Michael Jordan-NOT Again???????!!!!

AKA2D '91 · #1 09-19-2001, 07:54 PM

This news broke last Monday or Tuesday PRIOR to the incidents in NY and Virginia. I wanted to post this then, but GC was "under construction".

He is supposedly thinking about coming out of retirement-AGAIN!

What are your thoughts?

Personally, I think the game of B-ball has changed since he was last active as a player. I think he needs to watch from the sidelines or the sky box.

Leave it alone, Mike! You went out like a champ the other time, what makes you think it will happen this time?

Don't do it!

tickledpink · #2 09-19-2001, 07:57 PM

It makes me wonder if the whole "Retirement" thing is a publicity stunt or is he truly that bored.

Shoot, give me his $$, I'll find ways to retire and stay busy!

stillwater15 · #3 09-19-2001, 08:26 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by AKA2D '91
This news broke last Monday or Tuesday PRIOR to the incidents in NY and Virginia. I wanted to post this then, but GC was "under construction".

He is supposedly thinking about coming out of retirement-AGAIN!

What are your thoughts?

michael jordan has always struck me as very competitive. i honestly don't believe that he would come out of retirement (again), to embarass himself. remember how fast he retired from baseball. from what i understand, he's been competing against current nba players, such as michael finley, juwan howard, etc. and has more than held his own.

also, since he is general manager of the wizards and they continue to suck, perhaps he believes that by playing, he can personally orchestrate their return to being at least competitive in the nba. just my thoughts...

ClassyLady · #4 09-20-2001, 11:24 AM

I love Michael Jordan, I honestly do, but he needs to stay in retirement. I don't want him to come back and embarrass himself. He ended his career with a game winning shot in the NBA Finals. Who could ask for more than that????

If he comes back, and can't keep up, nobody will remember how great he was. They'll just talk about how bad he is now and how the younger players, like Allen Iverson, are better than him.

He has a wife and three kids, he should spend his retirement enjoying his family and watching his kids grow up. With all of that money, he can't find something to do???? If I had that much money, I'd just sit back and twiddle my thumbs.

gentleness08 · #5 09-20-2001, 02:24 PM

I agree Michael is very competitive and has love for the game. I think if he decides to come back, he has put alot of thought into it and would not come back if he could not be competitive.

Although there are some talented guys in the NBA, there are still not very many that could compete with Jordan even if he is at a diminished skill level. Because not only does Jordan have natural talent, and a strong competitive streak, but he plays with intelligence that is very hard to find in the most NBA players.

Steeltrap · #6 09-20-2001, 02:48 PM

Michael Jordan is the gold standard of basketball players. As such, he doesn't need to tarnish his legacy by coming back.
Let Shaq Diesel Daddy

:, little Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Ray Allen and even Kobe Bryant enjoy their monents in the sun.

Thrillhouse · #7 09-22-2001, 03:20 AM

He has accomplished everything imho. Why would he come back? I had heard that he is pretty competitive but it will be very hard for him to go far in the playoffs with the wizards.

SweetestDiva · #8 09-25-2001, 08:45 PM

Jordan Makes It Official,
Will Sign With Wizards

By JOSEPH WHITE
.c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (Sept. 25) -- The worst-kept secret in sports is out: Michael Jordan will play again in the NBA -- and not just for one season, but two.

After months of hints, smiles and winks that kept his fans on edge, Jordan finally announced his comeback Tuesday, saying he would play for the Washington Wizards through 2003 and donate his first year's salary to victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"I am returning as a player to the game I love,'' said Jordan, 38 and three years removed from what seemed to be a storybook ending to an unparalleled career. "I am especially excited about the Washington Wizards, and I'm convinced we have the foundation on which to build a playoff-contention team.

"The opportunity to teach our young players and help them elevate their game to a higher level, and to thank the fans in Washington for their loyalty and support, strongly influenced my decision,'' he said in a statement issued through his management agency.

The five-time league MVP, who retired for a second time in 1999 after leading the Chicago Bulls to their sixth title of the decade, made it official after clearing up a licensing issue with one of his sponsors -- a disagreement that delayed the announcement by a day. NBA rules also required Jordan to sell his ownership stake in the Wizards.

Jordan never completely ruled out a comeback when he retired in January 1999, hedging his bets with the statement that he was ''99.9 percent'' certain he would never play again. Leaving the door open, even by one-tenth of 1 percent, meant Jordan could slip back into a uniform without going back on his word.

Now, he has.

"I am happy to welcome Michael Jordan, the player, back to the NBA, although, as commissioner, I am sorry to lose him in the board room,'' NBA commissioner David Stern said. "Michael has always brought joy to basketball fans around the world, and, in these difficult times, we can all use a little more joy in our lives.''

