Michael Jordan News on the Comeback

Michael Jordan News on the Comeback. People.com announced September 26, 2001 that Michael Jordan was to return to the NBA not in a red/black uniform but in blue/white. Making a low-key statement in light of the national tragedy while mentioning he will donate his first year of salary ($1 million) to the victims of the attack. Wishing to make the Wizards playoff contenders but having to sell his ownership stake in order to do that and resign as president of basketball operations. Jordan never ruled out his coming back, but said he was 99.9% sure he wouldn't. As Jordan enters the court for the Wizards, not only will it help the team but also the city of Washington.

The Michael Jordan comeback story is one of my favorites. I like to hear the opinions and perspectives regarding his actions on the return. As Michael made the decision to return to the NBA for the third time, the American people went crazy — it was on the front page of every newspaper and the top story of every news program. Changing an economy in a matter of one day by a single person is unlikely, but as it was shown Jordan is a man who could do it in less than a day. Michael Jordan was the reason why a team that had the worst record in the NBA the last season with a 19–63 record was having the most sold-out games — even more than the championship team from L.A. Of every year the Jordan shoes have been on the line, this is the year Nike had the fastest sellout of them. When the Washington Wizards go on a road trip you see more fans with Jordan jerseys than with their hometown players' jerseys. Even better yet, the crowd cheers louder after Jordan makes the easiest shot than when one of their own players hits the game-winning three. The name Michael Jordan is one of the most recognizable names on earth. What he has done for the game of basketball no other player could ever come closer to.

The article was quite short and to the point. I felt the author left out some details that were major and would have made for a better story — for example, he only mentions Michael's five-time MVP awards but leaves out that he has: 6 championships, 6 Finals MVP awards, college player of the year, rookie of the year award, 3 All-Star MVP awards, played in 11 NBA All-Star games (at the time), scored over 30,000 points in his career, holds the NBA record for most seasons leading the league in scoring (10), along with the highest points per game average in a season (31.5) — and is a member of 2 gold-winning US Olympic teams. Leaving out big facts can harm the credibility of the story along with the subject. This subject also has much controversy that the author never mentions: Michael leaving the NBA with a perfect storybook ending and then returning to the game, taking a chance of looking like a fool. The fans who do not want Jordan to come back are the ones that want the storybook ending, just like heroes have. On the other side there are the ones that want him to come back just for the enjoyment of watching his greatness. Jordan is a hero in many eyes, but to him he is a human being that has the right to live his own life and make his own choices.