With the first three-peat, there is no question that Michael Jordan has proved the naysayers wrong. Even as early as 1992 (according to his 1998 autobiography For the Love of the Game. In the book, Michael Jordan wrote that he was exhausted due to the Dream Team run in the 1992 Summer Olympics), Michael Jordan expressed his goal to leave basketball to go and play baseball. Jordan faced massive stardom and scrutiny that the average person never experienced. One tragic event would change his life forever. That was when his father, James R. Jordan Sr., was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina. He was murdered by 2 teenagers (Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery). The murderers carjacked his Lexus bearing the license plate "UNC 0023." His body was placed in a South Carolina swamp. It wasn't discovered until August 3, 1993. Green and Demery were found after they made calls on James Jordan's cell phone. They were both convicted at a trial and sentenced to life in prison. Michael Jordan was very close to his father and stuck his tongue out like his father did when he was absorbed in work. In 1996, Michael Jordan founded a Chicago area Boys and Girls Club and dedicated it to his father. On October 6, 1993, Michael Jordan announced his retirement from basketball sitting next to his first wife. This came about when I was in the 5th grade of elementary school. It sent shockwaves across the NBA, across America, and across the world. The news was on the front pages of newspapers around the world too.
Jordan further surprised the sports world by signing a Minor League Baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox on February 7, 1994. He reported to spring training in Sarasota, Florida, and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994. Jordan said that this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who always envisioned his son as a Major League Baseball player. The White Sox were owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball.
In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 30 stolen bases, 114 strikeouts, 51 bases on balls, and 11 errors. His strikeout total led the team and his games played tied for the team lead. His 30 stolen bases were second on the team only to Doug Brady. He also appeared for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League, batting .252 against the top prospects in baseball. On November 1, 1994, his No. 23 was retired by the Bulls in a ceremony that included the erection of a permanent sculpture known as The Spirit outside the new United Center. Michael Jordan had a good baseball career, and he was getting better as time went on.
By the 1993-1994 season, Michael Jordan wasn't in the lineup. They lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. The 1994–95 Bulls were not the same championship team of just two years earlier. Struggling at mid-season to ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago was 31–31 at one point in mid-March; the team received help when Jordan decided to return to the Bulls.
In March 1995, Jordan decided to quit baseball because he feared he might become a replacement player during the Major League Baseball strike. On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a two-word press release: "I'm back." The next day, Jordan took to the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points. The game had the highest Nielsen rating of any regular season NBA game since 1975. Although he could have worn his original number even though the Bulls retired it, Jordan wore No. 45, his baseball number.
Despite his eighteen-month hiatus from the NBA, Jordan played well, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. He scored 55 points in his next game, against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1995. Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 13–4 to make the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic. At the end of Game 1, Orlando's Nick Anderson stripped Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the Magic; he later commented that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan", and said that "No. 45 doesn't explode like No. 23 used to."
Jordan responded by scoring 38 points in the next game, which Chicago won. Before the game, Jordan decided that he would immediately resume wearing his former No. 23. The Bulls were fined $25,000 for failing to report the impromptu number change to the NBA. Jordan was fined an additional $5,000 for opting to wear white sneakers when the rest of the Bulls wore black. He averaged 31 ppg in the playoffs, but Orlando won the series in six games.
Jordan was freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, and he trained aggressively for the 1995–96 season. The Bulls were strengthened by the addition of rebound specialist Dennis Rodman, and the team dominated the league, starting the season at 41–3. The Bulls eventually finished with the best regular season record in NBA history, 72–10, a mark broken two decades later by the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors. Jordan led the league in scoring with 30.4 ppg, and he won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards.
