Jordan Comeback: Hope or Hype?
Sept. 11 -- Michael Jordan is coming back.
We think.
Maybe.
On Monday evening, several news agencies reported that the NBA legend was ready to return to the court. During a 30-minute conversation with a small group of reporters outside his Chicago restaurant, Jordan said he would make an announcement next week.
A reporter asked if he was coming back. According to The Associated Press account of the 30-minute talk, the NBA legend gave a sly smile, looked up and said "I'm doing it for the love of the game."
Those simple words set off a flurry of reports saying Jordan had made up his mind and was coming back.
What Did He Really Mean By That?
But was he really talking about his comeback? Jordan said later he wasn't.
Through his office, he released a statement calling reports he had made his decision to come back "pure speculation."
Then, just to make sure he was clear, he gave an interview to The Washington Post, saying "I didn't say that. I have not said it."
He told the newspaper his remarks about "doing it for the love of the game" referred not to a comeback, but his months of intensive efforts to get back into shape.
So what happened?
Did Jordan, in a rare moment of weakness in front of the media, let slip his true intention? Or was he just misunderstood?
Many longtime Jordan watchers believe he is coming back, and his remarks Monday evening were a definite step in that direction. But until Jordan utters the words himself, no one can know for sure.
However, the list of reports saying Jordan has made up his mind is growing — and that includes reports not based on his remarks Monday night.
According to the New York Daily News, Jordan is planning to announce his comeback Sept. 18 or 19 in Washington.
"Barring a major injury between now and next week, he's coming back," an anonymous source told the newspaper. "He's not going to have any major revelation at this stage. He's playing."
Ready to Go?
Jordan has been working out, testing himself, to see if he is up to the challenge of playing 82 games a year at the professional level for the Washington Wizards, in which he took an ownership stake after retiring from the Chicago Bulls in 1998.
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