Jordan -- The Perfect Basketball Player

by Greg Toomey
(Colo Spgs, Colo)

Well, it's looking unanimous, MJ was the top basketball player, period. Any league, any time. The best player who ever lived.

His career scoring average is the highest in the history of the NBA. He won one collegiate championship, two Olympic gold medals, and six NBA titles. He captured 10 NBA scoring crowns, the most ever. He had more moves in his offensive repertoire than anybody else. Without a doubt, he was the most popular player of all time, surpassing all others in endorsement income and public adulation. McDonald's named a sandwich -- the McJordan burger -- after him. His native state of North Carolina dedicated a seven-mile stretch of I-40 to him. He's appeared on countless magazine covers and hosted Saturday Night Live.

Jordan's game was characterized by high-flying, tongue-wagging dunks. He took the concept of "hang-time" and expanded on it exponentially. Yet he was far from one-dimensional. For a guard, he was a terrific rebounder and shot-blocker. He led the league in steals three times and was named to the All-Defensive first team nine times. He was practically the perfect basketball player.