Michael Jordan
With Steve Wyche
Washington Post Sports Writer
Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2001; Noon EDT

It is widely expected that Michael Jordan will soon announce his intention to end his three-year retirement and play basketball for the Washington Wizards this year.

Washington Post Sports Writer Steve Wyche will be online to discuss the possible return of Michael Jordan to the NBA and what it means to the Wizards and basketball in Washington, D.C.

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Washington, D.C.: Hi,

With the impending return of Jordan, will it become impossible for the hometown fans to get tickets to see him? I remember in Chicago that it seemed the stadium was packed with home town fans. I fear MCI Center will become an exclusive club and only those with a great deal of money will be able to see him... unfortunately this excludes most "true" Washingtonians.

Steve Wyche: Hello,
I don't think it will be impossible to get into Wizards' games but it won't be easy. Like you said, in Chicago and in any other arena Jordan played in, getting tickets was tough. It probably will be the same this go round.

Washingon, D.C.: Why did the NBA force Jordan to step down from his position as President of Basketball operations? I know they said it would be a "conflict of interest," but that makes no sense whatsoever. They allow players to also be the coach, and surely that is a conflict of interest. ("Coach, get it there." "OK, Coach.") Having a player/general manager would have been fun and good for the game.

Steve Wyche: The main reason is that if you hold an executive position, you can negotiate with players, player agents and members of management from other teams. As a player, you are not allowed to do that. Some players, like last season when New York's Latrell Sprewell was lobbying for New York to make a deal for Chris Webber, were warned about tampering. That is something the league takes very seriously and is probably the main reason why they would not allow Jordan to hold a front office position while playing.

Alexandria, Va.: Jordan's comeback would allow him to take an on-the-court hand in something that he has apparently really wanted to do more than just pick the talent, which is develop the talent and lead by example. I'm fine with that; do you think the critics at large will be? And should we care?

Steve Wyche: There will be critics and fans no matter what Michael Jordan does. The second he has a bad game, or gets hurt or doesn't play up to the standards he once did, the critics will be out in full force. If he plays well, plays close to his previous standards or helps generate some wins, the praise will come. That's going to be the nature of things all season long.

Seattle, Wash.: At 38 and without the wind he once had, how many minutes on average does Michael believe he can play during each game of an 80 plus game schedule.
I respect him, but feel he could do a lot more where he was -- developing new talent and building the team.

Steve Wyche: Jordan is battling an undefeated opponent -- age -- but we don't know how good he'll be or how many minutes he'll be able to play until he actually does it. I don't think he would attempt a comeback if he didn't feel he could play up to his personal standards, though.

Washington, D.C.: Will Higgins most likely takeover the President of Operations position for the Wizards when Michael Jordan makes his comeback official?

Steve Wyche: Rod Higgins and Wes Unseld will handle the front-office, personnel duties. Rod is much more the face and voice of the front office and will do the most talking but Wes Unseld will still be highly involved behind the scenes.

Richmond, Va.: The short term effect of Jordan's return is clear; more tickets sold and much more excitement around the team, as well as, hopefully, more wins. But, what are the long term effects on the team when their best two players (Hamilton and Alexander) basically play the same position? Will Jordan's work ethic and expertise help them develop or will their growth be stunted by losing leadershipexperience, playing time and clutch time experience?

Steve Wyche: I think you answered both of your questions. Jordan's leadership, work ethic and ability to raise his teammates' level of play will help Rip and Courtney. However, they need shots and minutes to get better and Jordan's presence could stunt that since he'll be the first offensive option most of the time.

Washington, D.C.:
Since all of the premiere free agents (V. Carter, A. Jamison, etc.) have re-signed with their respective teams, what available good free agents can the Wizards go after? It seems Bibby is the only one left and he will most likely re-sign with Sacramento after this season due to the $$ factor.

Steve Wyche: It's hard to tell who they will go after but having cap space allows you to do a lot of things, like facilitate three-team deals, in which you get the player you want, or make trades outright. The Wizards probably won't land an impact player through the true means of free agency, but they will use their available funds to facilitate deals.

Silver Spring, Md.:
Do you think Richard Hamilton will ultimately be traded some time during the season since Michael Jordan has decided to play again? If he is traded, what type of value do you think the Wizards will get in return.

Steve Wyche: As of now I don't think he could be traded. He is very good insurance should Jordan or Courtney Alexander get hurt. If he is moved, the Wizards would have to deal him for another young player of his stature, like a Mike Bibby. In the NBA, salaries have to be comparable in trades. Since Rip doesn't have a big salary, he couldn't be traded for someone like Alonzo Mourning, who will earn more than $18 million this season.

Fairfax, Va.:
Do you think it was foolish to get Brendan Haywood and lose a future first round pick? Losing future first round picks proved costly under the Nash/Unseld era.

