cover image Jordan: The Man, His Words, His Life

Jordan: The Man, His Words, His Life

Mitchell Krugel. St. Martin's Press, $21.95 (277pp) ISBN 978-0-312-11090-1

Enormously gifted and furiously competitive basketball star Michael Jordan, who retired in 1993, may well have been the best player ever to step onto the court. But his excellence was not unalloyed, claims this depiction of the Chicago Bulls superplayer by Hammond Times (Illinois) staffer Krugel ( Michael Jordan ). His exceptional abilities, which led his team to a record three successive NBA titles, caused Jordan to become impatient with his teammates, whom he pushed constantly to play harder and better. On the other hand, they, too, were competitive and resented not only his talents and his league-leading point totals but also their depiction in the media as his supporting cast. Finally Jordan's international fame made him a prisoner off the court: he could not leave Chicago Stadium without a phalanx of security guards. Though perceptive, this portrait is disorganized. Photos not seen by PW. $50,000 ad/ promo; author tour. (July)