The Diamond Jubilee for Jordan

Much can be stated about the origins of greatness. The fact that the young man was cut from his high school team…that when he went to college, his shot against the Georgetown Hoyas to secure the 1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game all contributed to the man who would become legendary.

People say it all the time…still. Just twenty years shy of his final retirement, on the lips of professionals they say, “She’s the Michael Jordan of ballet. Or “He’s the Michael Jordan of neuroscience.”

On his sixtieth birthday, or Diamond Jubilee year, Jordan is to be acclaimed for being one of the best metaphorical figures in all of sports.

His greatness ought to be lauded and applauded for his exemplary career, his extraordinary ability, and his place as a god among mortals.

For his work ethic, his perceptiveness, his grit, Jordan ought to be celebrated on his birthday. It is a day that marks the very idea of excellence.

As the last vestige of revealing heroism, courage, and virtue, sports, spectators and players, coaches and owners can view the best examples of athletics. Jordan cemented his position in the minds of anyone who regards such things as getting what you deserve, living up to and pushing beyond what is expected. Jordan can check all boxes.

His capacity for seeing the game as an outlet to reach a global stage drove him to succeed. Now, as one of the only billionaires in the world, he achieved a feat once thought impossible. How can a player be a capable businessman of the highest order?

There are kids bouncing basketballs that go up and down like the Dow Jones Industrial Average who may have never seen him play live. They might not even know his accolades (6X NBA champion, 6X Finals MVP, 5X NBA MVP, 3X All-Star MVP, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient) to list a few achievements. They know, however, the hottest colorway for the Jordan 11 sneaker has to be Cool Grey.

Generations Z and Alpha may have never seen him play in his heyday, but YouTube has offered hours of footage from his many highlights including “The Move,” “The Shot,” and “The Last Shot” Jordan took as a Chicago Bull that won him his sixth championship.

In a time where young men of color were often depicted as lacking a father to guide them on their journeys, Jordan had a dad that raised him to be great. His father’s tragic death even pushed Jordan to play his dad’s game: baseball.

Although he didn’t perform with as much spectacular talent on the baseball diamond, it can be said that attempting to swat at fastballs was a valiant and honorable decision.

For a man who retired from the game of basketball three times, such behavior shows just how tenacious he is and addictive the game can be to someone of his caliber.

With the mind of a CEO, Jordan knew that he could transform not just the sport but how entrepreneurship can go hand-in-hand with basketball and beyond.

From NBA team ownership to racing, Mr. Jordan has displayed more than any other athlete the sense of winning on the hardwood and in the boardroom.

When he finalized his last retirement, sportswriters clamored to spill ink regarding the next Michael Jordan. This obviously was an error. There is no next Michael Jordan. Names like Kobe, Lebron, Steph, and others cropped up over nearly two decades since Jordan waved goodbye to dribbling for the league but there will never be another like His Airness.

Mariah Carey sang a song at Jordan’s last All-Star game appearance in 2003. The title of the song: “Hero.” While this was obviously fitting, she could have easily sang “Never Too Far Away” which contains the lyrics, “Nobody can take your place.” In the end, both titles apply to the élan that emits from the greatest player/business mind in all of sports.

As he experiences his diamond jubilee, Jordan ought to be focused on creating more value within the marketplace. In the last five years alone (2017-22), the Jordan Brand has drummed up $19 billion for Nike. If he had just been a great player without his global reach as a professional athlete from 1984 to 2003 dealing with Fortune 500 companies like Chevrolet and Gatorade, he would have been poorer and other players would have less money as well.

The worldwide impact of his genius on the court has propelled him to be the representation for an entire organization…and more. The skills that he used and his ability to build muscle and study tapes are all like any military general who prepares her troops for fighting. Jordan’s exacting performances were like actors who observe their profession as something that challenges their mind and body and goes beyond just mouthing a script.

Jordan left an indelible mark on his players as he does with his business associates. When he trusted Steve Kerr to take a game- defining shot in 1997 to help capture the title, it was an act of pushing those around him to sense some semblance of being superb, too. This is the esssence of the virtue of selfishness. Jordan had enough self-esteem to ensure that his teammate could make a huge shot that would’ve normally been reserved for him.

His acumen for lacing up sneakers has inspired millions to rush to their local gyms and parks to test out his moves. Also, young and old alike can glean the power of understanding of the industry and seek to better their economic stations.

Because of his prominence as a bonafide businessman, he has motivated himself to invest and double his dollars. Though politicians will tell audiences of businessmen and women they “didn’t build” their companies and fortunes, Michael Jordan is a staunch example of how he did build his enterprises.

Though he will admit that he has missed thousands of shots in his basketball career, it is with this fact that stands in stark contrast to the thousands that he made. Jordan stands for anyone who has ever failed and ascended to the heights of greatness. Despite the numerous ways that he has missed the mark, he’s developed a system of success that has allowed him to be rated so highly among those sportswriters.

But he deserves to be in Forbes and the Financial Times, too. Yes, he marveled with the brown roundball. Yes, he experimented with America’s pastime. But people should view him not just as the towering guard from North Carolina, but as a guardian of the business mind.