The Chicago Bulls, previously the dullest team in the National Basketball Association, now have one of the top gate attractions in the league--Michael Jordan, an unstoppable "big guard" and a natural showman who occasionally swings to forward, creating excitement with almost his every move, especially when a game is in the balance. As a college player at the University of North Carolina, Jordan was, in the opinion of Coach Dean Smith, the best back-court offensive rebounder he had ever coached. Jordan was twice chosen College Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-American. In addition, he was the leading scorer on the American team that won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1983 and the cocaptain of the Olympic team that took the gold in Los Angeles in 1984.

Drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984, Jordan was an instant success as a professional, leading the league in scoring and earning the Rookie of the Year award. Kept out of action by a foot injury through most of the 1985-86 season, he returned to lead the NBA in scoring again in 1986-87, when he had a 37.1 point average, third highest in NBA history. Jordan, who is best known for his sensational over-the-head backhand slam dunk, electrifies the crowd with his speed and his stratospheric jumping. Playing taller than his six feet six inches, he soars above opposing forwards of greater height and seems at times to hover in the air before completing his shot. He shoots with a frequency not seen since Wilt Chamberlain, and he displays a combination of talents probably not found in a single player since Oscar Robertson. Those talents combined with his good looks and his friendly, unspoiled personality give him an unsurpassed commercial marketability. His endorsements of Nike athletic gear and other products, his royalties, and his fees for appearances bring him a supplementary income about four times greater than his annual salary as a Chicago Bull, which is reported to be approximately $800,000.