WASHINGTON – One Washington Wizards owner thinks Michael
Jordan is preparing for a comeback. Another Wizards owner thinks it
just isn't so.
Opinions on a possible Jordan return were everywhere in the
nation's capital Tuesday. The rumor that has circulated for weeks
gained new credibility Monday night when Wizards primary owner Abe
Pollin went on television to reveal his "gut feeling" that "the
odds are that he's going to come back" and play for Washington
next season.
"I didn't think he'd come back when I first heard the talk,"
Pollin then told The Washington Post. "But when Mario Lemieux came
back to the Penguins, it stirred something in Michael."
A Jordan comeback would mirror that of Lemieux, one of the
owners of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, who ended a 3½-year
retirement in December.
Lemieux said Tuesday he has talked to Jordan this month and
expects him to make a comeback.
"I think it's great for basketball and, obviously, I'm very
excited about it," Lemieux said of reports of a Jordan comeback.
"He's going to give it a shot and he's working very hard. He's
taking his time, he's taking a few months to get ready, but I'm
sure when he gets back, he'll be the best player again."
Pollin's words were stunning, given the business relationship
between him and Jordan. As the team's president of basketball
operations, Jordan is answerable only to Pollin.
Jordan also owns a small piece of the Wizards, and he would have
to divest his ownership under NBA rules before returning to the
court.
The man who recruited Jordan to Washington 15 months ago,
however, doesn't see a comeback taking place. Ted Leonsis welcomed
Jordan to town on Jan. 19, 2000, making him a partner in a group
that owns all of the NHL's Washington Capitals and a portion of the
Wizards.
"He owns a part of the Wizards, he owns a part of the
Capitals," Leonsis told WTOP radio. "There would have to be lots
of discussions between Michael and me, Michael and Abe, Michael and
the league, and none of that is happening. If this was real, I
think we would be further down that road."
As for Jordan, he has consistently and adamantly denied the
rumors. He recently said he's "99.9 percent sure" he'll never
play again, and he rolled his eyes in disbelief when the subject
was broached by reporters after he practiced with the Wizards last
week.
"The only thing this signals is that I'm getting some
exercise," Jordan said at the time.
Neither Jordan nor his agent, David Falk, returned calls
Tuesday.
Wizards players and coaches are starting to tire of the subject.
"Michael has been very consistent with his comments concerning
the possibility of his return to basketball," coach Leonard
Hamilton said. "Until he says otherwise, I have no reason to give
my own personal feelings because he's already spoken for himself."
Pollin and others who give credence to the possibility of a
Jordan comeback usually cite three pieces of evidence: Jordan's
workouts with the Wizards and his admission that he is playing
basketball recreationally at a health club; Charles Barkley's
statement that he would like to play with Jordan in Washington next
season; and Jordan's sheer competitiveness that is fueled by the
knowledge he still had plenty left when he retired from the Chicago
Bulls after the 1997-98 season.
The factors working against a Jordan comeback are his age -- it's
doubtful he can still dominate the game at 38 -- and his preference
to live in Chicago. He would actually have to start showing up for
the games if he were playing, abandoning his current routine of
staying with his family and running the Wizards by telephone.
Then there are the consistent denials from Jordan himself.
Although his rookie year in management has been very rocky, he has
taken some modest steps that could help turn around a moribund
franchise in the long run.
"I am working out because I got up to 240 pounds and I'm trying
to lose weight," Jordan said last month. "People are taking this
stuff way too far, but I can't control what people write or
think."
Jordan has a five-year contract with the Wizards. He initially
retired as a player in 1993 after winning three NBA titles with
Chicago and tried to make a career in professional baseball. But he
returned to the Bulls for the NBA playoffs in 1995 and played
through 1998, winning three more titles.
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ALSO SEE
Wizards owner says he thinks MJ coming back
AUDIO VIDEO
 Wizards co-owner Ted Leonsis explains the contract matters that would stand in the way of a comeback.
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Majority owner Abe Pollin doesn't know for certain, but believes Jordan will play for the Wizards (Courtesy: Comcast Sportsnet).
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Mario Lemieux feels his success has given Michael Jordan added confidence.
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Phil Jackson anticipates another Michael Jordan comeback (Courtesy: WBBM).
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