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Back Bay Books

Michael Jordan: The Life

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Description

The definitive biography of a legendary athlete. The Shrug. The Shot. The Flu Game. Michael Jordan is responsible for sublime moments so ingrained in sports history that they have their own names. When most people think of him, they think of his beautiful shots with the game on the line, his body totally in sync with the ball -- hitting nothing but net. But for all his greatness, this scion of a complex family from North Carolina's Coastal Plain has a darker side: he's a ruthless competitor and a lover of high stakes. There's never been a biography that encompassed the dual nature of his character and looked so deeply at Jordan on and off the court -- until now. Basketball journalist Roland Lazenby spent almost thirty years covering Michael Jordan's career in college and the pros. He witnessed Jordan's growth from a skinny rookie to the instantly recognizable global ambassador for basketball whose business savvy and success have millions of kids still wanting to be just like Mike. Yet Lazenby also witnessed the Michael Jordan whose drive and appetite are more fearsome and more insatiable than any of his fans could begin to know. Michael Jordan: The Life explores both sides of his personality to reveal the fullest, most compelling story of the man who is Michael Jordan. Lazenby draws on his personal relationships with Jordan's coaches; countless interviews with Jordan's friends, teammates, and family members; and interviews with Jordan himself to provide the first truly definitive study of Michael Jordan: the player, the icon, and the man. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Back Bay Books


Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 19, 2015


Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 720 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 031619476X


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 61


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.55 x 8.25 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #32,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #14 in Basketball Biographies (Books) #44 in Black & African American Biographies #75 in Rich & Famous Biographies


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Very interesting.
Format: Paperback
A thorough look into the circumstances that shaped one of the most iconic figures in modern times.
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2025 by Jose Garcia
    • Nice💯 and a great book about one of the greatest that ever did it
Format: Paperback
Review Image by Cool-T Cool-T
A nice book overall, this book is great to read,sometimes I don’t want to put it down 😂 but I recommend this book to read and reading is always good to do💯
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2025 by Cool-T Cool-T
    • Very well researched but most info was nothing new to me.
Format: Hardcover
Well researched. Very erudite in regards to some of the details concerning Michael Jordan's life. That alone merits 3 stars. The information about Michael's ancestors were brilliantly researched. The author also shed light on Jordan's Wizards years and presented information I didn't know about in regards to the rancor and in some cases odium that existed between Jordan and management as well as the growing dichotomy regarding philosophy and how the franchise should go foward. The players also grew to detest Jordan's approach. I respect the fact that Roland did not approach this book as another Jordan worshipping author who is going to write this hagiography painting Jordan as an infalible saint. Unfortunately for me having played the game during the late 80's and 90's in highschool and some college and watching a lot of MJ along with Magic and Bird, there wasn't much new information presented, at least for me. It was a decent read which for the neophyte who doesn't know that much about Jordan would be an astonishing narrative but for me I give it 4 stars not 5 simply because most of the information I already knew. The problem with writing about these very famous personalities is that what don't we not know about the subject. It would be like writing a book about Michael Jackson and we can make the case that in the 90's Michael Jordan approached Michael Jackson status in terms of being that famous, especially the Michael Jackson of the 80's. Both figures transcended race and were famous international figures. What new information could you really present on the life of a person that famous. What hasn't been written about them somewhere. I would probably love to see a researcher go deeper into maybe the period of Jordan's life from 1993 to his comeback in 1995. Delving into the death of his father which to me is still clouded and strange. I think books like that would be an interesting and fresh take on this very famous subject. The 30 for 30 film "Jordan Ride's The Bus" touched on that period along with Bob Greene who is a famous Jordan historian and author but once again Greene is one of those hagiographers and Jordan worshipers. Roland in contrast stated that Jordan wanted to be involved but Roland wanted to keep the integrity of the book. Jordan wanted to ommit some things that were controversial to him. Jordan most likely would have opted to ommit the narrative about the sexual abuse that occured at the hands of his father as he victimized his older sister. He would have probably put the pressure on Roland to leave out the legal misgivings and lack of business accumen exhibited by his father as well. I do wonder why Roland failed to bring out the extortion trial in which Jordan was a plantiff in the 2002 case where one of his former mistresses Karla Knafel tried to blackmail him for money by threatening to exspose him as someone who was cheating on his wife in 1991 and who was potentially the father on her child. Overall pretty decent well researched narrative. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2015 by Rasheed
    • Great Biography Of A Great Man
Format: Paperback
MJ. His Airness. Jordan Air. Michael Jordan is arguably, the best basketball player that has ever laced up his shoes. Fans all have favorite memories; his game-winning basket for the national title at UNC, the flu game, the jams, the high scores. He is one of the most easily identifiable individuals in the world as his fame spread past the courts to advertising and the movies. But who is this man? Roland Lazenby has written a memoir biography of Michael Jordan. He takes the reader through his childhood and the family structure and issues. Jordan's time at the University of North Carolina and his relationship with coach Dean Smith is covered in depth as the reader learns how Jordan improved his game. His time with the Chicago Bulls led to a long run as world champions and the reader sees how the offense set up there was perfect for Jordan both to shine as an individual and as a teammate. His relationship with his teammates and his coaches is covered in detail, both during the good years and as the team came apart through player-management issues. But this is not just a tribute book. Jordan's negative influences are also covered. The family issues and conflicts were a spur to Jordan. His competitive drive also led to gambling. Of course, few can forget the murder of his father and how that affected Jordan, leading to him leaving basketball for two years and trying to become a professional baseball player. The fact that Jordan's intense competitive drive made him less than supportive of teammates that weren't as talented or who didn't work as hard. Jordan was a master trash-talker and rode others mercilessly when they didn't measure up to his standards. At the end of the book, the reader is left with a complete picture of this complicated man. Leaders are honored and adored, but few really understand the drive it takes to be the best. To spur others to achieve greatness, often leaders are less than kind and often even cruel, and that is also a part of leadership. Jordan has great athletic talent, an incredible energy and drive for success, loyalty to those he trusts, and has given the world moments that will always be remembered. At our core, we all want 'to be like Mike'. This book is recommended for sports fans and those interested in reading about how one individual finds the drive to compete and excel, until they are the best in the world. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2015 by Sandra Iler Kirkland
    • Great read!
Format: Hardcover
Great read. As a life long Bulls/MJ fan there is still interesting information in here that I didn't know.
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2025 by Bre Doyle
    • An in depth look of the most competitive sports figure in history.
Format: Paperback
Being born in 1997, I did not have the privilege of watching Michael Jordan play live growing up. I grew up in the Kobe and Lebron eras of basketball. This book provides an in-depth understanding of just how competitive Michael Jordan truly is, and how he rose to fame; beginning with his ancestors and great great grandparents. This book shed light to parts of Michael Jordan’s life that I never knew and it changed my perspective of how great Jordan really was (which I didn’t think was possible). It also displays the facets of Jordan’s life that he struggled with but had difficulty acknowledging in public. If you are a basketball fan, especially one that grew up following the eclipse of Jordan’s reign, I highly recommend reading this book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2022 by Drue

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