1981: His First Tar Heel Game Jordan donned his Carolina blue jersey for the first time during the 1981 season under coach Dean E. Smith. He was the fourth freshman to ever start in his first college game under Coach Smith , and he ended up scoring 12 points against Kansas. Focus On Sport - Getty Images
1982: A Game Winning Shot Jordan recognizes one shot as the turning point in his college basketball career, and that was his game winning jump shot in the NCAA Championship against Georgetown in 1982. Bettmann - Getty Images
1983: Number 23 During his years at Carolina, Jordan wore the jersey number 23. Since then, the number has become synonymous with greatness and is coveted by aspiring athletes. The number has since been retired by his alma mater, as well as a number of NBA teams. Focus On Sport - Getty Images
1983: Jordan's Signature Jordan's wagging tongue soon became a fan-favorite expression by the basketball star. It turns out, the habit runs in the Jordan familyhe picked it up from his dad , who would stick his tongue out when he concentrated. Bettmann - Getty Images
1983: Another Signature Move Another thing Jordan became known for during his time at Carolina? His aerobatic jumps and dunks . Collegiate Images - Getty Images
1983: All- American By his sophomore year, Jordan hit his stride at Carolina, averaging 20 points per game . That year, as well as in his junior year, he was selected by the consensus to the All-American First Team. Focus On Sport - Getty Images
1983: Player of the Year Jordan was named the College Player of the Year for the 1983-1984 season , bringing him even more national recognition and pushing him closer to the NBA. Sporting News Archive - Getty Images
1984: A Spot on Team USA As a college player, Jordan earned a spot on the 1984 Olympic basketball team . Lead by Bob Knight, Jordan helped the team earn a gold medal. David Madison - Getty Images
1984: The Eastman Award In 1984, Jordan was given the Eastman Award, which every year is awarded to a top collegiate basketball player. Here, the young player is seen holding his award. Bettmann - Getty Images
1984: Entering the Draft In a press conference with Coach Smith, Jordan announced that he was forgoing his final season at Carolina to enter the NBA draft. Bettmann - Getty Images
1984: Becoming a Bull Jordan was picked up in the first round of the NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. He started in the 1984 season. Getty Images
1984: A Chicago Star Jordan entered the NBA with a bang and was marketed as the next big star. Here, he's photographed with Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon. Bill Smith - Getty Images
1984: Teaming Up With Nike During the 1984 season, Jordan joined forces with Nike sportswear and the company created a basketball sneaker exclusively for Jordan. Dubbed Air Jordans, the collaborative sneaker was launched to the public later that year, quickly becoming the hottest shoe on the market . Focus On Sport - Getty Images
1985: The Love of the Game Clause Jordan loved the game of basketball so much that throughout his career, he had a " love-of-the-game clause " in his contract, which said he was allowed to play basketball anytime he wanted to during the off-season. Tom Berg - Getty Images
1986: An Injured Season Doug Collins was named the Chicago Bulls head coach before the start of the 1986 season. That same season, Jordan would cut his court time short due to a broken foot. Despite only playing 18 games during the 1986 season, he was one of the leading scorers , averaging 37.1 points per game. Focus On Sport - Getty Images
1988: At Home With Jordan In 1988, Michael gave fans a glimpse at his life off camera, bringing the show Superstars and their Moms home with him to Wilmington, North Carolina to film with his mom, Deloris. ABC Photo Archives - Getty Images
1989: Celebrity Status By 1989, Jordan had become not only one of the greatest players in the league, but also one of the NBA's biggest stars. He began taking on ventures outside of basketball through sponsorships and endorsements and was given the nickname "His Airness" for his dunking abilities. NBC - Getty Images
1992: Going for the Gold Jordan, seen on the bench with Magic Johnson and Clyde Drexler, was one of the players that made up the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. Made up of some of the NBA's best players, including Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird, and Scottie Pippen, the team secured a gold medal win for the USA in Barcelona. Icon Sportswire - Getty Images
1992: Jordan's Family Notoriously private Jordan married Juanita Vanoy in 1989, a year after welcoming their first son, Jeffrey Michael Jordan. They had another son, Marcus, in 1990 and a daughter, Jasmine, in 1992. The couple sadly filed for divorce in 2002. Steve Kagan - Getty Images
1992: Giving Back Jordan has always been known for giving back to his community. In 1992, he met with a fan who was battling cancer and whose dream was to meet the NBA star. New York Post Archives - Getty Images
