THEY CALLED HIM "MJ". NO, HE IS NOT THE "MJ" KNOWN FOR "BEAT IT", "BILLIE JEAN" NOR "THRILLER"... AND NO, HE'S NOT THE "MJ", INFAMOUS FOR HS FANCY FOOTWORK OR THE "MOONWALK". THAT MJ GAVE US THRILLS AND CHILLS IN '82, AND BILLIE JEAN, WHO BEAT IT IN "83". HOWEVER, IN 1984, THE CULTURE WAS WAITING FOR THE WORLD ACCORDING TO "GEORGE ORWELL", BUT THEY GOT MJ's "VICTORY" INSTEAD. IT EARNED HIM THE CROWN AS "KING OF POP", WHILE THAT SAME YEAR, ANOTHER "MJ" WOULD JOIN HIM IN THE PROFESSIONAL ROYALTY RANKS.
THE NEW MJ HAD "BEAT IT" OUT OF CHAPEL HILL, AS AN '82 NCAA CHAMPION. THEN LATER, BEFORE HIS PRO DEBUT, WAS THE "1984 COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR" (NOT ONE OF ORWELL'S PREDICTIONS). GEORGE ALSO HADN'T FORECAST THIS NEW MJ AS THE "1985 NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR", AND SO, COINCEDENTALLY, NEW COKE, PREMIERED THE SAME YEAR WITH MORE COMPETITION OTHER THAN PEPSI. ONCE THIS MJ GOT HIS FEET WET, HE DEMONSTRATED TO THE WORLD HOW WELL THOSE FEET COULD FLY IN THE SKY AND "WALK ON THE MOON", IF NOT WATER. IT WOULD TAKE A FEW YEARS FOR HIM TO CAPTURE SLAM DUNK TITLES (2), AND SCORING CROWNS (10). FROM 1991-1993, HE WAS "BULLISH" ON THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION, WINNING A "THREE-PEAT" OF NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND EVERBODY WANTED TO "BE LIKE MIKE"!
HE WOULD "RUN WITH THE BULLS" IN PAMPLONA AND RAN WITH THE '92 "DREAM TEAM" IN BARCELONA. RACING THE BULLS IN THE STREET, AND OTHER NBA STARS, SHOWED HOW WELL HE COULD COMPETE. BY THEN, HE WAS READY TO TAKE HIS RIGHTFUL SEAT ON THE HARDWOOD THRONE WITH THE BEST HOOP STARS IN THE WORLD. "IF I COULD BE LIKE MIKE!
THREE BLINGS OF CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS BROUGHT A "YAWN", AND WHAT TO DO NEXT? WINNING PUT HIM TO SLEEP, AND VISIONS OF DIAMONDS, BASEBALL DIAMONDS THAT IS, DANCED IN HIS HEAD. SO, HE RETIRED, GIVING THE REST OF THE NBA HOPE FOR SUCCESS. IN HIS ABSENCE, THE ROCKETS BLASTED OFF IN '94 AND '95. MEANWHILE THIS NEW MJ BLASTED BASEBALLS TO FULFILL HIS DREAM, THEN RETURNED TO THE HARDWOODS WITH HIS OLD TEAM, TO WIN MORE DIAMONDS.
"DRESSED DOWN" IN #45, IT WAS 19 AND 95, A FEW DAYS AFT THE MARCH "IDES", WHEN "MIGHTY MIKE" HAD JUST ARRIVED...
THAT NEW JERSEY NUMBER, HE WORE THROUGH THE SUMMER, A TRIBUTE TO DAD, AND HIS OLDER BROTHER
HE WORE IT A WHILE, BUT FELT OUT OF STYLE, IT JUST HAD TO BE, THAT MAGICAL "2-3"
THIS SEASON WAS ENDING, SUCCESS WOULD BE PENDING, IT WOULD TAKE ONE MORE YEAR, TO RETURN TO THE CHEERS
BEFORE HE WENT BACK, TO THE NBA COURTS, HE HAD A BIG CHALLENGE, FROM "MONSTARS" OF SORTS
GOT CAUGHT IN A MESS, BUT TURNED OUT THE BEST, WHEN CREATURES FROM SPACE, PUT HIM TO THE TEST
LOLA, BUGS AND DAFFY THE DUCK, SQUARE OFF IN A MATCH WITH SOME MEAN "NERDILUCKS"
MIKE JOINED THAT TUNE SQUAD TO GIVE THEM A HAND, THE NERDS HAVE NO LUCK WHEN HE THROWS HIS "SPACE JAM!"
SO, "I'M BACK", HE PROCLAMED, HE STILL HAD HIS "GAME", WHEN HE KICKED OFF THE RUST, LEFT THE REST IN THE DUST.
9-6, 9-7, 9-8 WERE ALL HEAVEN, MJ HAD A RUN WHICH FEW OTHERS HAD DONE
ONE TIME, TWO TIMES, THREE TIMES A CHARM, FOUR, FIVE AND SIX TIMES, PLEASE SOUND THE ALARM
HE TOOK ON ALL COMERS, IN HIS VICTORY STANCE, COME '98, HE WOULD HAVE HIS "LAST DANCE"
BUT NO, NOT SO FAST, HE CAME BACK ONE LAST, THAT ROUNDBALL MAGICIAN, STILL HAD SOME GAS
A CRY OUT FROM DC, THE CAPITAL CITY, PERFORMED LIKE A WIZARD AND RELIEVED THEM FROM PITY
SIX TIMES A CHAMPION MJ, IS HE, FOURTEEN WE SEE, HE'S AN MVP
TOO, FOURTEEN TIMES, HE WAS AN ALL-STAR, IS THAT NEW"MJ", THE G.O.A.T. BY SO FAR?
I WANNA BE, I WANNA BE, LIKE MIKE, OH, IF I COULD BE LIKE MIKE!