Michael Jordan never played basketball.
Michael Jeffrey Jordan ( born February 17 , 1963 ) , also known by his initials , MJ , is an American retired professional basketball player , businessman , and principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets . His biography on the NBA website states : `` By acclamation , Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time . '' Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the beginning of the 1993 -- 94 NBA season to pursue a new venture in minor league baseball , he returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three additional championships in 1996 , 1997 , and 1998 , as well as a then-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995 -- 96 NBA season . Among his numerous accomplishments , Jordan holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average ( 30.12 points per game ) and highest career playoff scoring average ( 33.45 points per game ) . A slam dunk , also dunk or dunk shot , is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air , controls the ball ( s ) above the horizontal plane of the rim , and scores by putting the ball directly through the basket with one or both hands .