By Veronica An
Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest NBA player of all time, came out of retirement for the second time in 2001 to play for the Washington Wizards. Jordan had an enormous influence on basketball culture as well as a long list of historic achievements on the court. Among his accomplishments are Rookie of the Year, five-time NBA MVP, gold medal at the 1992 Olympics, 14-time NBA All-Star, three-time NBA All-Star MVP, and Hall of Fame inductee. He is also credited with popularizing loose-fitting basketball shorts and is the icon behind Air Jordan shoes. He played Shooting Guard / Small Forward for the Chicago Bulls from 1984-1993. During his first NBA retirement, Jordan played baseball for the Birmingham Barons in the Class AA Southern League (1993-94). Jordan then came back to the NBA and played with a Chicago Bulls until 1998. During his second retirement from 1999-2001, Jordan became president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards where he used a 2001 draft pick to high schooler Kwame Brown, a decision which received mixed reviews. In his final season with the Washington Wizards (2001-2003), Jordan became the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history and played to mostly sold-out stadiums. He has been the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, formerly the Charlotte Bobcats, since 2010.