Okay, I’m not a huge basketball fan. Being a former TA at Florida State University, where I taught both Sebastian Janikowski and Corey Simon in one semester, and being a current Washington resident, I must admit that football and baseball interest me more these days.
But still, this is Michael Jordan… Right? This is his second return (so aptly and repeatedly pointed out by today’s Daily Show), and for HIS team, the Wizards, no less. What kind of reception will the basketball public give him? Will he make an impact, either on the game or on advertising deals (also aptly pointed out by the Daily Show)? What will the Wizards do with Jordan on the team?
And finally, the big question on my mind, and probably the biggest debate: just WHY do you think he’s coming back?
I did read somewhere that he is donating his salary to the victims of 09/11/01. In a word… WOW!
That is good enough reason for him to come back, I don’t doubt that he will make an impact and his skills won’t come cheap. Even if he only plays half as well as he did before he’d still be a force to be reckoned with on the court.
Just think of Mario Lemieux coming back last year for the Penguins, paying himself a million a season and racking up points as well as he ever did. Paying a million for him was a much better deal than what they were getting from Jagr.
Jordan may be one of those guys like Lemieux who can come out of retirement and show everyone that they still have what it takes to play the game.
It is something else when he decides to give away what should be a substantial salary.
Missing the limelight is usually the most common reason athletes come back – boxers in particular – and I don’t see how MJ is any different in that respect. In fact, he remind one of a prizefighter somewhat, this being the second comeback of his career. Don’t forget that the higher up the ladder you go in sports, the bigger the egos you’re likely to find. And big egos have big appetites. As famous as he remains, I’m sure the type of adulation he gets in his daily duties as a Wizard VP is a far cry from his playing days when he consistently had 20,000 fans eating out of his hand. Understandable.
I suppose his competitive juices run a close second in his decision. Here’s a man only two years removed from being the most dominant player in the game, one that could still toy with most defenders at the time of his retirement, and one that sees how little the game has advanced since he retired…and says: “Heck, I can still take most of these kids.” And he probably can – though I very much doubt he’ll be able to do it night in, night out, as was his custom.
Finally, could I be too far off-base in saying that he, like all of us, refuses to age? If he can prove to himself that he can compete with youngsters almost half his age, one would think it would boost his sense of physical and mental well-being. Not that he’ll ever beat Father Time, but this way, he earns a reprieve of sorts. Good for him.
As far as any downside, well, this is one time when it’s safe to predict he won’t be retiring on top.
But you won’t hear the NBA complaining. Not with MJ putting butts in the stands again
After MJ had been in the NBA for several years (and had won a couple of scoring titles) a joke made the rounds that went:
Q: How do you keep Michael Jordan from averaging 20 points per game?
A: Have him play for Dean Smith.
The punchline might have to be modified to say something about 40 year old knees, too.
MJ will fare pretty well. If he averages 30 ppg he hurt the very franchise he’s trying to build by trying to carry the team rather than develop the team’s young talent. If the Wizards can win games with MJ averaging 20 to 25 ppg the true concept of “team” will be obvious. He gets his minutes and points, numerous other have to make significant contributions for success. But if he struggles to average 20, or can’t average 20, age will certainly have caught up to him. (The saddest NBA sight that I ever saw was Magic Johnson’s return as a “forward”. It was obvious that the man no longer had the tools for the trade.)
He will still be a very capable NBA guard. But he will no longer be THE man in the league. Not with Kobe and Iverson growing into their roles as marque players. These two may well be the competitive duo that Magic and Byrd once were. I hope so, since the NBA is much more with several stars shining at once.
Being 40 years old myself (tho admittedly nowhere near MJ’s condition) I can only imagine the pain the guy will be experiencing halfway thru the season! OUCH!
What I would love is to see him concentrating on assists, supplemented by his outside shot and ability to drive when needed to set someone back on his heels. A triple double season perhaps, instead of another season as the league’s leading scorer?
I hope he does not feel the need to go head to head with each young stud he meets.
Heck, it’ll be fun to see the guy again. Wish he were playing for the Bulls.
I really lost interest in this sometime back in about May. The whole “will he or won’t he” thing got so tired, I just stopped paying attention. I won’t go so far as to rip him for doing it though (I know he’s relieved to hear that). He’ll still be good, and donating his salary is a class move. Still, I can’t dee how it will turn out good.