In the playoffs, the Bulls lost only three games in four series (Miami Heat 3–0, New York Knicks 4–1, and Orlando Magic 4–0), as they defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 4–2 in the NBA Finals to win their fourth championship. Jordan was named Finals MVP for a record fourth time, surpassing Magic Johnson's three Finals MVP awards; he also achieved only the second sweep of the MVP awards in the All-Star Game, regular season, and NBA Finals after Willis Reed in the 1969–70 season. Upon winning the championship, his first since his father's murder, Jordan reacted emotionally, clutching the game ball and crying on the locker room floor
Michael Jordan is the fourth of five children. He has two older brothers, Larry Jordan and James R. Jordan Jr., one older sister, Deloris, and one younger sister, Roslyn. James retired in 2006 as the command sergeant major of the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army. Jordan's nephew through Larry, Justin Jordan, played NCAA Division I basketball for the UNC Greensboro Spartans and is a scout for the Charlotte Hornets. Michael Jordan married his first wife Juanita Vanoy on September 2, 1989, at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. They had two sons, Jeffrey and Marcus, and a daughter, Jasmine. The Jordans filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but reconciled shortly thereafter. They again filed for divorce and were granted a final decree of dissolution of marriage on December 29, 2006, commenting that the decision was made "mutually and amicably" It is reported that Juanita received a $168 million settlement (equivalent to $226 million in 2021), making it the largest celebrity divorce settlement on public record at the time. Michael Jordan wrote a love letter to actress and model Amy Hunter in 1989. Amy Hunter was on The Kingdom, Pacific Blue, The Scorpion King, and other shows and movies for over 30 decades. It is no secret that Michael Jordan had affairs which I don't agree with. Jordan proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto, on Christmas 2011, and they were married on April 27, 2013, at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. It was announced on November 30, 2013, that the two were expecting their first child together. On February 11, 2014, Prieto gave birth to identical twin daughters named Victoria and Ysabel. In 2019, Jordan became a grandfather when his daughter Jasmine gave birth to a son, whose father is professional basketball player Rakeem Christmas.
Learning about health is always a blessing. The human brain is one of the most important organs in the human body. It has billions of nerves that communicate via connections called synapses. Some of the most serious research that comes about has dealt with the brain, mental health issues, and brain-related diseases (like dementia and Alzheimer's disease), and there is a growing industry of supplements geared to grow brain health (in improving cognition, memory, concentration, etc.). The skull and a layer of tissue called meninges help to protect the brain. Voluntary and involuntary activities of the human body are controlled by the brain. There are many examples of this like the brain controlling heartbeat, the actions of the lungs, sending information to muscles and bones to deal with movement, and controlling thoughts and emotions. The brain is one of the most important parts of the body consuming about 22 percent of the calories in the body. Adequate diets are required to maintain great brain health. That is why healthy meals are needed to boost long term and short-term functions of the human brain.
There are tons of foods that grow brain health. One is a fish oil with omega-3 fatty acids. Over 50 percent of the brain is made of up fats. Omega 3 fatty acids are half of these facts. These fatty acids help to grow the membranes that surround the brain cells. So, they promote the structure of the brain cells called neurons. Studies prove that people who consume high levels of Omega-3 have a better functioning brain to the increase of gray matter in their brains, the cognitive and thinking abilities of people who consumed omega-3s in high quantities are the following foods: salmon, trout, albacore tuna, mackerel, sardines, and herring. Omega-3s are also found in nuts, soybeans, flaxseed, and other seeds, so consumption of these foods increases the function of the brain. Inadequate omega-3s in the brain can lead to the inability to learn fast, anxiety and depression. Berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, mulberries, and blackberries will develop the mind. The reason is that these berries have flavonoid antioxidants. Antioxidants help to decrease inflammation and stress from oxidative activities. Antioxidants found in berries are anthocyanin, catechin, quercetin, and caffeic acid. A scientist did a study in 2014, and it showed that the antioxidants in berries had the following positive influence on the brain; enhanced communication between brain cells, decreased inflammation in not only the brain cells but in other cells of the body, allows the brain cells create new connections between each other boosting memory and ability to acquire new knowledge by increasing the plasticity, decrease or delay neurodegenerative illnesses and cognitive impairment that are age-related. Coffee has caffeine and antioxidants. It increases alertness by hindering adenosine. It can lower the risk of neurological diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's too, because it has high levels of antioxidants. There is a debate on whether tumeric has health benefits or not.
Broccoli had plant compounds and antioxidants along with Vitamin K. Vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin that helps to provide sphingolipids that are usually found in brain cells. Consumption of broccoli increases the cognitive ability of the brain and enhances the memory of the brain. Aside from vitamin K, other compounds are present in broccoli that makes it an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent to protect the brain. It is a known fact that nuts and seeds help with brain function. They have omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants that develop the functions of the mind. They have Vitamin E that shields the brain from stress resulting from free radicals. Vitamin E also enhances the brain's cognitive status and decreases the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Examples of nuts and seeds that have elevated levels of vitamin E are; sunflowers, almonds, and hazelnuts. Peanuts have Vitamin E too and minerals like resveratrol as a natural antioxidant that improves communication between brain cells. Resveratrol is a natural antioxidant that is present in mulberries, peanuts, and rhubarb. Research has shown that resveratrol protects the body from neurological diseases. Eggs and Dark chocolate help with brain help too. Eggs have Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, and folic acid to prevent the brain from shrinking and cognitive impairment. Dark chocolate consists of flavonoids, antioxidants, and caffeine that help enhance the brain’s functions. Flavonoids present in dark chocolate accumulate in regions of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Avocados contain unsaturated fats that help develop a healthy brain, and they help decrease blood pressure. High blood pressure contributes to cognitive impairment, so the consumption of avocados helps to increase cognitive ability. Sources of unsaturated fats that help enhance brain function include fish, walnut and brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and chia seeds. All these foods have recommended daily intake; therefore, Excess consumption of any of these foods has side effects on the brain. Nutritionists always advise sticking to the daily allowances of these foods.
