With six NBA titles, worldwide fame and mountains of money, you’d think Michael Jordan has no worlds left to conquer.
In truth, he probably doesn’t. But he still loves basketball, and he still loves to compete. Thus, at age 39, less than two years after his second retirement from the sport he helped define, Jordan announced he will don the uniform of the Washington Wizards and report for training camp in Wilmington on Oct. 2. Since his 1999 departure from the Chicago Bulls, Jordan has busied himself with endorsement deals and business interests, including co-owning the Wizards. But from his increasingly hands-on role with the team, it was clear the five-time MVP was itching to return to the fray, provided he could get back into shape.
Since no one doubts Jordan’s passion for the game, his work ethic or his will to win, his physical stamina is the only question. Even for a superstar who at times seemed superhuman, time takes its toll. His summer workouts were disrupted by back spasms, knee tendinitis and two cracked ribs. But apparently, he came away satisfied that he can hold his own against younger stars like Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson. Even if they’re a step ahead of him on the court, they’ll have a hard time measuring up to Jordan’s composure and class. He’ll donate his entire first year’s salary — unofficially put at $1 million — to aid the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. His decision already has provided relief of a different kind for Americans trying to get on with their lives in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. In these grim times, it’s comforting to think we might turn on the television in a few months and see that familiar lopsided grin as His Airness slams home a monster dunk or whishes a 20-foot jumper above a defender’s flailing arms.
Basketball hasn’t been the same without Jordan — and, clearly, Jordan hasn’t been the same without basketball. In his prime, he was a wonder to behold. Now, some may cringe at the thought of a lesser Jordan hobbling around the baseline, unable to leap to his previous dazzling heights. But, along with a ferocious intensity, Jordan always played with intelligence and a keen perception of where his opponents’ weaknesses lay. There’s no reason to think those faculties have deserted him now, in evaluating his readiness for a comeback. That may have been what his old Chapel Hill coach, Dean Smith, had in mind when he noted that Jordan “has given this one a lot of thought.”
In announcing his return, Jordan was careful to avoid grandiose predictions or boastful claims. Instead, he spoke of his desire to work with younger players, to help a struggling franchise and to give traumatized Washingtonians something to cheer about. All of those are laudable goals in themselves.
Jordan wants to play. People want to watch. We say:Just do it.
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