Reading Corner: Michael Jordan – The Life by Roland Lazenby

By João Ferreira Aug 11, 2024 Books 0 Comments

I wrote this post on the last weekend of the Paris Olympic Games, a weekend that will most likely be the last time I’ll see LeBron James and Diana Taurasi playing for the United States team on an international stage. I mention these two because they are some of my references, and I had the privilege to watch them play their entire careers while still pursuing my dream of being a professional basketball player. This fact reminded me that I haven’t told you yet about the first book I read this year – Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby.

Michael Jordan was a big influence in my childhood and when I started playing basketball, but I never had the opportunity to see him play regularly while he was still in his prime. I was too young to have memories from the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Dream Team and growing up in Portugal, a country with just four TV channels in the public service, I never had a chance to watch a full game of the Chicago Bulls in the 90s. However, I did have a chance to watch NBA Action once a week, a show with the top plays of the week where Michael invariably appeared.

I had the opportunity to watch him play for the Wizards and followed that second leg of his career closely. I still keep with pride the Jordan Wizards shirt that I use over and over again in basketball practices.

To know better all the details of Michael Jordan’s career, I asked for this book from Santa last Christmas, and from the moment I opened it, I could not stop reading. Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby dives deep into the journey of one of basketball’s greatest players. It starts with Jordan’s early years in North Carolina, showing how his family and upbringing shaped his competitive nature. The book also covers his college days at the University of North Carolina, where he began to make a name for himself on the national stage.

The biography then takes the reader through Jordan’s NBA career, from being drafted by the Chicago Bulls to becoming a global icon. It highlights his six NBA championships and numerous MVP awards, as well as the challenges he faced, like his father death followed by a brief retirement and return to the game. Lazenby focuses on Jordan’s drive and competitiveness, which pushed his teammates and changed the game.

Beyond basketball, the book gives a look into Jordan’s personal life, including his relationships and business ventures. It also examines his role as a global ambassador for the sport and his lasting impact on sports culture. For those of us who never saw Jordan play in his prime, this biography helps to understand his influence on and off the court.

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