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Michael Jordan, my all-time favorite basketball player and athlete was finally inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame along with David Robinson, John Stockton, Vivian Stringer and Jerry Sloan last weekend.

Below is an edited/short version of Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame induction speech.

For those of you who were born after the Michael Jordan era or were still too young and weren’t able to watch him play in the NBA, you can watch videos of Michael Jordan on YouTube or other video sharing sites in the Internet but I’m telling you, its nothing compared to watching him play live even on TV. I wish I had the opportunity to watch him play live but I still feel fortunate to be able to watch him play with the Dream Team in the Barcelona Olympics and in the NBA.

For the sake of those who aren’t familiar with Michael Jordan’s accomplishments, below is list of the honors, awards and scoring titles MJ accomplished during his basketball career.

Honors and Awards

• 2 Olympic Gold Medals – 1984, 1992
• 6-time NBA Champion
• 6-time NBA Finals MVP
• 5-time NBA MVP
• 7-time The Sporting News MVP
• 10 NBA Scoring Titles
• 14 NBA All-Star Selections
• 3-time NBA All-Star Game MVP
• 11 All-NBA Selections
• 9 All-Defensive Selections
• 2-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion – 1987, 1988
• NBA Rookie of the Year – 1984
• NBA Defensive Player of the Year – 1988
• ACC Freshman of the Year – 1982
• ACC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year – 1984
• USBWA College Player of the Year – 1984
• Naismith College Player of the Year – 1984
• John R. Wooden Award – 1984
• Adolph Rupp Trophy – 1984
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year – 1991
• Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996
• Ranked #1 by SLAM Magazine’s Top 50 Players of All-Time
• Ranked #1 by ESPN Sportscentury’s Top 100 Athletes of the 20th century

Michael Jordan All-Time Scoring Records

• Highest career scoring average: MJ 30.12
• Highest career playoff scoring average: MJ 33.4
• Highest career Finals scoring average: MJ 33.6 (min. 15 games)
• Highest single season playoff average: MJ 43.7
• Highest single Finals series average: MJ 41.0
• Most Total Points Playoffs: MJ 5987
• Most seasons leading league in scoring: MJ 10
• Most seasons leading league in total points: MJ 11
• Most consecutive seasons leading in scoring: MJ, Wilt tied at 7
• Most 50 point games playoffs: MJ 8
• Most 40 point games playoffs: MJ 38
• Most 30 point games: MJ 563
• Most 30 point games playoffs: MJ 109
• Most consecutive 50 point games playoffs: MJ 2
• Most consecutive 45 point games playoffs: MJ 3
• Most consecutive 40 point games finals: MJ 4
• Most consecutive 30 point games finals: MJ 9
• Most consecutive 20 point games playoffs: MJ 60
• Most consecutive 20 point games finals: MJ 35
• Most consecutive double figures scoring: MJ 866
• Highest scoring game playoffs: MJ 63
• Most points in one half finals: MJ 35
• Oldest to score 50: MJ 51 at age 38
• Oldest to score 40: MJ 43 at age 40

I know I might sound biased but for me, Michael Jordan is without a doubt, the best basketball player there was and ever will be. Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Pete Maravich, Julius Irving, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isaiah Thomas were all very good basketball players. Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Lebron James are excellent and exciting players too but no one will be as great as His Airness. I’m not only talking about his achievements and records in the basketball court but also about what his done to the sport and how he made the NBA and basketball into something global. MJ did this without the Internet. Imagine if we already had YouTube at that time?

Congratulations to Michael Jordan for finally making it into the NBA Hall of Fame!