By Adan Vasquez
Daily Titan Sports Editor

Basketball as we know it has been around for decades. Players have come and gone, some good, others great. But every now and then there comes a special individual who stands out.

His name is Michael Jordan.

Anyone who remembers the Jordan Era remembers the moment he burst into the national spotlight.

In the 1982 National Championship game against Georgetown and future rival Patrick Ewing, it was Jordan, not James Worthy or long-armed Sam Perkins, who sank the game-winning shot to give the University of North Carolina the NCAA title. But this was only the beginning of something extraordinary.

The former Chicago Bulls star retired from the National Basketball Association three times (in 1993, ‘99 and finally in 2003), but not before earning various accolades. Jordan owns six NBA titles, five MVPs, was a 14-time All-Star and made the NBA First Team 10 times. He owns two Olympic gold medals from 1984 and 1992’s historic Dream Team as well.

And who can forget his rivalry with the Atlanta Hawks’ Dominique Wilkins in the 1988 NBA Slam Dunk contest? Jordan soared from the free-throw line, rocked the cradle and simply magnified the crowd as everyone was accustomed to, ultimately earning him his second-consecutive dunk title.

But what Jordan is most recently remembered for is leaving Bryon Russell in the dust and sinking a picture perfect game-winning shot against the Utah Jazz to clinch the 1998 NBA Championship for the Bulls.

Like that final shot, most of Jordan’s career was a highlight reel. Look at the guy’s body of work: From 1982 to 2003, there are thousands, and that’s being modest, of clips of Jordan making exceptionally talented basketball players look average.

Former Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan soars through the air. Photo Courtesy MCT.

In ‘91 he took out Magic Johnson’s favored Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. Then in ‘92 and ‘93, he took out the Portland Trailblazers and Phoenix Suns. In ‘95 he returned to the game after giving baseball a try; and in ‘96, he began his second three-peat. With the exception of Scottie Pippen, he completed two separate three-peats with two teams made up of almost completely different rosters.

This is a man who made Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, John Stockton, Isaiah Thomas – I could go on, but the list may never end – know that they were a very distant second to him. And the distance wasn’t close at all.

Despite the clear argument of him being the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan is the first to admit that he cannot consider himself the greatest because he never had the opportunity to go up against those before his time, such as basketball legends Jerry West, who the NBA’s trademark logo is modeled after, and Bill Russell, who owns 11 NBA titles.

Whether he is the greatest basketball player ever seen will always be a topic of debate between historians. It’s pretty clear, but that is not what this column is about.

What should be examined is whether Jordan deserves to be recognized by the NBA in an unprecedented manner. Clearly his accomplishments deserve to be recognized, but Jordan did more than win on the hardwood: He modernized sports for athletes and brought them into the mainstream. He was the first of his kind.

He is recognized nearly everywhere across the globe, and people of all races have come to embrace and idolize him. He was the poster-child not only for the NBA during his era but arguably for the entire world of sports.

Recently, Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James came out and said that the NBA should retire Jordan’s number, meaning no other player, including himself, would be allowed to call number 23 their own.

For someone of James’ stature to publicly call for this move is surprising, especially considering that he is known for his number. However, he also admitted that without Jordan, the game wouldn’t be what it is today. He went on to say that he would gladly switch to number 6 as early as next season.

Having followed Jordan’s career diligently and always admiring him with a level of respect and having Jordan’s number retired league-wide and hanging from every team arena’s rafters would be a great call.

Some have asked to change the NBA logo to Jordan, but that belongs to West. Changing it would take away from what West accomplished. And besides, Jordan already has his own logo with his Jordan brand, so that would be unnecessary.

The only other athletes in sports to have their number retired league-wide are Major League Baseball’s Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier as the first black to play in the major leagues when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, and Wayne Gretzky, who turned the National Hockey League into his own playground.

Both of those men revolutionized their respective sport, and so did Jordan.

Jordan helped commercialize the game. He brought a different attitude, desire and passion that at the time had yet to be witnessed. Although his athleticism, scoring ability and improvisation were the most known parts of his game, Jordan was also one of the leagues best defenders and was fundamentally sound in every single aspect of the game.

Without Jordan, we wouldn’t have the Kobe Bryants, the Dwyane Wades or the Carmelo Anthonys the way we see them today. Yes, they would still be great, but without Jordan to look up to, their approach to the game may have been vastly different.

So should the NBA retire his number? Don’t turn to him for the final decision because he might not want it, but the NBA should definitely do this, and do it soon.

Give Jordan the respect he deserves because just like his days on the basketball court, he is above and beyond the rest of his competition.