From the Bleachers

Often in sports, players try to make comebacks to prove just how good one athlete can be. Over the past few months, many have heard that Michael Jordan may come back to the NBA. The speculation was over after Jordan decided to make his return to the pro’s. Over the past three seasons Jordan, a part owner with the Washington Wizards, has been trying to come back to make a bad team good. The question on everyone’s mind is can an older player come back and be successful?

In most cases, players trying to make a comeback are not so successful. For instance, Jim Palmer was an all-star pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles when he retired. A few years later Palmer wanted to attempt to come back with the Orioles and had no success. He lost five to six miles an hour on his fastball, and his curveball just did not curve the way it once did. The Orioles released Palmer the last day of spring training. Palmer got too old, and his body could not play baseball the way everyone expected him to.

Who can say that Jordan is not going to be the next Palmer of basketball? Jordan was one of the greatest players in the NBA ever, if not the best. But at 38 years old, will Jordan’s body be able to play a full 82-game season? Personally, I do not feel Jordan is able to compete the way his body is. With tendonitis in his left knee, he is not getting any younger. People have to wonder if Jordan can still be “The airman.”

More so, everyone needs to ponder if it is the right thing to do. I feel it is; with the league struggling with attendance and TV ratings, Jordan will help that out. But on the other side, the Wizards were in the middle of rebuilding, and with Jordan coming back, the team must stop what they were doing for three or four years until he decides to retire again.

With so many players in the NBA being stronger and geared up for the 2001 season, where does that leave Jordan? Many think he will come back and still be the best player ever, but others feel that at 38, there is no way Jordan can play the way he once did.

I hope Jordan can come back and make a really good thing get started for the Wizards. But I cannot see the team really getting in the middle of the playoff picture. Who knows if the Wizards will contend this year or not, but one thing is for sure, one of the greatest basketball players can’t give up the game, and maybe the game will not give up on him.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 14 2001. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry