The Forrum Nation

“My responsibility has been to play the game of basketball and relieve some of the pressure of everyday life for people who work 9 to 5, and I've tried to do that to the best of my abilities.” – Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan will always be remembered as the greatest basketball player of all time no questions asked. In the recent years I have heard many comparisons between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, but today I am defending Mr. MJ and his greatness.

Anyone who is human knows the story behind the Jordan legacy; he is a six time NBA world champion, fourteen time NBA All – Star and six time NBA Finals MVP. Michael’s career achievements goes on and on, but his stats and his awards goes beyond the basketball court.

Michael was an icon in all of aspects of life and was more than just a basketball player; he was a role model for the average American. In today’s society we are subjected to push ourselves to get to the next milestone. For many Americans waking up everyday, putting their kids through school, and working a nine to five are accomplishing the goals of society. The story of Michael Jordan success could be told over and over, but this is the same story that will be remembered and used as motivation to help our youth for generations to come.

The failures and success of Michael Jordan also reflected on the world. Some individuals may read this and say my statement is false. Well here is an example of what I am talking about. As a fan of the New England Patriots I watched Tom Brady and Randy Moss tear up teams for eighteen straight games. On that Sunday where the New York Giants dismantled the Patriots offensive line and took away our fourth Super Bowl win . . . . I nearly cried. The city of Boston was a dead zone, the next morning commuting to work everyone looked depressed and dead. So imagine watching Michael Jordan in game six of the NBA Finals losing to Carl Malone and the Utah Jazz. Not only will the city of Chicago will be effected but the whole world would be in turmoil. This was the power of Michael Jordan. When he won and he made Americans happy and when he retired the world was lost their inspiration.

On January 13, 1999 Michael Jordan Michael Jordan announced his retirement for the second time in his career. Thousand and thousands of reporters came from all over the world to cover Jordan retirement speech. Michael started off with this quote:” My responsibility has been to play the game of basketball and relieve some of the pressure of everyday life for people who work 9 to 5, and I've tried to do that to the best of my abilities.” When MJ decided to retire, he had an impact on many companies across the world. Fortune Magazine reported that Michael Jordan generated revenue of $10 billion dollars in the world economy. NIKE alone produces over $250 million in annual revenue before his resignation from the game, when Jordan announced his retirement the next day NIKE’s stock fell more than four percent. Major corporations invested in MJ such as; Sara Lee, Gatorade, MCI WorldCom, General Mills, and many more.

In conclusion Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and the other NBA greats may surpass some of Jordan incredible numbers. There is one record that these young superstars can not break, and that is the effect of man life and legacy and on the world. His blessing trickled down from Corporate America, to our school teachers, to the single mother taken care of her kids. Michael Jordan was a shinning light for people across the world and the 1995 Chicago Tribune consider MJ as a “cultural icon.” According to David Walsh’s from the World Socialist Web Site; Americans once placed Jordan fifth on a list of "most-respected newsmakers," behind Mother Theresa, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Ronald Reagan. They were many reasons why number 23 was great, but his effect on life was greater.