Jordan's Goodbye

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Michael Jordan's coach pleaded with him to go back in the game, and the opposing coach made sure Jordan had the chance to end his career with a basket.

Jordan's last shot was a free throw, and like his final appearance in an NBA uniform, it was good.

One of the greatest players in NBA history played the final game of his illustrious career Wednesday night, not in the setting that he would have preferred but in a special atmosphere nonetheless. Jordan's final moment on the court ended with him receiving applause and a lengthy standing ovation from nearly everyone in the arena -- including the coaches and the other players.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2003/04/16/wizards_76ers_ap/lg_jordan2_all.jpg

Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points -- the third-highest total in league history, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His final career average of 30.12 goes down as the best in NBA history, just ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.07.

"I never, never took the game for granted. I was very true to the game, and the game was very true to me. It was just that simple," Jordan said.

We were lucky to have him here in D.C.  I wish him well & thank him for all the great moments in the NBA.  He's a true superstar.

:)

Great Player-Yes
Legend-Yes

However, 3 retirements and 3 big send-offs is a little much.

One can only play the temporary retirement thing so many times before people begin to just not care anymore.

I give him 3 years until his next big return and then his next retirement.

Sorry if I made anyone mad, but when he retired the first time, that was a big event.  But the 2nd time?  Yawn.  And now a 3rd time?  Bigger yawn. ::)

I think he should have stayed retired after the second one. He had nothing else to prove and he could have went out in style. Or at least he could have picked a better team to end with other than the Wizards.

Four retirements if you count baseball!

What I have to say may sound harsh, but it's just an opinion of mine.  If you're a fan of sports entertainment, take this with a grain of salt.

I hate sports entertainment.

I hate how it's always made a big deal out of in JH/high school.

I hate how people make big deals out of whether a team loses or wins.

I hate how they drag their children into such serious sports teams(there're even little league sports programs on TV that make the kids look like they're not having fun, even though they're supposed to be).

I hate how athletes are given more money than people who earned it, like teachers and nurses and others.  Some of them even complain about not getting enough.

I hate how the WWE(WWF at the time) has gotten so popular.  Once, a wrestler died during a stunt, & they continue the show, and even the kids were still cheering at the spectacles.  And they wonder why most kids are so violent nowadays..

I also hate how sports events go into history books, like when a popular athlete retires on his oodles of cash for the 3rd time.

Other than that, I like just playing them if someone asks me to.  That's what they're there for when it comes down to it:  fun with friends and family.  

Again, this is just how I feel.  I'm more the comics/animation/v-game type, so I'm probably a little biased here.  

I think Michael Jordan already has kind of a "cry wolf" stigma behind him now. Everyone's going to be holding their breath for who knows how many years to see if he's really going to do something else with himself.