Jordan: This season is his last, or is it?

Remember back to a time when you were a child. Your mother would always say, “Either stay in, or stay out.” The majority of your entourage understood the concept but there happened to be that one kid that could not quite grasp, constantly stirring up trouble with his comings and goings. Enter Michael Jordan. In his second reunion with the hard-court, Jordan has managed to boost sales, draw crowds (home and away), and receive a second farewell tour that is fit for not only a king, but also worthy of the highest immortals sitting atop Mount Olympus. Since being drafted third in the 1984 NBA draft, Jordan has elevated the attentiveness and enthusiasm of the viewing public toward the NBA on his route to becoming one of the greatest and most influential players ever. But the question still remains that has lingered throughout the 2002-’03 season, “Is this truly his last go-around, or will he be back?” In January 1999, former News Argus sports editor Rasheed Oluwa commented on the coverage of the second Jordan retirement stating, “It’s a good thing that the Second Coming of the Messiah didn’t take place in the month of January. People would’ve been too busy watching ESPN 2’s daylong dedication of MJ highlights to even care.”My take on this, now his third retirement, would not be as strong. Although it can be said that Jordan has gained more attention for the Washington Wizards than most perpetually bad teams struggling to make the playoffs would.Almost all of Jordan’s preconceived objectives for the Wizards and himself have failed. Showing the world that at 39 and 40 he can still play, up for discussion. Building the Wizards as a legitimate Eastern Conference contender, failed. Becoming a facilitator and teacher to the franchises younger players, to be specific Kwame Brown and as reflected in their current relationship, total failure.The only positively affected parties in the latest return of “Air Jordan” are the endless numbers of disciples who worship every dribble which fall from his hands. There is a saying: “One is for the money, two is for the show, three is to get ready …” Jordan said he has made his peace with the game. Let’s hope that the unsettling urge of his disciples doesn’t require a fourth time to go.