HoopsHype - Columns - Legacy diluted, not tarnished

Links	Features	Teams
Agents Awards Blogs Cheerleaders Coaches Contact Columnists Depth Charts D-League Foundations Free Agency General Managers Media Links Owners Sneakers Reporters writers Jorge Sierra Raul Barrigon Eddie Johnson Charley Rosen	Nike clearly leads the pack in terms of NBA endorsers, but Chinese brands like Li Ning and Peak are emerging powers. Linsanity, coaching change... There's always something going on with the Knicks. Check the news and tweets coming from the Big Apple.	Atlanta Boston Brooklyn Charlotte Chicago Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit Golden State Houston Indiana LA Clippers LA Lakers Memphis Miami Milwaukee Minnesota New Orleans New York Oklahoma City Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Portland Sacramento San Antonio Toronto Utah Washington

Legacy diluted, not tarnished
by Tim O'Sullivan / April 16, 2003

Ask yourself, and answer honestly, has Jordan suddenly relinquished his title as the greatest player just because he wore a Wizards uniform for two years? Just because he wasn't the same player at age 40 that he was at age 30? If you're honest, the answer is obvious. He still is the greatest and he will be remembered as the greatest.

Honestly, how could anything tarnish the following resume: NCAA champion, college player of the year, two-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time MVP, six-time Finals MVP, 10-time scoring champ, 10-time All-NBA first team, nine-time NBA all-defensive first team, 13-time All-Star, three-time All-Star MVP, all-time points per game leader (30.1) and six-time NBA champion. Two seasons with the Harlem Globetrotter's punching bag Washington Generals couldn't tarnish that legacy.

Basically, Jordan's legacy is beyond reproach. But now ask yourself this, was the last two years in Washington that bad? Jordan brought a level of competitiveness and respectability to Washington that has been missing for a
long time. When you saw the Wizards and Jordan in those throwback Bullets jerseys last week it brought back a flash of memory. 'Oh yeah, the Bullets used to be good.' Well, the Bullets, I mean Wizards, were finally good again this year, beating the Spurs, Lakers, Mavericks and Kings.

Granted, Washington did fall short of most expert's pre-season expectations by missing out on the playoffs. And, as the team's floor leader and general manager, Jordan must shoulder much of the blame. But you can't buy the notion that Jordan stole the minutes and points of the Wizards' young players and therefore those youngsters are worse for playing with MJ. How could anyone be worse for having spent two years with a player, winner, competitor and motivator of Jordan's caliber?

While the Wizards did fall short of the playoffs in an embarrassingly weak Eastern Conference, Jordan's numbers really weren't that bad for a 40-year old small forward. Actually, they were astonishing for a 40-year-old small
forward. This year he averaged 20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists. In 2001-02, as a spry 39-year-old, he averaged 22.9, 5.6 and 5.2 respectively, and respectable. Those numbers are all the more impressive considering how Jordan had to re-tool his game in order to get the points. No longer able to soar above defenders, he figured out how to fake them into next week, how to fade away just a little further on his fadeaway J and how to spin layups off the glass at all angles instead of throwing down every dunk in sight.

The most obvious sign that Jordan's legacy is still as blindingly bright as it ever was came at this year's All-Star game. As much as I didn't like it (I thought the game was the 2003 All-Star game, not the All-Time All-Star
game, and after all, wasn't almost every player on the East roster more of a true All-Star than the aged Jordan? Didn't Paul Pierce get screwed out of his rightful minutes by a pandering Isiah Thomas?), the tribute that the
league and all the All-Stars themselves gave to Jordan made it clear they all think he is the greatest, no matter what uniform he was wearing or how high he was jumping.

As a sportswriter, I understand the appeal of Jordan retiring as a Bull, finishing his career where he started and finishing with "The Shot" over Bryon Russell to seal the 1998 NBA championship. It was a prefect storybook
ending to a perfect storybook career. A magnificent gift wrapped in glistening Chicago black and red and sealed with "The Bow." But what right do I have as a sportswriter, what right does any sportswriter or fan or anyone else have to tell the greatest how to end his career? Sure, we have every right to say "I think it would have been best for MJ to walk away instead of return, again," but we have to, have to, respect his desire to play again and his right to end his career however he saw fit.

It was baffling that the Miami Heat retired Jordan's number. But even more baffling that they made his jersey half Chicago and half Washington. Like Jordan's legacy, that uniform should have been just slightly diluted with a bit of Washington blue. Somewhere near the armpit.

Tim O'Sullivan is a staff writer at the Concord (NH) Monitor and a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

Tell us what you think about this column. E-mail us at HoopsHype@HoopsHype.com