The ghost of M.J., a Wizard!

By Bill Ingram Sports Central Columnist Michael Jordan. His name is the first name thought of when you mention the legends of the NBA. Let me emphasize "legends." He is a ghost from the past trying to bring himself back to life. The result can only be disappointing for those who were fans of his and of his Bulls.

Michael Jordan in a Wizards uniform? Is this the same Michael Jordan who swore if he ever came back it would be to the Bulls? Yes, but it is also the same Michael Jordan who is part owner of the hapless Washington Wizards. He needed to do something to bolster ticket sales, and here is his grand scheme.

The NBA is ready to hype him up, just like the old days. We already have more Wizards games on the NBC schedule this year than there have been in the past ten. Those of you who have not yet discovered NBA League Pass, this may be the time. If you think you're going to see anyone besides Shaq and Michael this year, think again. This, by the way, brings up a very important issue for the league.

Jordan represents the past. It was a successful past, and the NBA made billions off of his exploits, but it is also a past the NBA has had a hard time living up to. David Stern has been desperately seeking a star to replace Jordan, and now that he actually has a couple of rising stars getting that kind of attention, Jordan will come back and ruin all of that. No one will talk about Kobe, Garnett, or Iverson this year. Now it's back to Jordan. Same old song, but with a disturbing new verse.

This time the story will not be the amazing Michael Jordan. Now it will be a sad refrain of "Remember how great he was?" We'll have to remember that greatness and show lots of footage of previous years, because what we see on the court will pale by comparison.

Older, slower, injury-prone M.J. will soon disappoint his fans and fail to live up to the hype that is already driving us nuts. They will say, "Ooooh - he should never have come back."

Houston fans are familiar with this. Hakeem Olajuwon outplayed his usefulness and has been sad to watch over the last couple of years. Now the fans of M.J. will get a taste of the same.

The bottom line: Jordan has nothing to prove. He will make little difference in the Wizards' win/loss column, and he will be lucky to make it through half of the season without getting an injury that sidelines him permanently. Jordan can only hurt his image, his memory, and himself with this circus stunt comeback bid. Let's hope he wises up before we all have to watch him make such a fool of himself.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.