04/18/24
April 03, 2002
He's bac- er, check that; He's gone. : MJ's out for the season now with that knee injury, putting the last coffin in the nail of the Wizards coulda-been season. He says he plans to play again next season if he's able, but more importantly: did this season accomplish anything for the future of the Wizards franchise?
posted by hincandenza to basketball at 08:06 PM - 5 comments
This was incredibly depressing to me for several reasons. I'm a Knicks fan and since they sucked this year, I secretly cheered for the Wizards. I really thought they had a shot, even after the surgery. MJ made a huge impact upon the Wizards, and no one can claim otherwise. Without him, they probably would've won 20-25 games. With him, they'll end up with 35-40 wins, some against great teams. He brings a love to the game that no one else knows. He tamed Rodman, for God's sake. And even when he was hurt, he took the bench role. My guess is he'll be back next season, after he figures out how to avoid further damage to his knee. He's got the juice, and now the experience. Expect some decent trades this summer, nothing blockbuster, but something to put them into contention for next year. Mark my words, he and the Wiz will make the Conference Semis next year.
posted by BlueTrain at 11:50 PM on April 03, 2002
michael jordan has done excellently to ensure that his team will have a low draft pick and maybe remain a bottom-to-middle-of-the-pack for a year or two longer.
posted by moz at 12:23 AM on April 04, 2002
Dan Patrick says it better than most.
posted by BlueTrain at 06:23 PM on April 04, 2002
Maybe being a sports fan is all about being selfish. There is no "I" in "team", or in "fan", but the hopes and expectations that spectator sports raise and dash are deeply personal. Before MJ set foot back on the court, there was a lot of talk about how he should forget about it, and let the fans remember him as he was. Then he came out, and played well (for the most part) and that quieted down. What I have learned from this as a fan is that athletes get old, and that what that means is that the wear and tear is harder to recover from, and that injuries are harder to recover from-- two things my own body was already tellling me. And I've learned that when you love a sport, there's nothing like playing that sport. Good for Jorden that he gave it a go. Didn't hurt the Wizards that I can see, and gave us a last look at an amazing athlete.
posted by outside counsel at 07:07 AM on April 08, 2002
Jordan has been a role model for the rest of the team, Rip Hamilton is a better player for having played a season with Jordan, it's too bad he couldn't have taken them to the playoffs, now that woulda been a crash course on intencity for the young guys.