The Last Dance: As Michael Jordan docu-series drops we take a look back at his astonishing career, on and off the court

HIS AIRNESS, Mike, MJ, Superman, GOAT...

Michael Jordan has gone by a hatful of nicknames during his life, but perhaps the most apt would be the latter.

The NBA legend is not only the greatest basketball player of all-time, but quite possibly the greatest sportsman of all-time.

While the likes of Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and even current NBA star LeBron James have attempted to wrestle that mantle from Jordan, it's hard to look past MJ.

Not only the most incredible player on the basketball court, Jordan is a man of many other talents, including being a gifted baseball player and golfer.

Then there's his business empire, with MJ worth well over £1BILLION, these days.

As an extraordinary new docu-series, entitled The Last Dance, drops on Netflix today, we take a look back at his glittering career and everything else that makes the man the GOAT.

1. Basketball career

Basketball fan or not, you've heard of Michael Jordan - the greatest player of all-time.

But incredibly, his sensational career got off to the worst possible start as he was cut from his high school team in his sophomore year.

Motivated by his "failure", MJ broke into the team a year later and was recruited by a cluster of the biggest basketball colleges in the country, eventually opting for UNC (University of North Carolina).

After an even more impressive college career - helping UNC win the NCAA Championship in 1982, hitting the game-winning shot - Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984.

Ridiculously, MJ was drafted only third in the 1984 - as legend Hakeem Olajuwon went first, with forgotten man Sam Bowie bizarrely selected at No2.

Even more driven to prove everyone he was the best, Jordan quickly settled into life in the NBA and left jaws on the floor with his outrageous play.

A stunning athlete, incredible dunker, regular game-winner and mouthy trash-talker, there was seemingly nothing anyone could do to slow him down.

After all, during his 13 seasons at the Bulls, Jordan won the NBA title SIX times, and the league's Most Valuable Player award five times.

On top of that he was named Finals MVP six times, NBA All-Star 12 times (14 in total) amongst dozens and dozens of accolades, both personal and team.

2. "I'm back"

We all remember the story... Jordan once gave up basketball to pursue a career in baseball, only to come back to NBA after just over a year away.

On his return, with the Bulls struggling midway through the season, Jordan simply said: "I'm back".

Having already won three NBA titles in consecutive years in his first stint, MJ's return sent fans in Chicago wild.

Incredibly, the Bulls then reeled off another three championships in successive seasons starting from the following year.

After the outrageous success, both team and personal, Jordan retired from basketball again.

Three years after hanging up his sneakers, he returned to the court with the Washington Wizards, aged 38.

Well past a normal basketball player's prime, he still lead his team in points, assists and steals in his first season back.

While he never put up outrageous numbers, he still posted totals of around 21 points, six rebounds and five assists - easily good enough to be All Star calibre play.

3. Iconic MJ

There are far too many "iconic" moments in Jordan's career to list them all, including his title-winning shot against the Utah Jazz in 1998.

But if you had to boil down the GOAT's career into one game, it would be Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against Utah... the "Flu Game".

With the seven-game series tantalisingly poised at 2-2, the Bulls were dealt a devastating blow when it emerged star man MJ was battling flu, with a 103-degree fever.

Enough to lie any of us low, resting in bed, Jordan laced up his shoes and strolled onto the court.

During the epic battle MJ was a man possessed, at his unstoppable best... but between plays, he was struggling, almost collapsing on a number of occasions.

Famously held-up by team-mate Scottie Pippen, Jordan kept attacking the Bulls, dropping an outrageous 38 points in the famous win to give Chicago the win.

The Bulls won the title just two days later, with head coach Phil Jackson calling the "Flu Game" the greatest performance he had ever seen.

Not only a superb player, Jordan was a fighter, a leader, determined, stubborn even.

But if any budding sportsperson ever needs motivation to battle on, just watch Jordan's "Flu Game". Utterly inspiring.

4. Pro baseball

As already mentioned, Jordan left the Bulls and the NBA entirely in 1993 to pursue a dream of playing baseball, citing a loss of motivation to play basketball.

MJ played in Minor League Baseball, turning out for the Birmingham Barons - an affiliate of MLB side the Chicago White Sox.

Jordan later revealed he was picking up his bat for his father, who had been murdered just three months earlier.

Despite the massive fanfare, MJ failed to replicate his NBA form in baseball, posting just three home runs in 127 matches.

