NBA BASKETBALL
Hats off to Michael Jordan
<December 21, 2001>

By Han

With all the praise he’s gotten, it’s unbelievable still what Michael Jordan is doing. Lately, there have been more "player haters" around, but I can’t believe any of them can be directed at Jordan. Here’s a man coming back and giving his salary to the WTC disaster. This is the man that indirectly helped today's players develop their games. He’s partially responsible for the exposure, contracts, and glory. He is still living up to the hype and now he’s attempting to go beyond the minds of the most ardent pessimists.

Jordan, the man Jayson Williams of the Nets used to call “twice as better than the second best guy in the league - whoever that is,” takes three years off, comes back with knee tendonitis, fights every fake-Jordan trying to establish his own fame and still he gets 25 points a game? Yet the criticism he gets is from journalists claiming that he’s not the same as the guy who won those dunk contests. Well, here’s something shocking: Jordan has been playing the same type of game this year as the last few years of his life with Chicago. The major difference is the inactivity from three years which has given his knees soreness. I’m a doctor so I know that a sudden burst of constant activity will flare up old wounds, but the body will acclimate and overcome itself.

So, Jordan’s legs should recover around midway through the season. And, his shooting percentage will rise as he shakes off the inactivity simultaneously. So where does that get him? Right back to where he was, except this time, he’s getting more rebounds and more assists because he’s even more tuned to the intricacies of the game. His game is even more impressive this third time around because he’s doing this at an age where every other basketball player has fallen off dramatically. That alone should assert his comeback as a success.

Jordan’s comeback as a Wizard will be seen as the most tremendous athletic accomplishment when it’s all over. Yes, he is no longer a Bull, because he has reached a level where he really does seem like a Wizard, casting spells on the opposition and his teammates to perform. In this world where people love to bring people down, Jordan should be coveted for the past and for the continuation of showcasing his gifts. For a decade and a half this man has towered over the basketball world and now he has come back to give one last chance to all those who missed him. Now, six-year old children too young to remember his last retirement can see who he is.

There are those who argue that he’s not doing the flashy moves and dunks. I don’t know what game they are seeing but there have been a handful of quite unusual plays I have never seen him do before already in this young season. He’s not 25 but he still has the body control no one else has been born with. But aside from all that, it’s the knowledge of the game, combined with the acrobatics, that has made this man unique. So far, only bits and pieces of that are scattered over several of the younger players. There is still no person who has had it all like Jordan. That is why we need to cherish this one last hurrah by this most extraordinary of athletes one last time before it all really ends.

There are some writers who have written that Jordan should trade himself. These writers have absolutely no idea what this man is about. They have no idea who they are dealing with here. Funny how these same band-wagon writers are admiring him now that the Wizards are winning. Jordan is here to outdo himself and to shock the world. He is here to dominate and he will accept nothing less. He wants to keep his legacy untouchable forever. We should be so fortunate to have this man do this in our lifetime. Lets enjoy the show. When it’s all over, people will be dumbfounded again. I can’t wait.