Sunday, March 13, 2011

Chapter 5: A Faustian Bargain

Michael Jordan's reputation kept taking hits in 1992, as he had to testify in the case of the drug-dealer James Bouler, whom Jordan was associated with. Jordan admit to lying to the press about a $57000 check to Bowler, which had to do with his gambling addiction. He said he lied because he wanted to "save the embarrassment and pain" of such a "connection to gambling". With the help of his successes on the court, however, Jordan kept his hero status. He pushed the Bulls through the playoffs, stirring up more controversies like when he gambled late into the night in Atlantic City before a game against the New York Knicks. He was also fined $25000 by David Stern for ignoring the press after the incident. His performance never took a hit though, and he beat New York and then the Phoenix Suns in the finals, setting an NBA record by averaging 41 points per game in the last series.

Then, in July of 1993, Jordan's father, James, was murdered by two teenagers during a robbery. Jordan was heartbroken, and promptly announced his retirement form basketball, saying he had nothing more to prove in the sport. Another shocking move came when he signed with the Chicago White Sox, specifically their Double-A team. His skill level was clearly not at the major league level, and he struggled mightily in Double-A. Nevertheless, he continued making millions of dollars a month from his endorsements. After less than 2 years away from basketball, Jordan returned to the Bulls, and soon showed he was still at the top of his game when he beat the Knicks with 55 points in his first week back. Nike, and the rest of the world, were happy to see him back on the court, and they showed it by continuing to buy their products, including Jordan's new #45 jersey, which he wore in honor of his late father.

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