Ping-Pong balls may have revealed MJ's comeback plans
Was it luck or a scheme when the Washington Wizards won the recent NBA draft lottery?
The Washington Wizards won the NBA draft lottery Sunday. They'll have the first pick in the NBA draft for the first time in 40 years. In 1961, the franchise, then the Chicago Packers, drafted Walt Bellamy number one. There is considerably less talent to choose from this time around.
We're talking about a cursed franchise here, in all aspects. Every May, after the ping-pong balls revealed their fate in the draft lottery, the Bullets/Wizards have never moved up to a better draft position. They've moved down plenty of times, dropping from fourth to sixth the year they drafted Calbert Cheaney. Isn't it suspicious that the Wizards, slated to draft third this year, were suddenly blessed with the luck to move up and get the first pick? Meanwhile, Bulls GM--and Wizards President of Basketball Operations Michael Jordan's archenemy--Jerry Krause showed anger and confusion on his rotund face when his moribund franchise slipped to fourth.
The NBA is getting terrible TV ratings this season. Wouldn't it be great for them if Michael Jordan and his sidekick Charles Barkley came back to play for the Wizards? They would be a novelty act, shown on TNT every Friday night and NBC every Sunday afternoon. Ratings would skyrocket and David Stern would be hailed as some kind of genius.
It's not beyond the realm of reason that Stern promised the first pick to Jordan's Wizards if he promised a comeback. This sort of underhanded dealing happens in world affairs, politics, why not the NBA?
Barkley said that he and Jordan will make an announcement in early June, just in time to put the NBA back in the limelight after the Lakers sweep the Sixers in the finals. I've said all along that Jordan is not coming back, that this is just a publicity stunt. Now I'm not so sure. He may have to come back to remind people what a great player he is; he certainly isn't doing that with his front office work.
As for next season, would the Wizards be a playoff team with Jordan and Barkley? Jordan's Bulls never had a point guard or a center and he willed them to six championships, so he just might be able to push the Wizards into postseason play. Stay tuned.
We're talking about a cursed franchise here, in all aspects. Every May, after the ping-pong balls revealed their fate in the draft lottery, the Bullets/Wizards have never moved up to a better draft position. They've moved down plenty of times, dropping from fourth to sixth the year they drafted Calbert Cheaney. Isn't it suspicious that the Wizards, slated to draft third this year, were suddenly blessed with the luck to move up and get the first pick? Meanwhile, Bulls GM--and Wizards President of Basketball Operations Michael Jordan's archenemy--Jerry Krause showed anger and confusion on his rotund face when his moribund franchise slipped to fourth.
The NBA is getting terrible TV ratings this season. Wouldn't it be great for them if Michael Jordan and his sidekick Charles Barkley came back to play for the Wizards? They would be a novelty act, shown on TNT every Friday night and NBC every Sunday afternoon. Ratings would skyrocket and David Stern would be hailed as some kind of genius.
It's not beyond the realm of reason that Stern promised the first pick to Jordan's Wizards if he promised a comeback. This sort of underhanded dealing happens in world affairs, politics, why not the NBA?
Barkley said that he and Jordan will make an announcement in early June, just in time to put the NBA back in the limelight after the Lakers sweep the Sixers in the finals. I've said all along that Jordan is not coming back, that this is just a publicity stunt. Now I'm not so sure. He may have to come back to remind people what a great player he is; he certainly isn't doing that with his front office work.
As for next season, would the Wizards be a playoff team with Jordan and Barkley? Jordan's Bulls never had a point guard or a center and he willed them to six championships, so he just might be able to push the Wizards into postseason play. Stay tuned.
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