Michael Jordan: A Look at His NBA Career With the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards

Michael Jordan is much more than his 6 championships. If someone like Shaquille O’Neal had won those many titles, he still wouldn’t have been hailed the way Jordan is.

The style and grace he played with were far more likable than all his achievements. His superior athleticism, his ability to toy with his rivals, and his artistic layups were all a part of his charm as a player.

Jordan was not only the most influential athlete on the court but also became an internationally renowned icon. His imprint was so strong that even after retirement, the man was worth millions.

Talking about Jordan’s retirement, let’s have a look at when he started out and when did he finally retire.

How many Years did Michael Jordan play in the NBA? When did he retire?

MJ entered the league in 1984 as the third overall draft pick of the Chicago Bulls. He quickly established himself as the league’s star and gained a reputation for his extraordinary defense. He won his first NBA title with the Bulls in 1991 and secured a three-peat by winning titles the subsequent years as well.

Although he abruptly retired from playing basketball right before the 1993-94 season, he made a comeback with the same franchise and won 3 more championships in 1996,1997, and 1998.

His first retirement came right after his father’s demise, and he started playing Minor League Baseball. Many believed that Jordan made this jump as a tribute to his father because the latter always wanted him to be a baseball player.

After his second three-peat with the Bulls, he retired in 1998 yet again. While everyone thought that it would be the last time they see him play in the NBA, he returned for 2 more seasons between 2001-2003 as a player for the Washington Wizards. Jordan’s career stretched up to 15 seasons in total, after being retired thrice.

The legend’s last game

After two retirements, he finally played his last game on April 16th, 2003, against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Wizards were 37-45 and had missed the Playoffs by 5 games. Up against another legend like himself, Allen Iverson, Jordan’s last game was a challenge in itself.

Everybody’s eyes were glued on MJ, knowing that it was his last game. However, it did not turn out as expected. Everyone thought Jordan would go all out in this game, but we saw a struggling Jordan, who scored only 15 points. Iverson led the scoreboard with 35 points and 6 assists.

However, all of this didn’t matter. He boasted of plenty of accolades that made him the greatest player of all time. He ended his career with 6 NBA championships, 11 All-NBA Selections, 5 MVP awards, 14 All-Star selections along with 10 scoring titles.