LIKE MIKE BLOG

For everyone that like's Mike.

1/14/09

Michael Jordan’s Retirement - 10 Years Remembered


It was today, 10 years ago, on January 13, 1999 that the game of basketball forever changed.



The man that was the face of a sport and a league for more than a decade left the game. Michael Jordan’s second retirement wasn’t his last, but the game was never the same after his exit as a Chicago Bull.



Nike put together a touching video that was played at commercial break following Michael Jordan’s announcement that he would never suit up again for the Bulls. Thank you again Mike for all the memories, and thank NiceKicks for the story.

I'd like to add my personal story to the Nice Kicks story...

For alot of people Michael Jordan was just a basketball player, a superstar you saw on tv selling products and on your local news sports highlights etc etc...



But for me Mike was part of my life. Before I started playing basketball I was just a young dorky kid with no kinda style and no real intrests besides little kid shit.

Once I tryed basketball I fell in love with it. I started playing everyday. I was watching every game I could on tv. And for some reason our cable got Chicago's local WGN and televised they televised all the Chicago Bulls games.

My hometown of Miami had just recently got a basketball team, the Heat, and my mom started taking me to the games. I got my first pair of Air Jordans. The Black Infrared VI's! From there I was hooked.



I started collecting basketball cards and the only shit I would wear was NIKE, I got all the cool ass basketball videos from back in the day like Come Fly With Me and Michael Jordan's Playground, NBA Super Stars etc etc. I joined the basketball leauges and went to the park EVERYDAY!!! I would play until the lights went off. My first time watching the NBA Finals was Mike's first title against the Lakers.



From that moment on I followed Mike's career like I worked for ESPN. I was in the Michael Jordan fan club, my room looked like a shrine to the god of basketball Michael Jordan. Anything with Mike on it, I stashed it or hung it up on my wall.

I'm sure that many of you share the same story with me. So today really is an important day in basketball history. This was the end of an amazing career that I really enjoyed being a part of.



I was there for the best part of the ride. Yea yea I know Mike came back, again, I was there for that too... but come on, that shit didnt count. Besides I was already into my mid 20's, I had alot of other things I was into by then. But i'll never forget the game that gave me style, and the man that defined that style.
Thank you Michael. You were my hero. No one will ever do it like you did-

A Fan for life,

Mike.


1 comment:

Richmond Hill said...

It's been 12 years already? Michael Jordan was one of the best players in the history, everybody knows that. His sudden retirement has shocked the world on its feet. And I have to agree that he was in his prime when he was still in the Bulls.