Michael Jordan.

People in every country know that

name. They know his face. They know his number: 23.
He is tall and strong. He has a lot of money. He is very
famous. And he can fly!
Michael Jordan is a basketball player. He played for
thirteen years for the Chicago Bulls.* Many people
understand basketball. A lot of people love basketball.
But Michael Jordan lines basketball. Every game is
important to him. But where did he come from ? How
did he win six NBA! championships? When did he
start to fly?

Early Days
Michaels story starts on February 17, 1963, in
Brooklyn, New York. The family moves to Wilmington,
North Carolina later in 1963. Michael is the son of
Deloris and James Jordan. He comes from a happy
home with a lot of love. One old friend says, The
Jordans door was always open. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan
talked to us and listened to us. There was always a
basketball game in the back yard.
Young Michaels best friend is his brother, Larry.
Larry teaches his little brother a lot of things about
basketball. Mr. Jordan builds a big basketball court for

* Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Portland Trailblazers, Los Angeles

Lakers, Washington Wizards: NBA basketball teams,
f NBA: the best basketball teams in the US play for the NBA.
his sons and their friends. This is Michaels first
basketball school. .
Today, Michael says, We played basketball games
every day. On Saturdays, we were on our court all day.
Rain? No problem. We played basketball.
For a long time, Larry is the best basketball player in
the Jordan family. Baseball is Michaels game. He is
strong and quick. He always wants to win.
The Jordan children have jobs at home, but Michael
doesnt like working. His brothers and sisters have
money for things. Michael doesnt have any money
because he doesnt work. The only jobs in his life are
baseball and basketball.

Basketball at School
From twelve to fifteen years old Michael plays baseball,
basketball, and football at school. He is short for a
basketball player: he is only 1.75 meters (5'9"). Mr. and
Mrs. Jordan are under 1.75 meters. Michael isnt going
to be very tall.
In 1978, Michael starts his three years at Laney High
School. His teachers say now, Michael was a good
student. He was quiet, but he had a lot of friends.
Michael starts basketball at Laney on the A team.
Larry is on the A team, too. He has number 45.
Michael asks for number 23 because 45 2 = 22J. But
Michael doesnt stay on the A team. The coach moves
him to the B team.
 Michael is angry. He wants to be on the best team.
He plays basketball every morning, afternoon, and
evening. Sometimes, he doesnt go to school. His father
talks to him. Basketball is important, but school is
important, too. Michael goes back to school.
It is the summer of 1979. Mr. Jordan remembers,
Michael wanted to be tall. He wanted to be on the
A team. Suddenly he was 1.91 meters (6'3") tall. In
September, Michael plays on the A team. He is the
star of basketball at Laney.
The A team games start at seven-thirty in the
evening. Before five oclock, the people of Wilmington
are waiting at the court. They want to see Michael.
Laney wins its first championship that year.

College Life
Now Michael thinks about basketball after Laney. A lot
of colleges want him. Michael likes the University of
North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill. He likes the
basketball coach, Dean Smith. Michael goes to UNC in
September, 1981, with his sister Roslyn. She is a very
good student, and she starts college early.
Dean Smith teaches Michael a lot of things about
basketball. Remember, every player on the team is
important, he says. Michael works on his game. He is
on the first team in his first year at UNC.
Michael is the best new player in college basketball
in 19812. The UNC team, the Tar Heels, get to the
1982 college basketball championships. They are going
to play the Georgetown Hoyas.
 There are 61,000 people in New Orleans for the big
game. It is Tar Heels 61, Hoyas 62. There is only a little
time in the game now. Dean Smith says to his players,
Get the ball to Michael. Michael has the ball. The
Hoyas run at him. But Michael doesnt look at the
players. He looks at the basket. He takes a long shot.
The ball is in the basket. UNC wins its first college
championship.
The story of the shot is in the newspapers and on
TV Michael is famous. His photo and the shot are
on the Chapel Hill telephone book in 1982.
 The NBA, 1984-93
Every year, the teams in the NBA look for good new
players. After three important and happy years at UNC,
Michael Jordan thinks about the NBA. But Deloris
Jordan says to her son, Finish your four years at UNC.
Its very important.
Michael says, Im going to go to the NBA. But Im
going to finish my college work, too. (Michael finishes
his work at UNC in 1986. His mother is very happy!)
In June of 1984, the NBA teams are looking for tall
players. Michael is 1.98 meters (6'6"). He isnt very tall for
the NBA. The Houston Rockets take Hakeem Olajuwon
(2.08 meters; 6'10"). The Portland Trailblazers take Sam
Bowie (2.16 meters; 7'1"). Then, at number three, Jordan
hears his name. The Chicago Bulls want him.
The Bulls arent a good team in 1984. They win only
twenty-seven of eighty-two games. But they give
Michael $6,000,000 for seven years.
The Bulls always say to their players, You play for us
now. No basketball on your vacations. This is your job.
But Michael wants to play with his friends and with
Larry. The Bulls want Michael. They say, OK, Michael,
you can play for us. And you can play for love of the
game, too.
In July of 1984, Michael catches an airplane to Los
Angeles. He is on the 1984 US Olympic* basketball

