MICHAEL
JORDAN The Simple Man's Guide
to Why Michael Jordan Has Returned
The Long
Version (Also
see the
short version)
By INSIDEHOOPS.COM
September
25, 2001
Playing basketball
is more fun than sitting in an office.
Getting paid
to play basketball is more fun than getting paid to sit on a phone trying
to get lottery picks in exchange for Christian Laettner.
Jordan's legacy
is permanent. Unless he throws temper tantrums on the court, kicks at players
after they drive past him, or gets tomahawk dunked-on by John Stockton,
his legacy won't be affected.
If Jordan can
compete with league's best, it should be fun for him. But if his body can't
hold up its end of the bargain and today's stars abuse him, he'll get frustrated.
A third scenario is that Jordan is unable to hang with the league's current
superstars but accepts limited playing time and is happy just being a part
of a team again. While it may be tough to picture this ultra-competitve
legend settling for that last scenario, he still might prefer it over sitting
around negotiating with the Knicks and receiving offers of Charlie Ward,
Larry Johnson and future considerations.
Regardless
of how good Jordan is or how long his comeback lasts, his return brings
the Wizards increased ticket sales, media attention, and fan interest.
It's a positive business move.
It'll be fun
seeing what happens when the likes of Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Vince
Carter, and everyone else in the league tries to posterize the king of
posters.
Mike's return
adds a new element to the upcoming season. I like it.
