October 26, 1984, and scored 16 points. In 2021, a ticket stub from the game sold at auction for $264,000, setting a record for a collectible ticket stub.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hajducky |first=Dan |title=Ticket stub from Michael Jordan's NBA debut sells for $264K, a record for a sports ticket |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32887046/ticket-stub-michael-jordan-nba-debut-sells-264k-record-sports-ticket |access-date=October 30, 2023 |publisher=ESPN |date=December 17, 2021 |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217070007/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32887046/ticket-stub-michael-jordan-nba-debut-sells-264k-record-sports-ticket |url-status=live}}</ref> During his rookie [[1984–85 NBA season|1984–85 season]] with the Bulls, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting.<ref name="dbb">{{cite web |url=http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=JORDAMI01 |title=Michael Jordan |website=Database Basketball |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222083636/http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=JORDAMI01 |archive-date=February 22, 2009 |access-date=July 9, 2019 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> He helped the Bulls improve from 27–55 to 38–44 and qualify for the postseason for the first time since the [[1980–81 Chicago Bulls season|1980–81 season]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Chicago Bulls |publisher=Basketball-Reference |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/ |access-date=December 13, 2024 |archive-date=October 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004161136/http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Jordan quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas.<ref name="Gross">{{cite news |last=Gross |first=Jane |date=October 21, 1984 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/21/sports/jordan-makes-people-wonder-is-he-the-new-dr-j.html |title=Jordan Makes People Wonder: Is He the New Dr. J? |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-date=May 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523010537/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/21/sports/jordan-makes-people-wonder-is-he-the-new-dr-j.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Goldaper |first=Sam |date=October 19, 1984 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/19/sports/jordan-dazzles-crowd-at-garden.html |title=Jordan dazzles crowd at Garden |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-date=August 22, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822210542/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/19/sports/jordan-dazzles-crowd-at-garden.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Garden">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Roy S. |date=November 9, 1984 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/09/sports/jordan-led-bulls-romp-before-19252.html |title=Jordan-Led Bulls Romp Before 19,252 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-date=July 10, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710212109/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/09/sports/jordan-led-bulls-romp-before-19252.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Roy S. Johnson of ''[[The New York Times]]'' described Jordan as "the phenomenal rookie of the Bulls" in November,<ref name="Garden" /> and he appeared on the cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' with the heading "A Star Is Born" in December.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/issue/44293/1/ |title=A Star Is Born |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=December 10, 1984 |access-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-date=March 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328105056/http://www.si.com/vault/issue/44293/1 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/teamscores.htm?tm=CHI&yr=1984&lg=n |title=Chicago Bulls 1984–85 Game Log and Scores |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630214213/http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/teamscores.htm?tm=CHI&yr=1984&lg=n |archive-date=June 30, 2007 |website=Database Basketball |access-date=June 9, 2017 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> The fans voted in Jordan as an [[NBA All-Star Game|All-Star]] starter during his rookie season.<ref name="nbah" /> Controversy arose before the [[1985 NBA All-Star Game]] when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by [[Isiah Thomas]], were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving.<ref name="nbah" /> This led to a so-called "freeze-out" on Jordan, where players refused to pass the ball to him.<ref name="nbah" /> The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted the [[NBA Rookie of the Year]].<ref name="nba.combio">{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/playerfile/michael_jordan/bio.html |title=Michael Jordan bio |website=NBA.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109104338/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/michael_jordan/bio.html |access-date=May 9, 2017 |archive-date=January 9, 2007}}</ref> The Bulls lost to the [[1984–85 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee Bucks]] in four games in the first round of [[1985 NBA playoffs|the playoffs]].<ref name="nba.combio" />

