# Michael Jordan to retire at the end of this season **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 29, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441 "2002-11-29T03:35:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/1 "2002-11-29T03:35:26Z")
This will be his final and ultimate retirement, there will be no future comebacks according to the greatest basketball player to ever step onto the court. Just happy I got to play in a few pick-up games with him down at Chapel Hill.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/2 "2002-11-29T03:43:08Z")
Cite, please? Haven’t heard about this yet. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/3 "2002-11-29T03:58:45Z")
Ah, never mind. Sportscenter has it. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/4 "2002-11-29T04:04:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WSLer \* > … the greatest basketball player to ever step onto the court. Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me:) ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/5 "2002-11-29T04:06:38Z")
good ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/6 "2002-11-29T04:18:57Z")
I don’t believe him. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/7 "2002-11-29T04:22:41Z")
I wonder if the Bullets—erm, Wizzers—erm, Wizards will retire his number. Not that he ever did anything spectacular for them other than generally be MJ (rather than, say, play particularly well or play for a while), but one never knows. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/8 "2002-11-29T04:37:11Z")
What, again? ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/9 "2002-11-29T12:27:43Z")
Yeah, right. I’ll be entirely convinced of that after his casket has been fully buried in dirt, and not a moment before. The death certificate won’t do it for me-I can see him sitting up in his casket at the viewing and saying, “Just kidding! So, what time does the game start-I’ve gotta suit up!” ---
**Author:** ![mozureb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@mozureb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozureb)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/10 "2002-11-29T13:34:59Z")
great he bores me ---
**Author:** ![H8\_2\_W8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c77e96/32.png) [@H8\_2\_W8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/H8_2_W8)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/11 "2002-11-29T13:41:40Z")
Good for him. Now he’ll have more time to devote to his affairs. Uh, his business affairs I mean. ---
**Author:** ![mozureb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@mozureb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozureb)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/12 "2002-11-29T14:02:27Z")
I guess he saved up enough money to share with the wife just in case! Divorce comes ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/13 "2002-11-29T14:05:56Z")
Gosh, is it Friday already? ---
**Author:** ![mozureb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@mozureb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozureb)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/14 "2002-11-29T14:08:24Z")
It is in Missouri ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/15 "2002-11-29T16:22:51Z")
We Wizards fans knew this WELL before he announced it. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/16 "2002-11-29T16:30:18Z")
Not to be snarky, but what _is_ the record for most retirements? ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/17 "2002-11-29T16:54:56Z")
I must say, even as an at-best casual Wizards “fan”, I’m more than a little bothered by this statement: "“I tell you right now that I’m just fulfilling my contract,’’ said Jordan, who signed a two-year, $2.1 million deal with Washington last year after stepping down from his executive duties.”-[link](http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/1128/1468224.html) ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/18 "2002-11-30T00:48:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iampunha \* > \*\*I must say, even as an at-best casual Wizards “fan”, I’m more than a little bothered by this statement: > > "“I tell you right now that I’m just fulfilling my contract,’’ said Jordan, who signed a two-year, $2.1 million deal with Washington last year after stepping down from his executive duties.”-[link](http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/1128/1468224.html) \*\* What about that statement bothers you? Unless you are inferring or implying that Jordan will pull a Randy Moss and not go all out when he’s on the court. If you think that then you are sadly mistaken. Jordan is simply fulfilling the terms of his contract, which in this day and age of all ready spoiled rich athlete’s bitching and screeching about how much MORE money they need is quite refreshing. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/19 "2002-11-30T03:36:04Z")
It sounds to me, WSLer, as though MJ does not want to be out there/is only playing because he has to/something like that. If he were playing for, say, the Knicks, I would care a lot more (and probably be a lot more pissed off) because the latter I care about big heaps more than the Wizards. It just rubs me the wrong way. And I’d say that it’s not so much athletes saying they _need_ money as they _want_ or _deserve_ more money. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441/20 "2002-11-30T03:49:37Z")
Jordan doesn’t hold the all-time scoring record (Kareem), doesn’t hold the single-season or single-game scoring record (Wilt), and doesn’t have the most rings of all time (either Bill Russell or Phil Jackson, if you count coaching or not). But damned if he doesn’t lead everyone in retirements! If Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Oscar Robertson got to have their highlights shown on SportsCenter ad nauseam, Jordan wouldn’t even come close to being considered _the_ best ever. And let’s not forget Larry and Magic setting the stage for MJ. Here’s my accolade for Jordan: Best player ever when the cameras were rolling. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jordan-to-retire-at-the-end-of-this-season/139441.md?page=2)