Michael Jordan Will Be

MICHAEL JORDAN WILL BE remembered as one of the all-time best players in the National Basketball Association. And when he returned from retirement in 2001 to play for the Washington Wizards, he brought renewed excitement to a lackluster team. Fans could again watch the all-star soar and score, and when his former Chicago Bulls teammates came calling, they witnessed a record-setting performance.

Midway through the 2001–02 season, the holder of six NBA championship rings proved he could still fill up a scorebook. Averaging over 24 points a game, Jordan scored 51 and 45 points in the two contests prior to the game against the Bulls.

The Wizards struck early against Chicago, erupting to a 32–18 first-quarter lead. Then Jordan took charge of the offense, netting 19 of Washington’s 25 second-quarter points.

With 5:28 remaining before halftime, Ron Artest fouled Jordan, and the 6-foot-6-inch guard calmly sank both free throws. The second gave the ex-Bull 30,000 career points. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Karl Malone as the only players to achieve that feat.

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POINT Michael Jordan may be the most admired athlete in the world. If not, he’s certainly one of the most famous. Many consider him the finest basketball player ever. For more than 20 years, Jordan performed miraculous wonders on the basketball court.

As a college freshman in 1982, he scored the winning bucket for the University of North Carolina against Georgetown in the NCAA championship. Jordan led the United States to a gold medal in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and added another Summer Games gold in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain.

As incredible as Jordan’s career was, someday someone will surpass him. We will be able to count more points and see better defense and scoring ability from another star.

But no one surpasses God. We will never understand his wonders or count his miracles.

GOAL! Read about Michael Jordan or watch one of his highlight videos. Think about his achievements. Then consider the awesomeness of God—who created each of us and gave everyone on earth specific gifts—and praise him.