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When he is not on the court, or on the golf course preparing for his next pro career (he has an eight handicap), Jordan is perpetually on the go. "If I lost my talent tomorrow, I'd say I had a great time and move on. I live for today but plan for the future." Usually surrounded by a herd of adoring friends, fans and family, Jordan is a nonstop flurry of activity. Minutes after a game, a fashionably clad Jordan heads out of the locker-room door for a few hours (and a few nonalcoholic drinks) at choice night spots.
Sometimes, Jordan admits, it is difficult to judge the real intentions of many people he meets. This is especially true in the case of women. Love- struck females swarm around the charismatic Jordan as insistently as do NBA defenders. A few years ago, there was a short-lived romance with actress Robin Givens. Today, despite the hassles, Jordan enjoys an active, and private, social life.
When he decides to stay at home, Jordan does so in splendid style in his new five-bedroom house in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook. In his first-floor "entertainment center" he can choose among 80-plus buttons on three remote controls and switch from the Bang & Olufsen stereo system to the large- screen TV set, to the VCR or CD player, and back again. The basement offers a Jacuzzi, poker table, small black pool table and six-hole putting green.
Jordan's appeal shines through on the bottom line: he may be the biggest draw in professional sports. Since he entered the NBA after helping the U.S. basketball team win the Olympic gold medal in 1984, the association's gross revenues have nearly doubled, to $300 million, and average attendance is up . nearly 4,000 seats a game, to 13,420. At home the Bulls sold out more games over the past 18 months than they had during their entire 22-year history. In a sport that too often becomes sheer drudgery -- the season begins around Halloween and can end as late as mid-June -- Jordan is one of only a handful of NBA players who truly seem to enjoy themselves. Jordan plays as if what he calls "the best job in the world" might be gone tomorrow. He even has a "love of the game" clause written into his contract, which allows him to play basketball anytime, and anywhere, the urge strikes, especially on the playgrounds back home in North Carolina.
But Jordan's delight in the sport is not the main reason he plays basketball. Competition drives Michael Jordan. Incessantly. Whether on the court or weaving his bright red Ferrari Testarossa in and out of Chicago's midday traffic or even putting golf balls on the Astroturf green in his basement, he is constantly testing himself and the opposition. Sometimes that burning competitive drive overrides Jordan's legendary coolness. Last year during a full-court scrimmage with teammates, Jordan stormed out of practice after angrily accusing coach Doug Collins of miscounting the score. Jordan finds motivation for the court each night by imagining his opponent's point of view. "Someone is trying to take something from me, to make a name for himself by outplaying Michael Jordan," he explains in a quiet but firm voice. "I can't let anyone do that." Few ever do.