[paradigmnParticipant]

As if you already didn’t know, Michael Jordan turns 50 today. Ironically his birthday almost always falls on All-Star weekend. It’s actually Jim Brown’s birthday as well, which is another interesting coincidence.

In honor of his 50th, this is MJ b4 MJ: The Discovery of Michael Jordan!

http://prospect-central.blogspot.com/2013/02/mj-b4-mj-discovery-michael-jordan-50th.html

Actually posted it a while back, but this is the 2.0 version, for the special occasion. At the end of the article is a 50 video playlist of his career in chronological order. Also have all 28 of his shoes in a photo montage video as well as all 50 of his Sports Illustrated covers (in order). If you enlarge the screen on the montage’s, then click ‘Info’, there’s detailed information about the shoes and SI articles.

The article is kinda long, but it’s a great read none the less. For those of you who aren’t MJ fans and just want the cliff notes version instead, here it is.

(1) Jordan was actually first discovered by ex-Georgia Tech and college of Charleston coach BOBBY CREMINS in summer of 1979.

(2) Bobby Cremins then called BOB GIBBONS, a recruiting writer at the time in North Carolina to inform his friend about the young phenom.

(3) Bob Gibbons then wrote about Jordan and from that, MIKE BROWN, who was athletic director of New Hanover County schools at the time caught wind.

(4) Mike Brown then informed UNC assistant coach BILL GUTHRIDGE of the young Jordan.

(5) From that, Bill Guthridge went to watch Jordan play and then told DEAN SMITH.

(6) Smith decided to add Jordan to his recruiting list and told ROY WILLIAMS to write Jordan and ask him to attend UNC’s summer camp.

At this time (1980) JORDAN is still not nationally known.

(7) This is where Roy Williams “messed” up. Instead of keeping Jordan a secret, Roy informed his friend and writer for a popular recruiting journal, BRICK OETTINGER about MJ. Brick’s writings made Jordan slightly more popular with other coaches, but he was still not known outside a few group of people.

(8) Roy Williams also called HOWARD GARFINKEL who founded Five-Star Basketball Camp and arranged Jordan to attend. This did not make Dean Smith very happy, as you could well imagine.

(9) Jordan then went to Five-Star and absolutely crushed the competition. He won MVP honors as well as 7 other awards in 2 sessions. After Five-Star, Jordan was now a nationally known prospect among coaches and recruiters…but…no one truly knew what they had just stumbled upon…THE G.O.A.T!

[MJ FOR LIFE 23Participant]

Seriously want to read it and thanks for the cliff notes cause I’ll just be procrastinating way too much for my summer school economics/calculus exam which is on the day after the all-star game lol, I’m already distracted by the all-star weekend as it is.

[omphalosParticipant]

Solid article man, most of this was covered in SLAM’s Jordan issue, but there were a few new things in there that were really interesting, good work.

[HitsterParticipant]

Hope the great man has a great day, the NBA owes this guy so much for making the sport a worldwide sucess!

[Author]

Posts