The greatest: why Michael Jordan thrills us, excites us and makes us feel good

Ebony, June, 1995 by Walter Leavy

During 17 agonizing and painful months, millions of basketball fans around the world had wished for it, hoped for it, even prayed for it. And just when it appeared their prayers had fallen on deaf ears, on March 18, 1995, the ultimate Christmas gift was delivered nine months early

In an unusual but welcome package, the gift came in the form of a simple, two-word statement: "I'M BACK!" And with that long-awaited announcement, Michael Jordan--already immortalized in bronze--began the Jordan Era II and heightened the nonstop hoopla that already was smirling around rumors of his return to the NBA.

As the word spread about His Airness' return, Michaelmania erupted in Chicago, across the country and the world. Not since Muhammad Ali returned to the ring after his three-year exile has there been such hysteria surrounding this kind of comeback. And as great as Ali was (and is), his return after refusing to serve in the Vietnam War didn't come close to generating the kind of excitement that Jordan produced. In some cities, there literally was dancing in the streets, and fans lit up the phone lines of sports talk shows talking about what used to be in Jordan Era I and what could be in Jordan Era II. On more than one occasion, talk of his comeback actually dominated on the floor of Chicago's financial markets. In stores around the country, Jordan's new No. 45 jerseys were ripped off racks faster than store owners could stock them, and when fans couldn't get the offical game Jersey, they settled for others that proclaimed "He's Back!" or "Return Flight."

So what is it about Michael, wagging tongue and all, that generates so much unbridled excitement and prompts some observers to elevate him to demigod status? What is it about him that's so appealing some fans were quick to shell out $3,500 to scalpers for tickets to his first home game? And why did the first game of Michael's comeback draw the largest NBA regular-season TV audience (35 million) and the highest ratings in 20 years?

"Michael Jordan has such appeal and generates the kind of excitement he does because he's very, very, very, very good at what he does, and there's no one that we have found who's better," says Anita DeFrantz, a member of the executive board of the International Olympic Committee and president of the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles. "He is, for us right now, the finest basketball player anyone has ever seen. In other cras, players brought something special to the game, but how many people lift off from the top of the key and end up at the basket? That's pretty amazing stuff." Perhaps that's Michael's greatest appeal, the fact that he makes that which is unbelievable believable, the impossible possible. Unlike any player who preceded him, Jordan--with the apparent ability to defy gravity--showed that the game can be played in a way that no one before him had ever imagined. Who else could star in his own highlight video called Come Fly With Me and have it fly to the No. 1 spot on the best-seller list?

But Jordan's exemplary physical skills--which already have earned him three MVP awards--are only a part of a bigger and attractive package of a dynamic man who has charm, an engaging smile, incredible determination and the apparent absence of the arrogance that's so frequently associated with celebrities. This is the same guy who, during his rookie year, realized he'd be on a road trip during

Halloween and reportedly placed a note on his front door that read: "Kids: if you still want trick or treat, come back in three days."

"Michael Jordan is viewed as a phenomenon, someone who has an aura of being superhuman as an athlete," says Alvin E Poussaint, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "[His athletic prowess] is enhanced by his persontlity. Despite some of the bad press he has had at times, Jordan has this wholesome, nice-guy image that children and adults love. He's clean-cut and goodlooking. And I think all of that adds to the mystique."

Surprisingly that mystique didn't diminish after Michael's abrupt, unexpected retirement. But basketball fans were hit especially hard, primarily because usually there is anticipation, then time to mentally prepare for a hero's, departure. Michael didn't give the world that opportunity, but his departure and comeback, analysts say, revealed him to be more human than superhuman. Both, Dr. Poussaint and Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, an Indianapolis psychiatrist, say many believe that Jordan's grief over his father's death vas responsible for his retirement, but his return indicates the ability to get on with his life, thereby generating greater fan admiration and appreciation.

Michael is also one of the rare celebrities who appeals to all ages, races and genders. He is, experts say, a symbol of goodness, and his comeback offers hope and makes people feel good about the world of sports, which recently has experienced its share of negatives.

While everyone seems to have his or her own explanation why Michael thrills us, excites us and makes us feel good, the most significant reason for his popularity could be the fact that some people see him as the ultimate superstar who just happens to be a gracious and humble guy, one who admits that all the hoopla surrounding his comeback made him a bit uneasy. "It was a little embarrassing," Jordan says. "I'm human like everybody else, and I like to think of myself as being someone you can approach. But everybody was treating me like a god."