Jordan insists the end is nigh

Michael Jordan, the outstanding player of his generation, plans to retire for the third and final time when the NBA season ends next June and resume his role as part-owner of the Washington Wizards.

Jordan said after practice on Thursday that he would see out his contract, which means he would continue playing beyond his 40th birthday, but that there is "zero chance" of him coming back again.

"I'm just fulfilling my contract," said Jordan, who signed a two-year, $2.1m (£1.35m) deal with Washington last year after stepping down from his executive duties. "I just want to finish this year out and hopefully fulfil my obligations and let this team take its own course."

Jordan returned to the NBA last season in order to provide the Wizards with badly needed experience and firepower, and because he said he still felt the need to compete.

The comeback began promisingly - the Wizards won 26 of their first 47 games - but then Jordan underwent knee surgery, missed 22 games and Washington failed to make the play-offs.

This season the Wizards coach Doug Collins said Jordan would come off the bench in an effort to keep him fresh. However, with the Wizards hitting a four-game losing streak, Jordan told Collins - whom he hired as coach while serving as team president - to play him more. It seems he has few concerns about wear and tear on his knee.

During his 14-year career, Jordan won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award five times and led the league in scoring a record 10 times. He helped the Chicago Bulls win six NBA championships, split evenly either side of a two-season baseball career.

Jordan retired again in January 1999 and a year later became the Wizards' president of basketball operations.

Months before he resumed his playing career for a second time, he said he was "99.9%" certain he would not play again. This time he has eliminated all doubt. "After this," he said on Thursday, "I'm 100% sure that I'm done."