A Quick Way to Digest Michael Jordan’s UNC Basketball Career

GoHeels writes more details on his illustrious career:

"Michael Jordan was part of a five-player freshman class in 1981-82 that included John Brownlee of Fort Worth, Texas; Warren Martin of Axton, Va.; Lynwood Robinson of Mt. Olive, N.C.; and Buzz Peterson of Asheville, N.C.Jordan was listed as Mike Jordan in the 1981-82 media guide and was introduced to the crowd in his first game against Kansas as freshman guard Mike Jordan.Jordan named Walter Davis and Magic Johnson as his favorite players.

The last player to wear No. 23 prior to Jordan was Ged Doughton, a guard from Winston-Salem, N.C., who played for Carolina from 1975-79. A Raleigh Times column the day after the 1981 NCAA championship game identified Jordan as Michael "Magic" Jordan among the next season's incoming freshmen.

Jordan was the fourth freshman to start his first college game for head coach Dean Smith, following Phil Ford, Mike O'Koren and James Worthy. Jordan scored 12 points against Kansas in Charlotte on Nov. 28, 1981, in his first game as a Tar Heel. Carolina was ranked No. 1 in the nation in the Associated Press poll in 57 of his 101 games as a Tar Heel. Jordan's teams went 11-1 against top-10 opponents."

As a college player, Jordan won multiple awards, signifying how much he changed the outcome of games playing for UNC. Those such awards are included on GoHeels as well:

"Jordan is one of six Tar Heel players who were elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame as a player with Billy Cunningham, Bob McAdoo, James Worthy, Charlie Scott and Bobby Jones.ESPN named Jordan the Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century. He was one of 11 basketball players in the top 100. The next highest-ranked basketball player was Wilt Chamberlain at No. 13.

Jordan (1984) is one of four Tar Heels who earned consensus National Player of the Year honors with Phil Ford (1978), Antawn Jamison (1998) and Tyler Hansbrough (2008). Jordan is one of two Tar Heels to win National Player of the Year honors in two seasons (1983 and 1984). George Glamack is the other (1940 and 1941).

Jordan is one of six Tar Heels who earned consensus first-team All-America honors in two or more seasons. In 2004, a blue-ribbon panel selected Jordan as the Greatest Male Athlete in the first 50 years of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Greatest Female Athlete was Carolina soccer player Mia Hamm."

Then, as MJ was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA Draft with the No. 3 pick. The Portland Trail Blazers selected Sam Bowie out of Kentucky with the No. 2 pick, while the Houston Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon with the No. 1 overall selection.

Jordan went on to win six NBA championships, took a break from basketball to pursue a career in the MLB, then came back and finished his NBA career with the Washington Wizards — his last season being the 2002-2003 campaign.

UNC was well represented as Jordan continued his playing career at the pro level, and now it's up to former Tar Heels like Coby White, Cam Johnson, and Harrison Barnes to continue the same kind of credible representation.

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