Jordan's announcement was sure to hearten a city -- and entire country -- shocked by terrorism. Washington's economy has suffered since the Sept. 11 attacks, with Reagan National Airport remaining closed and hotel bookings far below capacity.

His regular-season debut will be Oct. 30 at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, and his first home game for the Wizards will be Nov. 3 against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers.

"This is certainly an extremely important moment in the history of our franchise, however our excitement is muted by the world events that surround us,'' Wizards owner Abe Pollin said.

"The greatest player in the history of the game is joining my team, and for that I am extremely honored and pleased.''

Jordan will be in the unusual position of playing for the coach he hired, Doug Collins, who joined the Wizards in April and also coached Jordan for three seasons with the Bulls in the 1980s. Jordan will share the court with players he signed, drafted and traded for, including high school sensation Kwame Brown, selected No. 1 overall by the Wizards in June, and veteran forward Christian Laettner -- a graduate of Duke, the archrival of Jordan's alma mater, North Carolina.

"We'll see how fast the No. 23 Wizards jersey becomes the No. 1 selling jersey in the NBA. That probably will start today,'' Collins said.

NBC said it would change its television schedule to include some Wizards games. Turner Sports will do the same, with TBS in line to air the season-opener.

"It will be fun to watch the greatest player ever match up against the NBA's new generation of stars, such as Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Ray Allen and others,'' NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said.

Jordan has been in training for about six months, at first saying he was simply trying to lose the extra weight he had gained in retirement. Inspired by his friend Mario Lemieux's successful comeback with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jordan rigorously worked himself into playing shape during the summer by holding several invitation-only camps of pickup games with other NBA players at a gym in Chicago.

Jordan said he would no further comment on his return until Oct. 1. His first official practice with the Wizards will be the next day, when training camp opens in Wilmington, N.C.

He occasionally worked out with the team last season when he was president of basketball operations, a job he used to almost completely overhaul Washington's roster and put the team into a rebuilding mode.

His supporting cast will include the likes of Jahidi White, Richard Hamilton and Courtney Alexander -- none of whom were in the NBA when Jordan played for the Bulls.

Turning a team that won only 19 games last season into a winner might be an insurmountable challenge -- even for Jordan.

"I think he will return to being one of the top players in our league. His comeback certainly puts the Wizards in a position to make the playoffs this year,'' Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said.

With his announcement, Jordan immediately overshadowed the arrival in Washington of another winter sports star, Jaromir Jagr. The NHL's leading scorer last season was acquired by the Capitals in the offseason.

Jordan actually owned a piece of the Capitals, buying it when he acquired shares in the Wizards on Jan. 19, 2000.

The paperwork to sell his stake in both teams was completed Friday, and Jordan's lawyers ironed out the last few wrinkles to clear the way for his comeback announcement.

The final holdup involved the video game licensing rights to Jordan's likeness, according to Jeff Brown of EA Sports, a game manufacturer.

Jordan suffered three physical setbacks during the summer, raising doubts about whether his body could endure the rigors of an 82-game schedule. Back spasms and knee tendinitis curtailed his workouts, and two cracked ribs from a collision in a pickup game took him off the court for a month.

Jordan will return without the all-star cast that he hoped would accompany him. Charles Barkley, who spoke of playing with Jordan, abandoned his comeback bid, and the Wizards were unable to sign any marquee players.

But by ridding the Wizards of the high-salaried, long-term contracts of Rod Strickland, Juwan Howard and Mitch Richmond, Jordan has given the Wizards enough salary cap flexibility to restock the roster next summer.

When he returns for the 2002-03 season, the Wizards could have a roster that bears little resemblance to the current one.

"Who is to say that great things are not ahead with Michael and the Wizards,'' said Dean Smith, who coached Jordan at Chapel Hill. "He has made excellent decisions in the past and I know he has given this one a lot of thought.''

Jordan won 10 scoring titles and is the NBA's fourth all-time leading scorer with 29,277 points. He has averaged a league-record 31.5 points per regular season game throughout his career and 33.4 in the playoffs.

Jordan's first retirement came in October 1993, after he led the Bulls to three titles. He played baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization for one season, but he couldn't make it out of the minor leagues and returned to the Bulls in March 1995.

Jordan led the Bulls to three more titles and retired again in January 1999, shortly before the start of the lockout-shortened season. He made his final shot in a Chicago uniform, sinking a jumper over Bryon Russell of Utah in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals -- a play that came to be known as Jordan's "last shot'' -- to give the Bulls their sixth title of the decade.

"While nothing can take away from the past,'' Jordan said, "I am firmly focused on the future and the competitive challenge ahead of me.''

Basketball Writer Chris Sheridan contributed to this story from New York.

