Early December 2022 Updates.

  

After the Chicago Bulls' 4th championship in 1996, Michael Jordan further made more accomplishments in and outside of the basketball court. By the 1996-1997 season, the Bull had a 69-11 record. They ended their season by losing their final two games to finish the year with 69-13. They missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season. The Chicago Bulls beat Washington and Atlanta in the Playoffs. They faced the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. This caused a rivalry between both teams. Dennis Rodman used mind games against Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning constantly. During the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, Michael Jordan had his first triple-double in All-Star Game history in a victorious effort. The MVP of the game went to Glen Rice. Then, the Chicago Bulls faced the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. The Utah Jazz would be the toughest challenge that the Bulls ever faced in the NBA Finals too. The Jazz had the leaders of Karl Malone and John Stockon (whose coach was Jerry Sloan). In 1997, Karl Malone won the NBA MVP award in a tight race (986-957). This made Michael Jordan take it personally to prove that he was the best player in the League (which he was). The series against the Jazz featured two of the more memorable clutch moments of Jordan's career. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied at 2, Jordan played despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus. In what is known as "The Flu Game", Jordan scored 38 points, including the game-deciding 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining. The Bulls won 90–88 and went on to win the series in six games. For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Jordan received the Finals MVP award. 

By the Summer of 1997, the Chicago Bulls defeated a Greek basketball team in Paris to validate the Chicago Bulls as the best basketball team in the world. Also, Jerry Krause almost split up the Chicago Bulls team in 1997. Jerry Reinsdorf and others prevented that from taking place. Yet, Krause wanted the upcoming season to be the last season of the Chicago Bulls with Pippen, Jordan, and Rodman together. Krause was wrong to make the Bulls to split up so early, but Krause suffered much verbal abuse that was unjust. You can agree to disagree with someone on issues without verbal abuse. That is why the future 1997-1998 season was the last dance. By this season, the Bulls team was great but aging. By this time, Scottie Pippen was injured and had surgery with a bad contract. So, Pippen had to rest for a large part of the 97-98 season. Michael Jordan led the league with 28.7 ppg in that season. In the early part of the 97-98 season, the Chicago Bulls struggled. Michael Jordan was 35 years old in 1998 and playing greatly. Jordan had his fifth regular season MVP award, plus honors for All-NBA First Team, First Defensive Team, and the All-Star Game MVP. Rodman took up more play while Pippen was recovering from injury too. Dennis Rodman wanted to relax, so he went to Vegas to party and unwind. Michael Jordan had to get Rodman from Vegas to make him play basketball. When Scottie Pippen came back, the Chicago Bulls were rejuvenated. The 1998 All-Star Game had Michael Jordan winning MVP, and he competed against a young Kobe Bryant. Kobe would go on to be one of the GOATs and one of the top 10 greatest NBA Players in history. The Bulls won the Eastern Conference Championship for a third straight season, including surviving a seven-game series with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals; it was the first time Jordan had played in a Game 7 since the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals with the New York Knicks. The Bulls defeated the Pacers had a tough journey. Jordan said that he had scratches in the series. Michael Jordan played some of his best basketball in the series. After winning, they moved on to a rematch with the Jazz in the Finals.

The Utah Jazz was ready. The Bulls fought at every game. They had massive victories and struggled too Scottie Pippen played bravely with a back injury at Game 6. The Bulls returned to the Delta Center for Game 6 on June 14, 1998, leading the series 3–2. Jordan executed a series of plays, considered to be one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history. With 41.9 seconds remaining and the Bulls trailing 86–83, Phil Jackson called a timeout. When play resumed, Jordan received the inbound pass, drove to the basket, and sank a shot over several Jazz defenders, cutting Utah's lead to 86–85. The Jazz brought the ball upcourt and passed the ball to Malone, who was set up in the low post and was being guarded by Rodman. Malone jostled with Rodman and caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind him and stole the ball out of his hands.

Jordan then dribbled down the court and paused, eyeing his defender, Jazz guard Bryon Russell. With 10 seconds remaining, Jordan started to dribble right, then crossed over to his left, possibly pushing off Russell, although the officials did not call a foul. Michael Jordan to this day denied that he pushed off anyone in that play. With 5.2 seconds left, Jordan made the climactic shot of his Bulls career, a top-key jumper over a stumbling Russell to give Chicago an 87–86 lead. Afterward, the Jazz' John Stockton narrowly missed a game-winning three-pointer, and the buzzer sounded as Jordan and the Bulls won their sixth NBA championship, achieving a second three-peat in the decade. Once again, Jordan was voted Finals MVP, having led all scorers by averaging 33.5 ppg, including 45 in the deciding Game 6. Jordan's six Finals MVPs is a record. The 1998 Finals holds the highest television rating of any Finals series in history, and Game 6 holds the highest television rating of any game in NBA history.

 

By 1999, times were changing. The NBA had a temporary lockout. With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Michael Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999. On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player but as part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards. Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive, as he controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations, and had the final say in all personnel matters; opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed. He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (like forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland) but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown, and Brown was traded away after four seasons.

Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" he would never play another NBA game, Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback in the summer of 2001, this time with his new team. Inspired by the NHL comeback of his friend Mario Lemieux the previous winter, Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago. In addition, Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return. 

 

On September 25, 2001, Michael Jordan announced his return to the NBA to play for the Washington Wizards. He wanted to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11 attack. He played great in the early part of the 2001-2002 season. He played nearly 30 points a game until his injury.  In an injury-plagued 2001–02 season, Jordan led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.4 spg), and was an MVP candidate, as he led the Wizards to a winning record and playoff contention; he would eventually finish 13th in the MVP ballot. After suffering torn cartilage in his right knee, and subsequent knee soreness, the Wizards missed the playoffs, and Jordan's season ended after only 60 games, the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the 1994–95 season. Jordan started 53 of his 60 games for the season, averaging 24.3 ppg, 5.4 apg, and 6.0 rpg, and shooting 41.9% from the field in his 53 starts. His last seven appearances were in a reserve role, in which he averaged just over 20 minutes per game. The Wizards finished the season with a 37–45 record, an 18-game improvement.

 

Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2003, Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history, a record since broken by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. That year, Jordan was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games, starting in 67 of them, and coming from off the bench in 15. He averaged 20.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 spg per game. He also shot 45% from the field, and 82% from the free-throw line. Even though he turned 40 during the season, he scored 20 or more points 42 times, 30 or more points nine times, and 40 or more points three times. On February 21, 2003, Jordan became the first 40-year-old to tally 43 points in an NBA game. During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the MCI Center were sold out and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20,172 fans a game at home and 19,311 on the road. Jordan's final two seasons did not result in a playoff appearance for the Wizards, and he was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him. At several points, he openly criticized his teammates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity.

 

With the recognition that 2002–03 would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA. In his final game at the United Center in Chicago, which was his old home court, Jordan received a four-minute standing ovation. The Miami Heat retired the No. 23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though Jordan never played for the team. At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson but refused both; in the end, he accepted the spot of Vince Carter. Jordan played in his final NBA game on April 16, 2003, in Philadelphia. After scoring 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter and his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers 75–56. Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike!" After much encouragement from coach Doug Collins, Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game, replacing Larry Hughes with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' Eric Snow, and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie John Salmons, who in turn was intentionally fouled by Bobby Simmons one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. Jordan received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials, and the crowd of 21,257 fans. 

 

Heart disease or cardiovascular disease is one of the most important diseases in human history. Many people suffer from it to this very day, and tons of people have died from it. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that deal with the heart of blood vessels. CVD is also related to coronary artery diseases (CAD) like angina and myocardial infraction (i.e. a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, abnormal heart rhythms, congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, carditis, aortic aneurysms, peripheral artery disease, thromboembolic disease, and venous thrombosis. With more research, we know that about 53% of all CVD deaths relate to dietary risk factors. Coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease involve atherosclerosis. This may be caused by high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes mellitus, lack of exercise, obesity, high blood cholesterol, poor diet, excessive alcohol consumption, and poor sleep, among other things. High blood pressure is estimated to account for approximately 13% of CVD deaths, while tobacco accounts for 9%, diabetes 6%, lack of exercise 6%, and obesity 5%. Rheumatic heart disease may follow untreated strep throat. Researchers say that up to 90% of CVD can be preventable. Prevention of CVD involves improving risk factors like healthy eating, exercise, not using tobacco, and limiting alcohol intake. 

Treating risk factors like high blood pressure, blood lipids, and diabetes is also beneficial. Treating people who have strep throat with antibiotics can decrease the risk of rheumatic heart disease. The benefit of healthy people using aspirin involving heart disease is unclear. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide except in Africa. Together CVD resulted in 17.9 million deaths (32.1%) in 2015, up from 12.3 million (25.8%) in 1990. Deaths, at a given age, from CVD are more common and have been increasing in much of the developing world, while rates have declined in most of the developed world since the 1970s. Coronary artery disease and stroke account for 80% of CVD deaths in males and 75% of CVD deaths in females. Most cardiovascular disease affects older adults. In the United States, 11% of people between 20 and 40 have CVD, while 37% between 40 and 60, 71% of people between 60 and 80, and 85% of people over 80 have CVD. The average age of death from coronary artery disease in the developed world is around 80, while it is around 68 in the developing world. CVD is typically diagnosed seven to ten years earlier in men than in women.

There are many types of heart disease from peripheral arterial disease or disease of the blood vessels that supply blood to the arms and legs and cardiomyopathy (or diseases of cardiac muscle). That is why people have to know the risk factors for heart diseases. They include air pollution, psychosocial factors, genetic predisposition, and family history of cardiovascular disease, Each person varies with risk factors. People with obesity are at increased risk of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Cardiovascular disease in a person's parents increases their risk by 3-fold. Older people have an increased risk of CVDs too. That is why 82 percent of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 years old or older. The risk of stroke doubles every decade after age 55. Some believe that this risk is because serum total cholesterol increases as men and women age. Also, the vascular wall changes as we age, so coronary artery disease increase as the arterial elasticity goes down. Men are at greater risk of heart disease than pre-menopausal women. The risk of ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus is reduced by almost a third in adults who participate in 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week (or equivalent). High dietary intakes of saturated fat, trans-fats, and salt, and low intake of fruits, vegetables, and fish are linked to cardiovascular risk, although whether all these associations indicate causes are disputed. The World Health Organization attributes approximately 1.7 million deaths worldwide to low fruit and vegetable consumption.