Steve Wyche: The pick the Wizards' traded was lottery protected for several years. That means, if the pick is a top-13 pick, the Wizards keep it. After three years, I believe, the restrictions come off and it's Orlando's regardless. By protecting the pick, it definitely was a good move. Haywood is a big body with a lot of potential. If he doesn't work out, they probably didn't do any short or long-term damage to their roster.

Virginia: How old is MJ? Can he keep up physically?

Steve Wyche: MJ is 38. My guess is that he could keep up physically most of the time but we'll have to see. No one has seen him in game competition since 1998.

Arlington, Va.: If Jordan plays, who will make the decisions about the roster and signing free agents and other personnel decisions? Will it be the same batch that gave us the Wizards of today?

Steve Wyche: If you mean the Wizards of today, the front office under Jordan that brought in Courtney Alexander, Etan Thomas, Kwame Brown and Brendan Haywood, the answer is yes. GM Wes Unseld, Assistant GM Rod Higgins and salary cap manager Fred Whitfield will handle must of the personnel issues with input from the coaching staff.

Baltimor, Md.: Steve: Jordan's comeback has been somewhat controversial, which I guess is inevitable for such a popular person. But the best reason for the comeback, and what I am starting to believe Jordan's intent is, is that he sees a young team that is increasingly dispirited by its lack of success, and at the edge of growing accustomed to losing. By joining them, Jordan can help them win more games, teach them how to be winners, and motivate them to keep improving their games. Jordan make get schooled by the Kobes and Vinces of the league on occasion, but perhaps he doesn't care about that as much if he can mold his team into winners down the road. Do you think that is Jordan's mindset, at least in substantial part? Thanks for doing this chat.

Steve Wyche: I think that is very much behind Jordan's comeback, as well as the fact that he wants to play for at least one more year.

District Heights, Md.: With Jordan coming back, what position as a starter will be best for him?

And do you think this move will help the young guys on the team or are they going to be caught up (doing more watching than playing) with the fact of playing with a legend?

Steve Wyche: I think Jordan will be listed as a small forward but will be used much the same way Scottie Pippen was used with the Bulls. That is, bringing the ball up the floor and starting the offense from above the key. I think initially the young guys could get caught up watching but these young players, like Rip Hamilton and Courtney Alexander, want to make their marks in the league too and they will try to showcase their abilities as well.

Somewhere, USA: Why did he not announce yesterday? Is he balking?

Steve Wyche: He is not balking. Apparently had has to work out some details in some of his business ventures. Those details seem to be linked to his comeback.

London, UK: If Michael Jordan returns, what do you think the Wizards and MJ himself need to achieve to claim that the comeback was successful and what do you think would constitute a failure?

Steve Wyche: That is a good question but a hard one to answer. For the Wizards as a team, I think improvement in the win column can be deemed a success as could the overall way they play. The Wizards have not been real competitive over the past few years and if they consistently make things tough for teams, that could be viewed as successful.
Regarding Jordan, it's hard to tell. He already won MVP's, scoring titles and championships so what could be deemed a success to him could vary greatly. I think by helping the team win, changing the team's image and playing at a high level could be considered a success. Him getting injured or just being unable to play at a high level could be deemed a failure.

Washington, D.C.: Why is he coming back and why here?

Steve Wyche: He said he is coming back for the love of the game. He is playing here because he has worked for the team for 18 months and brought in coaches and players he thinks he can work with.

Tampa, Fla.: I think this team with just Jordan can make the playoffs.

But if they could pick up Sobonis or a true rebounder I think they could possibly make (not win) the championship.

There is no dominate team in the east. The Wizards without Jordan had 3 games where they lost by 4, 5, and 6 points to Philly. They beat the Buck's twice. Blew out Charlotte twice. And other playoff teams. most of the games was lost in the 4th QTR.

Where am I wrong?

Steve Wyche: The East if very competitive but if Jordan plays at a high level and gets his teammates to play at a high level, they could sneak into the postseason. They might not be a top seed but they could get in. A lot of the young players have to get better but Coach Doug Collins has proven he can turn teams around.

Arlington, Va.: How will Michael's return effect Washington basketball?

Steve Wyche: Mainly, people will take notice to the team. Outside of D.C., no one really cares about the Wizards. They will now. It also will heighten the awareness of local fans.

McLean, Va.: Can MJ throw a football? Make a tackle? Block somebody? Call a decent play? Suit him up!

Steve Wyche: I will forward that question to The Redskins.

Delray, Va.: Do you think that his return is a good idea? I can't for the life of me understand why he would want to not go out on top.

Steve Wyche: One thing we should never do is judge people's goals or dreams. Sometimes there seem to be perfect endings. Sometimes those perfect endings can be re-written.

Steve Wyche: Thanks folks. I appreciate the questions. Take care