Either,[ul]
[li] He comes back and gets schooled by the players he used to dominate[/li][li] He plays OK, but not up to his usual standards.[/li][li] He plays good, Wizards make the playoffs, then promptly flame out. Cue the “What happened to Michael?” articles[/li][li] He plays great and his team wins the NBA title. A lot of people already think the NBA is fixed. This wouldn’t help[/li][/ul]
I don’t see what he’s trying to prove, however, he’s certainly free to do whatever he wants.
I would’ve bet he’d be trying to get on the PGA tour by now.
What I want to know is how Jordan gets away with the nonsense he spouts. Today (9/29/01) on NPR Ron Rappaport said that Jordan didn’t get to retire the way he wanted to. What the heck does that mean? Last time I checked, Jordan went out by leading his team to its 6th title in 8 years by making the winning basket in the league championship finals. The only way to improve on that as a way to retire is to boink Halle Berry right after the game.
As for donating his salary, while it is a grand gesture and I’m sure the money will be put to good use, its not like Jordan needs the money. I’m sure his non-basketball earnings will be sufficient to keep him in the style to which he’s become accustomed without any sacrifice.
It’s all about the Benjamins, baby. At least that’s one of the reasons. Sure, he’s donating his salary to charity this year, but his clothing line, and endorsements will benefit from his return. I believe that he has partial ownership of the team (and the Washington Capitals too), and I would think that the increased ticket sales will benefit his bottom line.
He’s a business man. Maybe he’s “ruining” the story book ending he had, but as far as business goes, I don’t see what the down side is.
As kind of an aside, I wonder what the Charlotte Hornets are thinking right now. Didn’t Jordan want to be involved with them when he first retired.
A guy as competitive as Jordan, and at his age is probably realizing that there is coming a time soon when he won’t be able to physically compete on the NBA level (maybe that time is now, we’ll see). He did leave the game with a storybook ending, but for a guy like him the “right way” to retire might be walking off the court knowing he has played his best and can’t play on that level anymore.
It doesn’t even matter if he plays well or not. His return is good for the NBA. The league and the networks have been drooling ever since he hinted he might come back. Ticket sales are up in Washington and in every other city for games vs the Wizards. Networks are scrambling to shift their schedules to show Wizards games. In a league which is trying to shed the image that it’s populated by arrogant millionaires who check their stats before they notice the final score, it’s good for the game to have a competitor like Jordan back on the floor.
No doubt MJ intent to give away his salary to the 911 victim’s relief fund is laudable, but it should also be placed in perspective.
In order to keep the Wizards under the NBA salary cap, Jordan’s contract is the league minimum for vets: $1 million. Certainly, not peanuts, but not something likely to have an impact for a man who netted an estimated $500 million during his playing career – combined salary, lifetime endorsements, ticket sales and television ratings. A one-man conglomerate not likely to be hurt with the renewed interest sparked by his comeback.
Now, I’m not suggesting money is a driving force in MJ’s return, in fact, I doubt it plays much of a role in his decision – if any…but I think donating his salary is actually a smart financial move for him.
He had partial ownership yes. However, league rules prohibit players from having any share of any team. Before he begins playing again he has to sell his share.
There comes a time when you are no longer the best.
Usually the player is too proud to admit this. It has to be proven on the court. Jordan is over the hill and his team stinks and worse has been locked into longterm high dollar player contracts which prevent them from getting better. They will lose as much or more than they win with or without Jordan ( not that that will necessarily prevent them from making the playoffs ). Opponents will expose the weaknesses in Jordan’s game. They will prove he is no longer #1. They will push him away from the food pile. I for one won’t shed a tear for him. MJ is the player that did the same to my Bad Boys.
The league will profit from this comeback but the game doesn’t need Jordan. With guys like Iverson, Kobe, Stackhouse, Allan Houston, Vince Carter, etc; shooting guard is probably the deepest position in the league. If the fans can’t appreciate their individual virtues then they don’t deserve that appellation.
Let me know if Larry Bird ever decides he can play again and then maybe I will consider caring about the NBA again, something I haven’t really done since the very early 1990’s.
A San Francisco humor writer (I forget his name now) recently said MJ was coming back since W encouraged all Americans not to be afraid to travel, and that MJ never takes less than 3 steps with the ball.
