Michael Jordan Analysis

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Michael Jordan, portrayed by Jim Naughton in the biography Taking To The Air: The Rise of Michael Jordan, is well regarded as not only the greatest basketball player of all time but also the face of a generation. During the mid to late 1980s NBA basketball was simply treading water. As a result of the lack of a marketable superstar, the NBA was losing popularity to the National Football League and Major League Baseball. Following Jordan’s emergence, the NBA’s attendance rose dramatically and it’s worldwide popularity skyrocketed. Michael Jordan returned basketball to its past popularity in the United States and revolutionized the way the world viewed the game of basketball. (Harriman) Michael Jordan’s life is succinctly depicted in Taking to The Air: The Rise of Michael Jordan. Jim Naughton focuses on Jordan’s influence on worldwide sports and culture as one of the most publicized and marketed athletes of all time. Naughton explains the circumstances in Jordan’s upbringing that gave him the ability to be a humungous star. This biography is examined by Kirkus Reviews. They describe Naughton’s biography: “Besides offering a solid chronological biography and record of Michael Jordan’s basketball career, here Naughton also gives an astute assessment of this superstar’s impact on society.” (“Taking to the Air”) The article in the Kirkus Review explains that this biography investigates Jordan’s impact on marketing while telling the story of his life. Like Kirkus Reviews, I too believe that Naughton’s work goes into great description about Jordan’s upbringing and later career while also examining his cultural impact. Throughout his life, Michael Jordan has topped the sports and entertainment worlds by becoming the greatest basketball pl...

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...modern day athlete. (Lafeber)
Given his large platform as a NBA superstar, Jordan gave back to his community and most specifically children. Throughout the course of Michael Jordan’s outstanding career, he made a profound impact on the education of children. During Michael Jordan’s final basketball game as a member of the Washington Wizards, Jordan was given a plaque as a part of his ceremonial goodbye ceremony as a result of his large impact on the education of children by donating computers and money to many local schools. In addition to his large donations, Jordan also has led many campaigns to urge and motivate children to try their best and give their all in school. As a result of his donations and campaigns, Jordan has improved the educational conditions of the schools he has spoken and donated to and therefore changed the lives of those students. (Weeks)

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