Nationality American Pro career 1988–2003 Weight 99.8 kg NBA draft 1989 / Undrafted Height 2.08 m | Listed weight 220 lb (100 kg) Role Basketball Player Name Thomas Jordan Positions Power forward | |
Born May 23, 1968 (age 55)
Baltimore, Maryland ( 1968-05-23 ) High school Lake Clifton (Baltimore, Maryland) College Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball | ||
Listed height 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | ||
Thomas Edward Jordan (born May 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player whose career spanned from 1988 to 2003.
Prior to playing professionally, Jordan played college basketball at Oklahoma State University. He was ineligible as a freshman in 1987–88 due to Proposition 48, which stipulates minimum high school grades and standardized test scores that student-athletes must meet in order to participate in college athletic competition. When he became eligible in his sophomore year, he averaged 13.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Jordan's decision to leave college early to play professionally was due to a lack of team chemistry.
It is ironic that Jordan played professionally for so long and at such a high level. He said that he never "enjoyed" basketball, he only "played it." He used the sport as a means to get a free college education, and any desires of playing professionally was not necessarily his goal. In October 1998, Jordan said, "If the air blew up the ball, I'm not going to cry. Don't get me wrong, I won't turn down a pro career if that comes, but I'm not counting on it." He then went on to play for 14 years in six different countries after his sophomore year in 1988–89.
Jordan also had a stint in the National Basketball Association, the top league in the world. In April 1993, Jordan was signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia 76ers, and played in the final four games of the 1992–93 season averaging 11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.