.....MICHAEL JORDAN....1985....Italy....(PIC with article)

MICHAEL JEFFREY JORDAN

However unbelievable it might seem, also this legendary player played twice - and for free - in Valtellina, welcome by sold-out sport arenas.
Agosto 1985: right after leaving North Carolina, where he had been almost unstoppable, he was picked by thew Chicago Bulls. A few years later, this young and promising player, under contract with Nike, performed at Valtellina Basket Circuit, drawn here by some favorable circumstances of which Diego Pini immediately took advantage. As Pini recalls: «This whole deal was born in Caspoggio at 3 am, while I was having dinner with some basketball friends after a summer league game. Among us was Giorgio Campana, brother of well-known journalist Enrico, who came to Valtellina along with Caserta basketball team. Campana expressed his concern about the arrangement of Michael Jordan´s stay in Italy. He was about to perform in Trieste for a Stefanel-Caserta exhibition game, but nobody had arranged for his location in the days before the game. We all suggested that he could come to Bormio, but Campana argued that at least we had to arrange for a helicopter for transporting Michael. Although it was 3 am, we immediately phoned Maurizio Gandolfi, hotel owner in Bormio, and he warmly accepted our request, though casting the doubt that he had not realized which player was coming. Therefore, drinking the remainder of our grappa bottle, we signed the contract». Bormio´s Pentagono was packed and cheerful in celebrating the astonishing performance of this champion, provided with a unique talent for sinking shoots.



Agosto 1990: Jordan was already regarded as the best NBA player, but he had not won the title yet. This time, in order to increase the capacity, his exhibition was set in Palaghiaccio, the ice-hockey arena properly arranged to host a basketball game. Here´s an excerpt from the following day edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, the main italian sport paper. «Thirty-eights point, seven dunks in some thirty minutes of play. No question, he is number one. People would like to get an autograph from him, perhaps with the excuse of the young child crying for it, and would do everything even to towel his back dry. No way, at the end of the game Michael runs into the locker room: how could he sign all autographs? How could he pose for every amateur photographer? There were tons of them in Bormio right beneath the basket. He´s always smiling and friendly towards other players on the court, and he respects the audience by playing tough. Nevertheless, there´s a slight gap between him and the surroundings, something like an indispensabile protection for a person in his condition. Otherwise, the pressure would be unbearable for this 27 years old guy, able to achieve both fame and wealth by working hard on the court».
Michael Jordan ended his career with six NBA titles, two Olympic gold medals and the fame of being the best basketball player ever. We had a chance to see him alive, for two times: that´s why his triumphs will be unforgettable for us.

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Good looks.

Do you still have the other pics from him in Italy? I think it was Italy. I think I remember you drawing some pics of the jerseys or something...



Thanks, ya here's the drawings....or just click on my link below

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Originally Posted by Shoebacca

There's an awesome video of MJ shattering a backboard from the 85 game mentioned in that article.

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