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By now everyone knows that Michael Jordan is as much an icon as he is an athlete. Hell, Bijan launched its signature Jordan cologne with an ad campaign whose primary identifying feature was the shape of Jordan's head. The shape of his head! But if Jordan has graduated to a higher pop-cultural plateau, it's due mainly to his basketball prowess, which he once again clearly demonstrated in 1996-97: He won his ninth scoring title in his last nine full seasons; he led the Chicago Bulls to their fifth NBA title in his last five full seasons; he won his fifth Finals MVP award in five appearances. Said Miami coach Pat Riley after Jordan and the Bulls had beaten the Heat 4-1 in the Eastern Conference finals, "Michael hasn't lost much. He's played the game better than he's ever played it in his life." Exactly.
From Sports Illustrated: Photograph by Al Tielemans
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