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The offical MICHAEL JORDAN thread!!!!!!!!

Michael Jordan makes a wish come true in The Bahamas

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Feb 6, 2009 - 1:06:36 PM

Make a Wish Foundation – Michael Jordan, regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time and a successful business leader, now has a new title announced Saturday – Chief Wish Ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Jordan was formally introduced in his new role by David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer, at the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational golf tournament. The tournament was held at Kerzner International’s Atlantis, Paradise Island resort and Ocean Club Golf Course in The Bahamas.

Jordan, who has granted more than 175 wishes during the past two decades, will serve as lead figure for the Foundation’s newly formed Wish Ambassador Council and as a national spokesman, assisting the Foundation’s efforts to increase wish-granting outreach.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Wish Ambassador Council is composed of people who are passionate about the Foundation’s work, including the Make-A-Wish® founders, celebrities and national sports figures such as Jordan, former wish children, wish parents and Foundation supporters.

"An estimated 27,000 children are diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions in the United States each year, and I’m eager to do what I can to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation reach out to even more of these courageous children," Jordan said. "Granting children’s wishes through the Foundation has always been important to me. It’s a truly humbling, inspiring experience to see the smiles and joy that granting a wish brings to a child. I want to help even more children have that same opportunity."

The Make-A-Wish Foundation has increased its number of wishes granted each year since 1985, including 13,425 in 2008, the most in its 28-year history. Yet that many more seriously ill children may be eligible for a wish from the Foundation, creating the opportunity to increase its outreach efforts.

"We are extremely honored for Michael Jordan to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation as our first Chief Wish Ambassador," Williams said. "Michael is one of the Foundation’s most popular celebrity wish granters ever. He has a great appreciation and enthusiasm for our mission, and we’re delighted for him to help us reach out to even more children with life-threatening medical conditions."

To celebrate the occasion, Jordan also granted the wish of 7-year-old Donovan Russell of Sacramento, Calif. Russell, along with his family, met his basketball idol in a private meeting Friday at Atlantis, Paradise Island, and he is enjoying a number of activities at the resort as part of his wish experience.

Also on Saturday, the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational made a $150,000 contribution to the Make-A-Wish Foundation as one of the tournament’s charity beneficiaries. The eighth annual tournament will distribute more than $500,000 to selected charities this year.

"We appreciate the generosity of Michael, Kerzner International and everyone involved with the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational," Williams said. "This wonderful contribution will help us grant the heartfelt wishes of dozens more children who truly deserve the hope, strength and joy that comes from a wish experience."
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Just a glimpse of the superstar the Celts missed out on having in the 90's that lead to the doom and gloom suffered for years.

What an talent and life would of been tougher for Jordan and the Bulls to get out of the East had he stayed around with us.

For the Jordan fans :-D

 
Yeah, Sad really to loose such a player like him at his age...:(

That was one heck of a record I guess against Jordan... Thanks for sharing.:thumbsup:
 
Wow! Jordan is Human, who would have thought it ay??

hahah on a serious note, that was some awesome defence, never gave up and the way he could extend?!? Thats crazy!!!!!!!!! Pity things happened the way they did, any life cut short is a tragedy.
 
This is one of a number of articles I've seen which have been pretty scathing on Jordan's Hall of fame acceptance speech.
It's a little disappointing that a man with so many great achievements can't be a bit more gracious at times.
And Ill just edit this by explaining that the article is from Rick Reilly on ESPN


Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame talk was the Exxon Valdez of speeches. It was, by turns, rude, vindictive and flammable. And that was just when he was trying to be funny. It was tactless, egotistical and unbecoming. When it was done, nobody wanted to be like Mike.

And yet we couldn't stop watching. Because this was an inside look into the mindset of an icon who'd never let anybody inside before. From what I saw, I'd never want to go back. Here is a man who's won just about everything there is to win -- six NBA titles, five MVPs and two Olympics golds. And yet he sounded like a guy who's been screwed out of every trophy ever minted. He's the world's first sore winner.

In the entire 23-minute cringe-athon, there were only six thank yous, seven if you count his sarcastic rip at the very Hall that was inducting him. "Thank you, Hall of Fame, for raising ticket prices, I guess," he sneered. By comparison, David Robinson's classy and heartfelt seven-minute speech had 17. Joe Montana's even shorter speech in Canton had 23. Who wrote your speech Mike? Kanye West?

Not that Jordan's speech wasn't from the heart. It was. It's just that Jordan's heart on this night could give you frostbite. Nobody was spared, including his high school coach, his high school teammate, his college coach, two of his pro coaches, his college roommate, his pro owner, his pro general manager, the man who was presenting him that evening, even his kids!

"I wouldn't want to be you guys if I had to," he said as they squirmed in their seats.

He even mocked his own brothers, calling them maybe 5-foot-5 and 5-6. Actually, they're about 5-8 and 5-9. Michael was the one blessed with the height gene, not the tact one.