* Olympic Games: every four years, many countries send teams to these
games.
 team. The best college players in the country are on
the team. They win their games and the Olympic award
for basketball. Michael gives his award to his mother. (He
plays again, and wins, in the 1992 Olympic Games.)
After the 1984 Olympic Games, Michael starts his
job with the Bulls. In the NBA, he can be a big star on
the basketball court.
Nike makes shoes for basketball players. People from
Nike say, This new star can fly. Hes going to be very
famous. Nike makes a shoe for Michael. Its name is
Air Jordan. Now Michael plays and people say, Can
he fly? Or is it the shoes?
People buy a lot of Air Jordan shoes. In two years,
Nike makes $130,000,000 from them. Michael makes a
lot of money from them, too.
Michael loves the NBA. His game is strong. People
like watching him. But life away from the basketball
court is often difficult. People always want to talk to
him. Michael cant walk down the street. He cant go to
a store or to a movie. People want to be his friend.
In 1985, Michael meets Juanita Vanoy. She is smart
and beautiful and interesting. But she doesnt know
about basketball. She likes Michael because he is a good
person. They want the same things in life.
From 1984 to 1987, Michael wins a lot of awards in
the NBA. But he wants to win the NBA championship.
The newspapers ask, Is Jordan a team player? Can the
Bulls win the championship?
From 1987 to 1990, the Bulls get some new players
and a new coach, Phil Jackson. The Bulls start to build
a championship team.
 In December 1988, there is a very happy story in the
newspapers. Michael and Juanita have their first son. His
name is Jeffrey.
The 199091 Bulls are very good. They win
sixty-one of eighty-two games. The Bulls and the Los
Angeles Lakers are in the championship games. The
Bulls win the championship in five games. Michael says,
Were a strong team. After seven years, we did it!
Now no team can stop the Bulls. They win the
championship in 1992 and in 1993. The newspapers say,
Michael Jordan is the best. He can win every game.
Michael has many awards and three championships
in three years. He and Juanita now have two sons,
Jeffrey and Marcus, and one daughter, Jasmine. After the
championships in 1993, Michael goes home with his
family. He is strong and happy.

A New Baseball Star?

Things are good for the Jordan family in the summer
of 1993. But then, one day, Michaels father visits some
friends. That evening, he doesnt come home. The
police find him in a river. Two eighteen-year-old boys
killed him for his car and his money.
Michael loved his father very much, and he cant
understand this. Why did these boys kill a good man?
On October 6, 1993, Michael and Juanita are on TV.
Michael says, Life is very short. I want to have time
with my family. Michael retires from basketball. The
Bulls retire his number, 23.
 Early in 1994, Michael starts a new job in baseball.
Michael and a lot of young players try for a place on
the Chicago White Sox baseball team. Michael can run
well. He can catch well. But he cant hit a baseball very
well. The newspapers say, Mike, please! Come back to
basketball!
But Michael likes playing baseball. In baseball he isnt
a star. Michaels number is 45, Larrys old number. But
in August, 1994, there are problems in baseball about
money. The players stop the games. They dont play for
a long time. Michael is thirty-one years old. He cant
wait for baseball.
 The NBA, 1995-8
On March 8, 1995, the Chicago Bulls office gives a
story to the newspapers. It is a short story from Michael
Jordan. It says,Im back. Chicago is a very happy town
that night.
Michael is happy with the Bulls again and with his
old friends and his coach, Phil Jackson. The team works
well and starts to win again.
Michael is number 45 in the championship games.
The Bulls arent doing very well. Some players say,
Number 45 is OK. But number 23 was a star. This
makes Michael angry. He goes back to number 23.
Now the players remember, Hes back!
The Bulls dont win the championship in 1995. In
the summer, Michael has some time. He makes a
movie: Space Jam. Children love it. It makes a lot of
money.
The Bulls start 19956 with a new player, Dennis
Rodman, and some old players, Scottie Pippen and
Michael Jordan. The Bulls are the best team in the NBA
again. And Michael Jordan is their star.
The Bulls win the NBA championship in 1996,
1997, and 1998. Michael' Jordan has six NBA
championship awards. And he has basketball awards in
every room in his house.
But there are always problems in life. The Chicago
Bulls office wants a new coach. But Michael Jordan
likes playing for Phil Jackson.
The NBA players are unhappy about their money,
too. They start the games late in 1998.
 Then Michael is on TV again. He retires from
basketball on January 13, 1999.
Michael has a lot of money from his life in
basketball. In 2000, he buys an NBA team, the
Washington Wizards. They arent a good team. Michael
starts to play again. He plays for his team, and he plays
some strong games. The Washington Wizards can fly!
But Michael sometimes has problems with his legs. Is
he going to retire again?
In 2003, Michael Jordan is forty years old. He
doesnt play often now but he loves the game.
Basketball is Michaels life.
 A C T IV IT IE S

