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Michael Jordan at 50: Twenty-three impressive stats from No. 23

Michael Jordan is widely considered the single greatest player in NBA history. That's lofty praise with the potential to turn foggy, because such a title is often tolled out in a subjective manner. This doesn't mean those in Jordan's corner necessarily favor him over another former great. But we're all human, and it's hard to rate what you haven't seen first-hand.

Jordan played in a more visible era than any of those before him, a time when endorsement deals and highlight reels promoted the myth. Numbers, though to varying degrees, have been available to basketball followers at any time in the NBA's history. One can quantify Jordan's greatness against those in the past through records, presenting an objective, if somewhat flawed, measuring stick. With his 50th birthday coming this Sunday, here are 23 stats to support Jordan's place atop history.

Michael Jordan: magical moments by the master. (AP Photo)

PHOTOS: Michael Jordan's 50 greatest moments

1. In his final three seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan helped the Bulls reach a 203-43 regular-season record, which includes the 72-win 1995-96 season, still tops in the NBA.

2. Jordan averaged 37.1 points per games in 40 minutes as a third-year player in 1986-87 season. It was the first of seven consecutive seasons in which Jordan averaged at least 30 points per game.

3. Of his 15 NBA seasons, Jordan played all 82 games nine times, the most impressive of which came in his final season as he turned 40 years old.

4. Jordan has 109 games of 30 points or more, and 38 of 40 or more points. He rarely dipped below 20, posting 926 games of 20 or more.

VIDEO: Michael Jordan's best under-the-rim plays

5. Jordan played with talents such as Scottie Pippen and Toni Kukoc, but he was often top dog. One stat shows that clearly: Jordan was the Bulls’ leading scorer (including ties) 867 times. He played 1,072 career games.

6. If justice were served, Jordan would have won Most Valuable Player every year, and his all-time leading MVP shares is an indication of that. Jordan, who won five MVP awards, has a 8.138 MVP share rate. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is closest at 6.203. LeBron James leads active players at 4.389.

7. Known for coming up big in clutch moments, Jordan failed to score 20 points only six times in 179 playoff games.

8. In his first year with the Bulls, Jordan became the second player to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists for a season. Oscar Robertson was first, and LeBron James and Tyreke Evans have since joined the list.

9. Consistency is what defines Jordan, and, in the 1986-87 season, he scored big numbers every night. Jordan became one of two players to record more than 3,000 points in a season with an average of 37.1 points per game. Only Wilt Chamberlain completed the feat.

10. In six NBA Finals appearances, Michael Jordan has played 35 games and never scored fewer than 20 points. Rick Barry can claim to have surpassed 20 points in every finals game he participated in — all 10 of them.

11. Jordan made 19 consecutive free throws in a game against the New Jersey Nets on February 26, 1987, a record at the time. Dominique Wilkins would break the record on Dec. 8, 1992 with 23 straight.

12. The shrug was necessary. Jordan set a record when he hit six 3 pointers in a half against the Blazers in the NBA Finals on June 3, 1992. Vince Carter later broke Jordan's record in 2011.

13. Jordan led the NBA in scoring on 10 separation occasions, his highest scoring season being 37.1 points per game in 1987 and the lowest being 28.7 in his final season with the Bulls in 1998.

14. In a rare NBA accomplishment, Jordan posted 15 triple-doubles during the 1988-89 season, including a streak of 10 in 11 games.

15. Jordan, the No. 1s: MVP shares (8.138), Points per game for a career (30.1 ppg), PER (27.9), Usage percentage (33.1), Win shares per 48 minutes (.250) – significant because he only played 13 seasons.

16. Jordan has the best PER of any single player in NBA history with a career rate at 27.91. LeBron James closely trails at 27.49. Two surprises: Magic Johnson (13) and Larry Bird (17) aren’t in the top 10.

17. Wearing No. 45, after more than a year away from basketball, Jordan scored 55 on John Starks at MSG in his comeback games on March 29, 1995.

18. Jordan didn't only dominant at a young age, he became the oldest player to score 40 points against the Nets in 2003, with 43 points on 18-of-30 shooting, which was complemented by 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals.

19. Fifty days shy of his 39th birthday, Jordan became the oldest player to score 50 points in 2002 against the Hornets. His stat line: 51 points on 21-of-38 shooting, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals.

20. The man known for big games had his largest on March 28, 1990, when he put up 69 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, one block against the Cavaliers.

21. Jordan and Scottie Pippen teamed up to become the first group of teammates to post triple-doubles in the same game. Jason Kidd and Vince Carter completed the feat in 2007.

22. Jordan has 32,292 career points. He reached the mark in 1,072 games played, some 400 fewer than Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabarr, the only two players ahead of him on the all-time list. Of those to reach 30,000 points, only Wilt Chamberlain (1,045) used fewer games.

23. Jordan averaged 41.0 points per game in the Chicago Bulls' 1993 NBA Finals, eclipsing Rick Barry's 1967 standard of 40.8.

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