25 Years Later, Jordan Is Still An Icon

25 years ago, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls secured their sixth championship and capped off one of the most impressive runs in NBA history. To celebrate, Upper Deck has put together a collection of unique memorabilia commemorating the unforgettable season and Jordan’s career.

It’s hard to imagine a time when Michael Jordan wasn’t Michael Jordan, the Greatest of All Time. Even to a generation that didn’t grow up watching him, he remains a household name. Michael Jordan is more than an athlete-- he’s an icon.

The seeds of Michael’s greatness were planted long before he touched foot on an NBA floor: Before he was enshrined in the Hall of Fame, before he became the oldest player to ever score 50 points in a game, before he rattled off two separate three-peat championships, before he became a five-time MVP and 10-time scoring champion.

Jordan’s legacy started as a boy who beat the odds, going from cut from his high school basketball team to becoming the star player on the varsity squad the following year. His determination, confidence and competitiveness only continued to grow, and he showed himself as being made for big moments when he knocked down the game-winning shot in the National Championship game as a freshman.

By the time Jordan reached the NBA, there was never doubt from those who saw him up close that he was willing to put in the work, and it would pay off.

Michael Jordan Autographed & Embroidered 1998 NBA All-Star Game Chicago Bulls Mitchell & Ness Jersey 25th Anniversary

Michael Jordan Autographed Spalding Basketball With 25th Anniversary 1998 Championship Laser Engraved Logo

Jordan always got the most out of himself — even when the outcome didn’t go in his favor.

When a young Michael took on the star-studded roster and championship favorites Boston Celtics in the 1986 Playoffs, the budding star hung 63 points on one of the greatest teams ever. That feat set a record for playoff scoring that has not been matched to this day.

It’s that willpower that saw Jordan finally takeover an Eastern Conference that was loaded with future Hall of Famers and break through to the NBA Finals in 1991. There, he met the Los Angeles Lakers, another storied franchise that he’d have to defeat to start his own legacy.

Jordan did just that, and never looked back.

From that season on, there was not another season where Jordan started the year in a Chicago Bulls uniform where he wasn’t raising the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end. And at the end of the 1998 season, a 35-year-old Jordan willed his way to one last title.

That type of success inspired beyond the hardwood. Even 25 years after Jordan’s final title with the Bulls, his legacy looms large. You can’t watch a basketball game at any level without seeing a pair of Jordan sneakers on the court. You can’t debate the greatest of all time without adding his name to the conversation.

Michael Jordan Autographed Nike Air Jordan 10 Retro Seattle Shoes

Michael Jordan Autographed Nike Air Jordan 4 Retro What The Shoes

There will always be players who dominate the NBA in some fashion, whether through scoring or physical dominance or high-flying flair. But there will never be another who can do it all quite like Michael Jordan.

To shop the MJ 25th anniversary collection, including premium memorabilia tied to many of these key moments, visit the UpperDeckStore.com .