Jordan, still a very talented player, was not MLB-worthy and played briefly in the Arizona Fall League... before roaring those two famous words: "I'm back".

5. Best on the court... and the course?

Keeping up with his outrageously talented sporting life, Jordan is also a phenomenal golfer.

First picking up a set of clubs in college, his motivation came from UNC basketball team-mate Buzz Peterson.

At college, Peterson was close friends with Davis Love III - the former PGA Championship winner, Davis Love III.

The three of them took in a round to pass the time, with Jordan recording a bogey or worse on 17 of the 18 holes.

However, that other hole, he made par, with MJ once recalling that moment, saying: "I've been hooked ever since."

Since then, Jordan has been a regular on the golf course, playing in numerous Pro-Am events - leading to some hilarious incidents, including a footrace with Sergio Garcia.

6. Getting down to business

When you think of basketball shoes, it's hard to think of the sneakers bearing the "Jumpman" logo - the iconic, leaping, sprawling silhouette of MJ.

Ever since entering the NBA and signing a massive deal with Nike, the Air Jordans have been the most sought-after kicks.

Even now, well into his third and final retirement, the Jordan brand is firing on all cylinders.

Essentially part of Nike, the MJ shoes do not bear the famous "Swoosh", but instead the "Jumpman", styled in his famous image.

Between them, Nike and Jordan command 90 per cent of the total shoe market in the USA.

But the man himself is now worth an estimated £1.3BILLON, according to Forbes, just off apparel.

In fact, MJ has been majority owner of NBA franchise the Charlotte Hornets since 2010 - then called the Charlotte Bobcats.

In that time, the team's valuation has shot up from around £125m to an estimated £600m, despite very much working behind the scenes and not taking part in their marketing campaigns.

These days, Jordan also owns seven restaurants, including a steakhouse in New York, as well as a car dealership in his former home state of North Carolina.

On top of that, MJ has seen mega-bucks endorsement deals with the likes of drinks company Gatorade, gaming company 2K Sports, McDonalds, Chevrolet and Coca-Cola.

To put it all in context... Jordan earned around £64m in salary during his 15-year NBA career, but in 2015 alone, based on his business interests, he raked in £71m.

7. Family man

Jordan is the fourth of five children, born to Deloris and James in Brooklyn, New York - before moving to Wilmington, North Carolina as a toddler.

MJ has two older brothers, Larry and James Jr, one older sister Deloris Jr and one younger sister, Roslyn.

In his own love-life, Jordan married partner Juanita Vanoy in 1989 before having three kids together - Jeffrey Michael, Marcus James and Jasmine.

However, MJ and Vanoy filed for divorce in 2002, citing "irreconcilable differences"... before reconciling shortly after.

Four years later the pair "mutually and amicably" divorced, with the pay-off a reported £120m - a then record settlement.

Since then, Jordan has re-married, after proposing to long-term girlfriend Yvette Prieto - a Cuban-American model - on Christmas Day 2011.

They married in April 2013, before having twins later just under a year later - identical girls, Victoria and Isabel.

MJ became a grandfather in 2019, when daughter Jasmine had a baby boy with former NBA player Rakeem Christmas.

8. #23

To many, the number 23 is just a number, but in basketball circles it is hallowed, sacred even.

Jordan donned the #23 during his college career at UNC, before carrying that over to his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls.

After his first retirement from basketball, the Bulls retired the jersey number - with MJ returning wearing the #45, before donning the #23 in Washington.

UNC also retired the famous #23, while the Miami Heat - for whom Jordan never played - also retired the number in a simply sensational, unprecedented stunt.

That meant that LeBron James - who many see as the "second coming" of Jordan - was forced to change his number from the #23 he wore at the Cleveland Cavaliers on his arrival in Miami.

LeBron opted for #6, but reverted to the #23 when he went home to Cleveland years later - a clear nod to the legacy and impact of MJ on himself.

9. ...and last but not least, Space Jam

Who could forget 90s classic Space Jam?

Starring Bugs Bunny and the whole Looney Tunes crew, it also featured Jordan himself.

In case you've been living under a rock and missed it somehow, it stars Jordan during his year playing baseball.

MJ is called out of retirement to play basketball alongside Bugs and the gang after they're challenged and threatened by aliens from Moron Mountain.

Despite only boasting an IMDB score of 6.3 out of 10, the film has a huge fan-base - with talk of a Space Jam 2, starring LeBron James, set go be released in 2021.