1993: Losing His Father Jordan unexpectedly lost his father in 1993, after he was murdered in a carjacking in Lumberton, North Carolina, which is about an hour from their family home in Wilmington. The NBA star was devastated by the loss . EUGENE GARCIA - Getty Images
1993: Retiring From the NBA After leading the Chicago Bulls to their first three-peat, Jordan announced he was retiring from the NBA in 1993. Jordan cited the loss of his father and being burnt out from competing in the Olympics as his reason for wanting a change of pace. However, it's been speculated that the retirement was actually a secret suspension from the league . EUGENE GARCIA - Getty Images
1994: Pivoting to Baseball What does an all-star NBA player do in retirement? If you're Jordan, you parlay into a minor league baseball career. He grew up playing baseball in high school, but his performance with the Chicago White Sox organization's team, the Barons, was less than a slam dunk . Focus On Sport - Getty Images
1995: Returning to Basketball In 1995, Jordan proved that he couldn't stay away from basketballadding further fodder to the suspension rumor and the former NBA player confirmed that he would be returning for the 1994-1995 season. BRIAN BAHR - Getty Images
1995: Back to the Bulls Upon his return to the Chicago Bulls, Jordan helped lead the team to another three-peat and three more championship titles for the franchise. BRIAN BAHR - Getty Images
1996: The Greatest Season of All Time Not only did the Chicago Bulls win the championship in 1996, but with 72 wins and 10 losses they set the record for the most wins in a regular season (which was later broken by the Golden State Warriors in 2016 ). BRIAN BAHR - Getty Images
1996: Jordan and 'Space Jam' In 1996, Jordan teamed up with Disney to star in the 1996 animated film, Space Jam, which was a hit with kids and became a cult classic. Time & Life Pictures - Getty Images
1998: Championship MVP Jordan was named Most Valuable Player after securing yet another championship win for the Chicago Bulls in 1998the team's sixth title in a decade. Jordan averaged 33.5 points per game during the 1998 playoffs. JEFF HAYNES - Getty Images
1998: Retiring Again On the heels of his last championship victory, Jordan announced that he was retiring once again. He said he was 99.9% sure he would never play professionally again. ROBERT SULLIVAN - Getty Images
2000: From NBA Player to Owner In 2000, Jordan bought a stake in the Washington Wizards and reworked the team's program, which involved bringing in his former Chicago Bulls coach , Doug Collins. Mario Tama - Getty Images
2001: Making Another Comeback In 2001, Jordan fans held their breath as they awaited the long anticipated news: Jordan would return to the NBA once again. This time, the former Bulls shooting guard would be playing for his own team, the Washington Wizards. Jordan signed on to play three seasons with the Wizards , at 38 years old, and vowed to donate his entire first year salary to the victims of the September 11th terrorist attack. TIM SLOAN - Getty Images
2003: The NBA All-Stars Jordan appeared in his last NBA All-Star game during his final year playing professional basketball for the Wizards in 2003. He almost didn't earn a starting spot, but thankfully Vince Carter gave his spot up to the reserve player as a tribute. Jamie Squire - Getty Images
2003: His Final Game In 2003, Jordan stepped off of the court for the last time. Jordan scored 15 points in the game, which ended up being a 107-87 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Ezra Shaw - Getty Images
2007: Returning to His Alma Mater Throughout the years, Jordan has continued to return to his alma mater, UNC. Here, he's seen kissing Dean Smith during a ceremony honoring the 1993 Championship team in the Dean Dome. Grant Halverson - Getty Images
2006: Becoming a Bobcat In 2006, a retired Jordan expanded his portfolio to include a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Hornets). Four years later, he gained a controlling interest in the team. Although the team has yet to win a championship title, Jordan said that a win as an owner would be even more gratifying than as a player. Icon Sports Wire - Getty Images
2009: The Basketball Hall of Fame In 2009, Jordan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame with a ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts. Jordan later became the first NBA player to become a billionaire . Jim Rogash - Getty Images
2013: Another Marriage Jordan said "I do" again in 2013, this time to Cuban model Yvette Prieto. The couple tied the knot in Palm Beach in April 2013. Prieto gave birth to twin daughters, Ysabel and Victoria, in 2014. Ethan Miller - Getty Images
2019: Honoring Kobe Bryant Jordan was one of the many celebrities to pay tribute to the late NBA star at his memorial at the Los Angeles Staples Center. "In the game of basketball, in life, as a parent, Kobe left nothing in the tank. He left it all on the floor," said Jordan . FREDERIC J. BROWN - Getty Images
2020: 'The Last Dance' In a new docuseries , never before seen footage from Jordan's final season on the Bulls, as well as interviews from former teammates, family, and friends, give viewers a peek inside the very private life of the basketball legend. ESPN/Netflix