Dr. Yahshia Dooley is a board-certified OB/GYN physician. She knows the complexities of medicine and helped the lives of women for over 20 years. She is also a businesswoman. Her podcast deals with entrepreneurship, medicine, and helping physicians to develop their talents to the next level. Dr. Dooley helps women to develop their lives as a life coach. At the end of the day, a great physician deals with research, communicating with people honestly and with compassion, and working hard to develop solutions to critical issues. Dr. Dooley has experience in the U.S. Air Force too, as many great workers have been in the military field for generations.
Angelique Miles is a health and fitness expert. She is a New Yorker who worked in the health industry for over 20 years. Later, she used workouts like Cross Fit to become a runner. She wants to inspire women of a certain age to live their best lives. She travels, she is active in her community, and she believes that fitness is the fountain of youth. She said that as she has gotten older, she cut off sugar in general and dairy products. She is over 50 years and advises people over 50 to work out when they can. Angelique Miles survived being stabbed when she was 16 years old, survived psoriasis, and overcame self-esteem issues. She is a Marvel comics fan too. Marvel showed a comic image of her as a hero, as she is a fan of Spiderman, Black Panther, and other likeminded stories.
Pam Grier changed society in many ways. To this very day, she is very humble about her experiences and contributions to movies and television shows. She has been through the storm in her life early on (she experienced sexual assault and later survived cervical cancer back in the 1980's). Yet, Pam Grier survived the storm to be an inspiration to human beings, especially to black women to see that they can achieve greatness through their own power. The independent power of Pam Grier developed into a huge legacy involving our society in general. She helped to shape cinema, feminism, and gave new insights into the lives of black women. She has shown the image of black women to be powerful, diverse, and willing to stand up against injustice. You will notice that the films like Coffy, Foxy Brown, Sheba Baby, and Friday Foster were about a woman (and other people) working together to confront evils in our community like drug addiction, the War on Drugs, police corruption, Mafia criminal actions, and abuse of fellow human beings. Pam Grier was one of the first modern black woman superhero in the movie industry. After the 1970's, all women action stars of every color owe a debt of gratitude to Pam Grier and her sacrifice to make complex images of black women grow. Pam Grier has an American story. She was born in the South in Winston Salem, North Carolina, many of her relatives lived in the Mountain West over in Wyoming, and she always worked hard to achieve her goals. To this day, she has her own ranch which is an homage to the work ethic of her ancestors. Her memoir from 2010 is entitled, Foxy: My Life in Three Acts. From Turner Movie Classics having a podcast about her inspirational life to tons of musicians, intellectuals, and everyday fans being influenced by her, Pam Grier made an undeniable mark in black culture and world culture as a whole. At the end of the day, everything comes down to the Golden Rule. Treating people with respect, standing up for yourself, fighting for what is right, promoting truth, and defending justice will cause blessings in all of our lives. It is what it is. Pam Grier is a gorgeous black woman who has been an icon in our lives indeed.