AP-NY-09-25-01 1923EDT

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

mccoyred · #9 09-26-2001, 08:53 AM

I discussed this w/ my husband last night and came to the conclusion that his decision is just plain selfish! He has nothing left to prove to anyone, including himself. He can have more impact on the game as an owner now that he has risen to the pinnacle as a player...he can only go downhill. What if he gets injured? He's old and has already retired TWICE.

As for the information indicated in the article about the freeing up of money from the salary cap, I am sure there are other ways of achieving that goal. He also plans to give his $1 million salary to a fund for the victims of 9-11-01, puhleez! The man is a millionaire many times over; he could just donate the money from his current wealth and still get the tax write off.

Furthermore, this stunt w/ NC A&T is just plain ridiculous.

Mike is the Man but I am slowly thinking, WTF?

straightBOS · #10 09-26-2001, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mccoyred
Mike is the Man but I am slowly thinking, WTF?

I have to agree, I was thinking the same thing.

I think the time has past for the one superstar who rules the court. Now, there are several great players. I think it is better for the League to spread the wealth. It gives fans more people to root for. Just think, who would have guessed that a team form Canada who have something to say.

If Jordan returns as the unbeatable titan, I don't think fans will respond as positively as they did in the past.

And really would it be fair for the lowly Wizards to all of a sudden be champs??

AKAtude · #11 09-26-2001, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mccoyred
I discussed this w/ my husband last night and came to the conclusion that his decision is just plain selfish! He has nothing left to prove to anyone, including himself. He can have more impact on the game as an owner now that he has risen to the pinnacle as a player...he can only go downhill. What if he gets injured? He's old and has already retired TWICE.

As for the information indicated in the article about the freeing up of money from the salary cap, I am sure there are other ways of achieving that goal. He also plans to give his $1 million salary to a fund for the victims of 9-11-01, puhleez! The man is a millionaire many times over; he could just donate the money from his current wealth and still get the tax write off.

Furthermore, this stunt w/ NC A&T is just plain ridiculous.

Mike is the Man but I am slowly thinking, WTF?

You have taken the words right out of my mouth!!!!

DST Love · #12 09-26-2001, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by straightBOS
If Jordan returns as the unbeatable titan, I don't think fans will respond as positively as they did in the past.

And really would it be fair for the lowly Wizards to all of a sudden be champs??

Well why wouldn't it be fair? If the Wizards become the best, then they deserve to win. (Although the Wizards won't.) It's no different then people drafting for good players or trading to get a few great players to turn the team around. Whoever is the best deserves to win no matter what.

And regarding how fans will accept him. Jordan is Jordan. If you loved him then, you'll love him now. If you didn't ever like him, then you still won't.

I've had mixed feelings about him coming back. But one thing I heard on sports radio yesterday that I agree with is, 'Who are we to say he shouldn't come back?' I don't think he's stupid. I'm sure that since he is coming back he will make sure he is ready. Also, so what that he's had his chance. If he can still bring it, then I say bring it. If the new guys are better then they'll show MJ and us that and force MJ back into retirement. But if they can't hang with the 'old man', then maybe he deserves to still be playing.

Nothing will ever tarnish his legacy. Even if he comes back weak. Sure people will talk and be disappointed for a while. But I doubt anyone will ever really forget how he defied gravity, lead the league in scoring for so many years, won six championships, dominated endorsements, and basically became the NBA.

If his comeback is heartbreaking, disappointing and sad, then it's just what most of us expected. But if he his at least almost the same MJ of old, then I wonder what everyone will have to say then.

ChaosDST · #13 09-26-2001, 11:52 AM

...that this old man is coming back to the NBA. We can't stop him...he almost CONTROLS the NBA. They can't wait to boost their TV ratings while folks watch him bloop and blunder his old self across the court. I ain't one to gossip, so you ain't heard it from me...but, word has it that Jordan isn't practicing too well. He may be frontin', so people can underestimate him...then, he can show them all up. But, I agree with what one sports reporter said...why is this ol' head coming back, when we have ALLLLL of these young bench-warming players who have been dying to get their opportunity to shine and attempt to prove their worth

? It's unfair, but it's bidness...not personal

AlphaChiGirl · #14 09-26-2001, 06:41 PM

I was really hoping that this wouldn't happen again. Mike is the greatest that basketball has ever seen. If he comes back AGAIN, things may not be that good, and the future generations will never understand how great he was. It's kinda like Ali--I can't comprehend how he's the "greatest", but at one time, before I was born, he was. And he kept on coming back...until a point at which he couldn't.

AKAtude · #15 10-30-2001, 11:48 AM

At first, I was afraid for Mike to come back because I couldn't take people saying "I told you so". However, I've heard that he has done well in the pre-season games. So, the season opens tonight at New York. I'm trying to get my tickets when he comes to Charlotte Dec. 26th! Somebody gonna sell me some tickets! I gotta see Mike.