An often-cited moment was on August 26, 1985,<ref name="school" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Maranzana |first=Silvio |title=Basket: Michael Jordan in passerella a Chiarbola |newspaper=Il Piccolo |location=Trieste |language=it |date=August 26, 1985 |page=11}}</ref> when Jordan shook the arena during a Nike exhibition game in [[Trieste]], Italy, by shattering the glass of the backboard with a dunk.<ref>{{cite news |last=Maranzana |first=Silvio |title=Michael Jordan incanta la platea triestina |newspaper=Il Piccolo |location=Trieste |language=it |date=August 27, 1985 |page=13}}</ref><ref name="Vanetti">{{cite web |last=Vanetti |first=Flavio |title=Michael Jordan e l'Italia: quella volta che giocò a Trieste nel 1985 (e ruppe un tabellone con una schiacciata) |url=https://www.corriere.it/sport/20_maggio_21/michael-jordan-l-italia-quella-che-volta-che-gioco-trieste-1985-ruppe-tabellone-schiacciando-d85b8b76-983b-11ea-ba09-20ae073bed63.shtml |newspaper=Corriere della Sera |language=it |date=May 21, 2020 |access-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117121943/https://www.corriere.it/sport/20_maggio_21/michael-jordan-l-italia-quella-che-volta-che-gioco-trieste-1985-ruppe-tabellone-schiacciando-d85b8b76-983b-11ea-ba09-20ae073bed63.shtml |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> The moment was filmed and is often referred to as an important milestone in Jordan's rise.<ref name="Vanetti" /><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Forester |first=Pete |title=These New Air Jordans Celebrate One of Basketball's Most Iconic Moments |url=https://www.esquire.com/style/news/a49124/air-jordan-shattered-backboard/ |magazine=Esquire |date=September 30, 2016 |access-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117181244/https://www.esquire.com/style/news/a49124/air-jordan-shattered-backboard/ |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> The shoes Jordan wore during the game were auctioned in August 2020 for $615,000, a record for a pair of sneakers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Michael Jordan: Rare trainers fetch $615,000 at auction |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53761933 |publisher=BBC |date=August 13, 2020 |access-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117180019/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53761933 |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Rory |title=Michael Jordan's game-worn sneakers set new record, selling for $615,000 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/michael-jordan-sneakers-auction-christies-scli-intl-spt/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=August 14, 2020 |access-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201209021954/https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/michael-jordan-sneakers-auction-christies-scli-intl-spt/index.html |archive-date=December 9, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Jordan's [[1985–86 NBA season|1985–86 season]] was cut short when he broke his foot in the third game of the year, causing him to miss 64 games.<ref>Lazenby, p. 289.</ref> The Bulls made [[1986 NBA playoffs|the playoffs]] despite Jordan's injury and a 30–52 record,<ref name="dbbulls">{{cite web |url=http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/teampage.htm?tm=CHI&lg=N |title=Chicago Bulls (1966 –) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014212808/http://databasebasketball.com/teams/teampage.htm?tm=CHI&lg=n |archive-date=October 14, 2007 |url-status=usurped |website=Database Basketball |access-date=June 9, 2017}}</ref> at the time the fifth-worst record of any team to qualify for the playoffs in NBA history.<ref>"Worst Records of Playoff Teams". ''The Sporting News''. April 28, 1986. p. 46.</ref> Jordan recovered in time to participate in the postseason and performed well upon his return. On April 20 at the [[Boston Garden]], in Game 2 of the First Round, a 135–131 double overtime loss to the eventual [[NBA champion]] [[1985–86 Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics]], Jordan scored a playoff career-high 63 points, breaking [[Elgin Baylor]]'s [[List of National Basketball Association single-game playoff scoring leaders|single-game playoff scoring record]].<ref name="nbadisguised">[http://www.nba.com/history/jordan63_moments.html "God Disguised as Michael Jordan"]. ''NBA.com''.  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404035626/https://www.nba.com/history/jordan63_moments.html|date=April 4, 2019}}. Retrieved May 22, 2021.</ref> The Celtics team, though, swept the series in three games.<ref name="nba.combio" /><ref name="nbadisguised"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 10 Teams in NBA History |website=[[NBA.com]] |url=http://www.nba.com/history/toptenteams_index.html |access-date=May 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502092015/http://www.nba.com/history/toptenteams_index.html |archive-date=May 2, 2013}}</ref>

Jordan completely recovered in time for the [[1986–87 NBA season|1986–87 season]],<ref>Porter, p. 34.</ref> and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in NBA history; he became the only player other than [[Wilt Chamberlain]] to score 3,000 points in a season, averaging a league-high 37.1 ppg on 48.2% shooting.<ref name="dbb" /><ref>[https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/pts_season.html "NBA & ABA Single Season Leaders and Records for Points"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429110036/http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/pts_season.html |date=April 29, 2013 }}. ''Basketball-Reference''. Retrieved October 22, 2022.</ref> Jordan also demonstrated his defensive prowess, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 200 [[Steal (basketball)|steals]] and 100 [[blocked shot]]s in a season.<ref name="WashingtonPost05-26-1988">{{Cite news |date=May 25, 1988 |title=Jordan Adds Most Valuable Player Award to Honors |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1988/05/26/jordan-adds-most-valuable-player-award-to-honors/7f99e78e-c058-473a-9b81-6d260425fd44/ |access-date=October 28, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Despite Jordan's success, [[Magic Johnson]] won the [[NBA Most Valuable Player Award]].<ref name="Adams">{{cite magazine |last=Adams |first=Micah |date=May 18, 2020 |title=How many MVP awards should Michael Jordan have won? |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/nba/news/how-many-mvp-awards-should-michael-jordan-have-won-chicago-bulls-last-dance/j3a6q1u6jw9z1f30vc55g37s7 |magazine=The Sporting News |access-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-date=May 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523182616/https://www.sportingnews.com/au/nba/news/how-many-mvp-awards-should-michael-jordan-have-won-chicago-bulls-last-dance/j3a6q1u6jw9z1f30vc55g37s7 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Bulls reached 40 wins,<ref name="dbbulls" /> and advanced to [[1987 NBA playoffs|the playoffs]] for the third consecutive year but were again swept by the [[1986–87 Boston Celtics season|Celtics]].<ref name="nba.combio" />