Pages 1-6

Before you read

1 What do you know about Michael Jordan? Why is he
famous?
2 Look at the Word List at the back of the book,
a What are these words in your language?
b Talk about football, basketball, or baseball with these
words:
award ball championship coach star team win
Would you like the life of a famous player? Why (not)?

While you read

3 Write the names of these people, places, and things.
a Michaels team for thirteen years ........................
b Michaels first home town ........................
c Michaels second home town ........................
d Michaels mother and ........................ and
father ........................
e Michaels brother ........................
f Michael's high school ........................
g Michaels number ........................
h Michaels college ........................
i Michaels college coach ........................
j the year of the shot ........................

After you read

4 Work with a friend. It is 1979.
Student A: You are Michael Jordan. Talk to your father or
mother about your life. What do you want to do
now?
Student B: You are James or Deloris Jordan. Talk to your
son, Michael, about his life. What is important?
What is not important?
Pages 7-15

Before you read

5 After the 1982 college basketball championships, Michael is
famous. What is he going to do now? Talk about it.

While you read

6 Circle the right answer.
a Michael Jordan finishes/doesnt finish his college work,
b The Chicago Bulls dont win/win the NBA championship
in 1984.
c The US Olympic basketball team wins in 1982 and 1986/
1984 and 1992.
d Air Jordan" is a basketball team/a shoe.
e Juanita Vanoy knows/doesnt know about basketball,
f Michael and Juanita Jordan have one son and two
daughters / two sons and one daughter.
g Two boys kill Michaels father/mother in 1993.
h In 1994, Michael can hit/catch a baseball very well,
i Chicago is a happy/unhappy town on March 8, 1995.
j In the 1990s, the Chicago Bulls win three/six NBA
championships.
k Michael Jordan is the writer/the star of the movie Space
Jam .
I From 2000 to 2003, Michael Jordan plays for the Chicago
Bulls /the Washington Wizards.

After you read

7 Phil Jackson is talking to five new players on his team. Write
his words.
8 You work for a newspaper. You are going to meet Michael
Jordan. Write ten questions for him.

Answers for the Activities in this book are available from the Pearson English Readers website.
A free Activity Worksheet is also available from the website. Activity worksheets are
part of the Pearson English Readers Teacher Support Programme, which also includes
Progress tests and Graded Reader Guidelines. For more information, please visit:
www.pearsonenglishreaders.com.
 W O R D L IS T with example sentences

award (n) The school gives awards every year to good students,
ball (n) Catch the ball dont hit it!
baseball (n) We like to watch football and baseball.
basket(ball) (n) In a game of basketball, you put the ball in the
basket.
best (adj) He is the best student in the school,
championship (n) The first games of the championship are in
September.
coach (n) He isnt one of the players. He is their coach.
college (n) My family lives in Mississippi, but I go to college in
Virginia.
court (n) Why are there only nine players on the court?
fly (v) I can drive to Chicago and then fly to Los Angeles,
high school (n) My sister didnt finish high school. She works in a
store.
kill (v) She killed her father with a knife.
life (n) 1 dont remember my life in Alaska because I was very
young then.
meter (n) Their new kitchen is ten meters long!
retire (v) She doesnt work. She retired from her job this year,
shot (n) Tike a shot. Can you hit the tree?
star (n) George Clooney is a movie star.
team (n) David Beckham was in the England team for years,
university (n) He went to Harvard University and then worked
for his father.
win (v) I watch the Dallas Mavericks because they win a lot of
games.
 Pearson Education Lim ited
Edinburgh Gate. Harlow,
Essex CM20 2JE, England
and Associated Companies throughout the world.
ISBN: 978-1 -4058-8151-7
First published by Penguin Books 2001
This edition first published 2008
6
Copyright Nancy Taylor 2001
The moral right of the author has been asserted

Typeset by Graphicraft Ltd, Hong Kong

Set in 12/14pt Bembo
Printed in China
SWTC/06

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Published by Pearson Education Ltd

Acknowledgements:
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All Sport USA: pp. 9 and 14; Rex Features: p. 12

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