Full Name: Michael Jeffrey Jordan
Born: 2/17/63 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
High School: Laney (Wilmington, N.C.)
College: North Carolina
Drafted by: Chicago Bulls, 1984 (third overall)
Transactions: Retired, 10/6/93; Activated from retirement, 3/18/95; Retired, 1/13/99; Signed
with Washington Wizards, 9/25/01.
Height: 6-6; Weight: 216 lbs.

Nickname: Air Jordan
Honors: Six-time NBA champion (1991-93, 1996-98); NBA MVP (1988, '91, '92, '96, '98); 10-time All-NBA First Team (1987-93, 1996-98); All-NBA Second Team (1985); Defensive Player of the Year (1988); Nine-time All-Defensive First Team (1988-93, 1996-98); Rookie of the Year (1985); 14-time All-Star; All-Star MVP (1988, '96, '98); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996); Two-time Olympic gold medalist (1984, '92).

With so many choices to pick from, NBA.com faced the dubious task of narrowing down Michael's career highlights to what we believe are the Top 10 moments of his pro career. Of course, some of his game-winners and jaw droppers are going to be left off the list. There isn't much doubt that the highlights we have chosen are not only some of Jordan's top moments, but also some of the most memorable in the history of sports. So sit back and enjoy these flashbacks of MJ at his finest and relive the celebration of all six of the Bulls' NBA Championships.

Before he became a global icon, back in the days when he had a close-cropped head of hair, Michael Jordan turned in a playoff performance for the ages. On April 20, 1986, inside Boston Garden, Michael Jordan put on an unforgettable show.

VIDEO: Jordan sets the playoff record:
RealVideo - 28.8+ | ISDN

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Jordan was able to play in only 18 regular-season games in his second year in the NBA, after breaking a small bone in his foot in Chicago's third game of the year. Although he was encouraged to sit out the end of the season in order to make sure he was fully healed for the next, he insisted on coming back late in the season and led the Bulls to the 1986 NBA Playoffs.

It was in Game 2 of Chicago's first round matchup against the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics that Jordan showed just how thoroughly he had recovered. In the hallowed halls of the Boston Garden, he set a playoff record by scoring an amazing 63 points against what many considered to be one of the greatest NBA teams ever. The Celtics won the game, 135-131 in double-overtime, and went on to sweep the Bulls, but Jordan's playoff record still stands.

"Michael was doing so much and so well, I found myself just wanting to stop and watch him -- and I was playing," said teammate John Paxson.

"I didn't think anyone was capable of doing what Michael has done to us," marveled Celtics ace Larry Bird. "He is the most exciting, awesome player in the game today. I think it's just God disguised as Michael Jordan."

The honor of being recognized as "the greatest team in NBA history" is one fans can debate endlessly, but supporters of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls can point to one objective yardstick in making their case.

The Bulls' 72-10 record and .878 winning percentage during the 1995-96 regular season was the best in NBA history and stands as one of the great team accomplishments in all of sports. The Bulls eclipsed the marks set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who went 69-13 for a .841 percentage.

The Bulls won 18 games in a row in one stretch of the 1995-96 season and on Feb. 2 their record stood at 41-3. They became the first team in NBA history to win 70 games with an 86-80 victory at Milwaukee on April 16.

The Bulls finished 39-2 at the United Center and 33-8 on the road, their 33 road victories the most ever. They continued to steamroll the opposition in the playoffs. They lost only one game in series wins over Miami, New York and Orlando, setting up a Finals matchup with Seattle.

Jordan was back in the NBA Finals. After an eighteen-month layoff from basketball, a brief dip into a professional baseball career, and a comeback which fell just short of the 1995 NBA Finals, he wasted little time putting Chicago in position to win a fourth championship. Chicago won the first three games, before Seattle rallied to send the series back to the United Center for Game 6.

Back at home, Jordan gave the Chicago fans what they came to see. He responded to the 87-75 clinching win by falling to the court as tears streamed down. He then rushed into the Bulls' lockerroom, where he allowed more of the emotion he'd kept bottled inside to come spewing forth while his teammates celebrated.

Though he had returned to lead the NBA in scoring with 30.4 per game, and had been named NBA MVP for the fourth time, it was by leading his team to the title he'd proven to himself that he could come all the way back. Coincidentally, the Bulls wrapped up the title on Father's Day, an important day to a man who'd lost his father, James Jordan, before suddenly retiring from basketball in 1994.

"I was blessed to be able to get the game ball of the championship game and bring a championship back to Chicago," Jordan said later. "It happened on Father's Day, which makes it even more special. There's no way to really describe it."

By the time Jordan rejoined the Bulls' celebration, the entire team was perched atop the scorer's table, sharing their moment with the United Center fans. They then moved to a podium in front of the table, where NBA Commissioner David Stern presented team owner Jerry Reinsdorf with his fourth Championship trophy in six years. And somewhere down the line, Jordan got the trophy and hugged it. His trophy.