Michael Jordan the Greatest Basketball Player, Great Humanitarian

Countless basketball fans consider Michael Jordan to be the greatest professional basketball player ever. He ended his 15-year career with an average of 30.2 points per game, slightly better than Wilt Chamberlain's second place career total of 30.06. He won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, during which time he won all six NBA Finals MVP Awards. He won ten scoring titles and was league MVP five times. He was no slouch as a defensive player either, as he was named to the All-Defensive First Team nine times, to go along with his being named to the All-NBA First Team ten times. He could actually demonstrate his leaping ability by dunking from the foul line, and Michael Jordan was on the cover of Sports Illustrated 49 times. Needless to say, he was known by many as "Air Jordan" or "His Airness."

What many do not know, however, is that Michael Jordan, while he may have been the greatest basketball player ever, is also a great humanitarian. He has donated a lot of his time to helping people through various charities.

Jordan was a star in basketball, football, and baseball at Elmsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. At the University of North Carolina, he made the game winning shot against Georgetown, which was led by future NBA star, Patrick Ewing.

Jordan has been involved with numerous charities, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNCF/College Fund, Special Olympics, and a variety of charitable organizations that support children and families. Michael Jordan also hosts the Michael Jordan Charity International Golf Tournament.

In 1994 Michael Jordan founded the James R. Jordan Boys and Girls Club and Family Life Center, named after his father. The Center, in Chicago, Illinois, opened to the public after receiving a $5 million donation from the Chicago Bulls and a $ 2 million personal donation from Jordan. Every week more than 1,000 people come to the center, from senior citizens to teenagers to toddlers and infants. Some visitors do homework; others play pool, play basketball, or just enjoy relaxing in a safe environment.