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.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Published: 05/06/2014
ISBN: 9780316194778
Pages: 708
Weight: 2.30lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.50w x 1.90d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 03/15/2014
Booklist 04/01/2014 pg. 12
Publishers Weekly 03/31/2014
Library Journal 06/01/2014 pg. 108
New York Times Book Review 06/01/2014 pg. 12
New York Times Book Review 06/08/2014 pg. 34

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 180988 / Michael Jordan: The Life
Reading Level: 7.8 / Interest Level: Upper Grade / Point Value: 43