Screening devices can help people to find their risks like lipid testing, screening ECGs, and other devices. Up to 90% of cardiovascular disease may be preventable if established risk factors are avoided. A healthy diet can reduce the risk like the Mediterranean diet, or plant-based diet (like vegetarian, vegan, etc.). Polyunsaturated vegetable oil can reduce CVD by 30 percent. Weight loss, limit drinking alcohol, statin treatment, no smoking (and avoiding secondhand smoke), at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, getting adequate sleep (which is 7-9 hours of sleep), and other actions can help people. Evidence suggests that the Mediterranean diet may improve cardiovascular outcomes. There is also evidence that a Mediterranean diet may be more effective than a low-fat diet in bringing about long-term changes to cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., lower cholesterol level and blood pressure). The DASH diet (high in nuts, fish, fruits, and vegetables, and low in sweets, red meat, and fat) has been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and improve metabolic syndrome; but the long-term benefits have been questioned. A high-fiber diet is associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease.

 

 

By the 21st Century, San Diego saw massive construction. By 2001, the San Diego River Park Foundation was formed. There was the rebirth of the San Diego Convention Center in 2001, and Petoc Park was opened in 2004. Now, San Diego is the center of an emerging biotech industry. It is home to the telecommunications giant Qualcomm. San Diego is a large center of the tourism industry. Tons of people in America visit the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, and Legoland California in Carlsbad. In 2006, San Deigo was revered back to a Mayor-council form of government on a five-year trial basis. This form of government was made permanent in 2010. The October 2007 San Diego County wildfires caused hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate, which exceeded the number evacuated from New Orleans during the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. In 2017, the Chicano Park murals were named a National Historic Landmark. This was born out of protests in 1970. It is home to the largest collection of outdoor murals in U.S. In 2017, the San Diego Seals team was created, and they join the National Lacross League. Todd Gloria became the first person of color (and member of the LGBTQ community) to be Mayor of San Diego. In 2022, Sesame Place San Diego opened up in Chula Vista, California. By 2023, San Diego will host the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship. 

 

Carla Kemp is one of the best health coaches of our generation. Her company is called Fab N Fit by Carla. She wants people to know that the body can react to the mind, and the human mind can cause people (including people 50 years old or older) to increase their vitality as a person. For years, she has been a model. She is a Los Angeles native too. Every day, she wants to inspire women to achieve their own goals. She has many streams of income in her life. She wants people to be the best version of themselves. 

 

Stephanie Person is an expert fitness expert and skateboarder. Her story is an inspirational story. She has helped her mother to cause her to be cancer free for many years. Her mother's carbohydrate intake was released, and her other methods caused her to save her life. She promotes a ketosis health plan. For years, she has helped many people to be inspirational in their best health. She has been a public speaker, consultant, and expert in health for a long time now. She was in skateboarding magazines back in the 1980's. In 2010, she was featured in "How We Roll" a six-month exhibition of Black Surf and Skate Culture at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles. Right now, she is 55 years old. 

 

By the 21st century, Pam Grier has worked hard in acting from television shows to movies. She finished playing Elanor Winthrop on Linc's by the year 2000. She was on shows like Night Visions, Justice League in 2002 as My'ria'h, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and Lady of the House. She was on the show The L Word as Kit Porter for 70 episodes from 2004 to 2009. Later, she played Amanda Waller on Smallville in 2010. She worked on This is Us as a grandmother. In 2022, she played Neckbone in the animated series of The Great North. She was in films like 3 A.M. and the famous film of Bones. Bones is a thriller with Snoop Dogg having a role too. Back in the Day was a serious film in 2005 where she played Mrs. Cooper (the film also starred Ja Rule and Ving Rhames). This movie had her acting as a mother trying to keep her family away from the street life of crime and social destruction. Pam Grier was Detective Barrick in the movie in 2012 called Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day. The 2019 film Poms featured her as the character of Olive. In 2010, Grier wrote her memoir, Foxy: My Life in Three Acts, with Andrea Cagan. Grier received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 2011. That same year, she received an honorary Doctorate of Science from Langston University. According to Essence magazine, in Grier's career, "[s]o revolutionary were the characters Grier played that women reportedly would stand on chairs and cheer." She founded the Pam Grier Community Garden and Education Center with the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum. The purpose is to teach people about organic gardening, health, and nutrition among other things. The museum named its first garden in honor of Grier in 2011. In January 2018, Grier revealed a biopic based on her memoir in the works, entitled Pam. In April 2022, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) announced the fourth season of their podcast, The Plot Thickens, would focus on Grier's life and career. So, Pam Grier has been creating tons of accomplishments and institutions for decades. 

By Timothy