Jordan had decided that this was the perfect night to list all the ways everybody sitting in front of him had pissed him off over the past 30 years: Dean Smith, Doug Collins, Jerry Reinsdorf, Pat Riley, Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, George Gervin and Jeff Van Gundy. It was the only one-man roast in Hall of Fame history. Only very little of it was funny.

Jordan owes a roomful of apologies. But it'll never happen. I know firsthand. He once told me, "You know you don't get no apologies in this business."

He was like that Japanese World War II soldier they found hiding in a cave in Guam 27 years after the Japanese surrendered. The only difference is, Jordan won! What good is victory if you never realize the battle is over?

This is how Jordan really is, I just never thought he'd let the world see it. His old Bulls' assistant coach, Johnny Bach, told me early on, "This guy is a killer. He's a cold-blooded assassin. It's not enough for him to beat you. He wants you dead."

I covered his entire career and saw examples of it throughout. Saw him break Rodney McCray in after-practice, $100 shooting games, humiliate him until McCray lost his stroke. Watched him race his car up the shoulder of Chicago interstates just because he didn't have the patience to wait in traffic. Heard how he'd kept his friends confined to his hotel room at the Barcelona Olympics so he could play cards -- and keep playing until he won. For Jordan, it was never enough to win. He had to have scalps.

Now here he was, in Springfield without a filter or a PR guy to cut him off, while his staff must've been covering their eyes. And suddenly, it hit you: Michael Jordan is the guy who gets up at the rehearsal dinner, grabs the mike and ruins the night.

The thing Jordan doesn't understand is, it doesn't have to be this way. Terry Bradshaw won four Super Bowls and gave one of the greatest speeches in the history of the Hall of Fame. "Folks!" he hollered. "You don't get elected into the Hall of Fame by yourself! Thank you number 88, Lynn Swann! Thank you, Franco Harris! Thank you Rocky Bleier! What I wouldn't give right now to put my hands under
Mike Webster's butt just one more time! Thank you Mike!" He thanked linemen, tight ends, everybody but the ushers.

Had Jordan been in his shoes, he'd have said, "Hey, Steve Kerr! Remember when I kicked your ass in that fight?"

Jordan owes a roomful of apologies. But it'll never happen. I know firsthand.

Before his second comeback -- with the Washington Wizards -- I was the first out with the story by a month. Jordan and his agent, David Falk, denied it, said I was crazy, practically said I was smoking something. Then, after a month of lies, Jordan admitted it was all true. I saw him in the locker room before his first game back and said, "You wanna say something to me, maybe?"

And he said, "You know you don't get no apologies in this business."

So I wouldn't hold your breath.

They called it an "acceptance" speech, but the last thing Jordan seems to be able to do is accept it's over. In fact, Jordan hinted that he might make yet another comeback at 50.

I just hope Comeback No. 3 doesn't come with a speech.

Because then I'm really screwed.​
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Yeah Jordan can come across as a bit arrogant and up him self at times I agree but its the way he has always been. Its this reason he was so good. He was like the Muhammad Ali of basketball. "I am the Greatest"...... His way of saying thanks is to poke some harmless fun at his family and past palyers & coaches and rub it in about how good he was at the game. All the people he poked fun at would have known it was coming because they know him better than anyone. Its easy for someone to watch the speech who doesnt realy know MJ that well and then say his speech was quote: "rude, vindictive and flammable". "tactless, egotistical and unbecoming". I mean come on whos this Rick Reilly think he is!
 
jacobsmith01 said:
Yeah Jordan can come across as a bit arrogant and up him self at times I agree but its the way he has always been. Its this reason he was so good. He was like the Muhammad Ali of basketball. "I am the Greatest"...... His way of saying thanks is to poke some harmless fun at his family and past palyers & coaches and rub it in about how good he was at the game. All the people he poked fun at would have known it was coming because they know him better than anyone. Its easy for someone to watch the speech who doesnt realy know MJ that well and then say his speech was quote: "rude, vindictive and flammable". "tactless, egotistical and unbecoming". I mean come on whos this Rick Reilly think he is!
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fair enough, but why does he still have to convince everyone he's the greatest...
 
Well I just watched the speech and I think there was nothing wrong with it!!

He was having little chuckles for people, which really, is him and that's what he always did throughout his career!

I don't see why people say he didn't thank people enough!

He'd start each particular statement with, "I'd like to thank"..... and then go through a bunch of names and having cheeky little comments and memories of them!

But hey, Jordan was the most competitive guy there is and he was and even he wasn't ashamed to say it!!

I personally think it was an awesome speech and give him props for it!

People just need to gain a sense of humour and knowledge of who and how he is!
 
wow what a huge read, cool thread none the less.

New info would be good, shame the resident MJ fiend isn't around anymore
 
Too many PM's sent?

I wasn't around back when he was on here but i do speak to the guy on SCF and he seems like a good guy. He does love his MJ though :D
 
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