That question became easier to answer on Wednesday as Hall of Fame officials announced that Jordan will be inducted on Dec. 14 during halftime of a Charlotte Bobcats game at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.
“North Carolinians have long taken pride in Michael Jordan’s outstanding athletic career and have wanted to pay proper tribute to him,” N.C. Sports Hall of Fame president Nat Walker said in a statement. “That time is now here and we’re delighted that Michael is joining the other 273 inductees who have helped shape the remarkable sports heritage that North Carolina has enjoyed.”
He played high school basketball at Laney High and later starred at North Carolina. In 1982 he hit the winning shot to land the Tar Heels and coach Dean Smith a national championship.
Making his home in Charlotte, Jordan now serves as majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.
“This is obviously a tremendous honor, and I am proud to be an inductee of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame,” Jordan said in a statement. “When I think about all the great athletes from North Carolina that inspired me to become the best I could be, it’s humbling to know that now I stand with them as members of a very special fraternity”.
Jordan was elected into the Hall of Fame by the board of directors in 1993. At the time, he had retired from a professional basketball career and began playing professional baseball.
It was widely known that those inducted into the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame had to attend the ceremony in Raleigh.
Hall of Fame executive director Don Fish said in a phone interview that the event on Dec. 14 will serve as a similar ceremony to the one held each summer for newly inducted members. He said there will be a reception beforehand and the ceremony will be broadcast live on television.
“The Hall of Fame saw an opportunity to include a special event at the Bobcats game and decided that was the direction we would take in inducting Michael into the Hall of Fame,” Fish said. “We are attempting to accommodate Michael and the fact that he’s one of the busiest guys in the world. And he had a sincere interest and determination to be inducted. It worked for us and it worked for him.”
Following a video tribute, Jordan will be presented a Hall of Fame ring and plaque.
Those who visit the Hall of Fame will see memorabilia highlighting Jordan’s career, including a North Carolina No.23 jersey.
Many consider Jordan the greatest basketball player ever. Visitors to the Hall of Fame, which is located on the third floor of the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh, will now have their question answered.
“This is a big deal for us,” Fish said. “We now have the world’s best recognized athlete as part of the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame. If you look back as what he’s meant to sports in North Carolina and in the world, nobody competes with it.”
Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/12/02/837993/jordan-to-be-inducted-into-hall.html#ixzz16zeNmQbl