By 1969, rock music and pop music changed in fashion, culture, and songs forever. It was a sound lightyear different from the music of 1960. By the late 1960's, revolutionary movements grew, the anti-Vietnam War movement was even more potent, and everything evolved into a new eclectic style. By January of 1969, the Beatles performed live for the last time on the roof of their London record label Apple Records. Space Oddity was a hit by David Bowie. Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones drowned. By January 1969, Led Zeppelin made their debut self-titled album. It would be one of the most influential rock albums of history with Jimmy Page being a guitarist of the band. They would grow their popularity even more by the 1970's. UK vocalist Dusty Springfield's song of Son of A Preacher Man was very powerful. Crimson and Clover from Tommy James and the Shondells would promote psychedelic rock. Kick Out the Jams by the MC5 in February 1969 would be proto-punk before punk was created. Their music was anti-establishment. Sly and the Family Stone was based in San Francisco, California. Their hit Everyday People outlined a new multicultural world developing in American Society. Sly Stone is a musical genius. The band was diverse, and they had more hits like I Want To Take You Higher with funk elements as well. The greatness of Sly and the Family Stone is that its music appeared to every one of every color (and every fan of many genres of music). Some music is just universally great or excellent. Dizzy was a pop record made by Tommy Roe in March 1969. Creedence Clearwater Revival had Proud Mary as a single. The reggae and ska singer Desmond Dekker released the popular song of Israelites. It was the first reggae song to chart in America. The Fifth Dimension released tons of music like the hit Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In. They had talented black singers in the group. Neil Young, the Who, and Simon and Garfunkel released many albums and songs. By April of 1969, Aretha Franklin released her album called "Soft and Beautiful." By May 1969, Crosby, Stills, and Nash released their debut album. John Lennon in June 1969 had the bed ins for peace in Amsterdam and Montreal. Lennon had the song Give Peace a Chance being supported by his wife Yoko Ono. The Easy Rider soundtrack had music from Steppenwolf, the Byrds, The Electric Prunes, and other artists.
One great concert was the Harlem Cultural Festival which took place in 1969. It was shown in the 2021 documentary called Summer of Soul. It lasted from June 29, 1969, to August 24, 1969. The Festival had Abbey Lincoln, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, George Kirby, Olatunji, Max Roach, The Staple Singers, Herman Stevens and The Voices of Faith, David Ruffin, Chuck Jackson, Gladys Knights and the Pips, Lou Parks Dancers, Nina Simone, B.B. King, Hugh Masekela, and other artists. The festival took place in Mount Morris Park in Harlem, NYC. On July 30, 1969, Columbia Records released In A Silent Way by Miles Davis. This was one of the first, jazz/rock fusion albums featuring John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul, and Chick Corea. In 1969, tons of classic songs existed like My Whole World Ended by David Ruffin, It's Your Thing by The Isley Brothers, Too Busy Thinking About My Baby by Marvin Gaye, Johnnie Taylor (I Wonna), Betty Everett's There'll Come a Time, The Impression Choice of Colors, Carla Thomas's "I Like What You're Doing (To Me), and Stevie Wonder's Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday. Clarence Carter and Gladys Knights and the Pips had classic music too. Marvin Gaye had many duets with Tammi Terrell during 1969 too. Tammi Terrell is an underrated artist from Philadelphia.
By August 1969, the Woodstock Music Festival existed. About 500,000 people were there to hear music from Jimi Hendrix to other people in upstate Bethel, NY. The event was released as a movie and triple album in 1970. The Youngbloods, The Archies, and Bob Dylan released music. In 1969, the Temptations embraced a more futuristic, funk, and psychedelic sound. Janis Joplin released music in September 11, 1969 in her album of "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!" By September 23, 1969, the Supremes and The Temptations released an album together called ironically "Together.' It covered many songs like Can't Take My Eyes Off You, etc. The Temptations had the number one U.S. hit in October 1969 with the song I Can't Get Next to You. The song was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. The Funk Brothers helped with the song too. By October of 1969, Whole Lott Love was released by Led Zeppelin. The song sounded hard and proto-metal. Fleetwood Mac, made music too. By November of 1969, Elvis Presley released his comeback singles like Suspicious Minds, In the Ghetto, and others music. He performed lived in Las Vegas to show his comeback to music. The Allman Brothers had their debut in November 1969. The Beatles released Abbey Road in November of 1969. The 1960's in music ended with the Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, Northern California. The Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Santa, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and the Flying Burrito Brothers performed. Yet, an innocent young black man was murdered by cowards later on. Leaving on a Jet Plane was the December 1969 hit released by the New York City folk group Peter, Paul, and Mary. The Jackson Five music was involved with soul, pop, and R&B music. The song I Want Your Back by the Jackson Five was released in early October 1969. The group performed the song on Hollywood Palace and the Ed Sullivan Show (on December 14, 1969). On December 1969, the Jackson Five had their debut album called Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5. The rest is history. By the 1970's, with songs like ABC, the Jackson Five was highly influential and popular worldwide. Diana Ross deserves great credit for promoting the Jackson Five too. Michael Jackson, as the lead singer of the Jackson Five, showed unparalleled talent in singing and dancing. The Jackson family became a staple of American culture and world musical history indeed.
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