Columnist Dean Juipe: Jordan’s comeback is bad idea

Dean Juipe

Wednesday, June 20, 2001 | 10:18 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

There are good ideas and there are bad ideas.

Michael Jordan contemplating a return to the National Basketball Association as a player with the Washington Wizards is a bad idea.

But to read between the lines of what his coach said during the telecast of the final game in the NBA championship series between Los Angeles and Philadelphia, Jordan is going to do it. Biding his time as a TV analyst before taking over the Wizards, Doug Collins more than just implied that Jordan would be back.

He all but predicted it.

It may be wishful thinking on his part, but to those who would rather leave well enough alone it was a perplexing thought.

Jordan is 38 years old and has not played competitively since 1998. The fact that he was injured -- two broken ribs -- in a pick-up game last week in Chicago only underscores the difficulty in not just attempting to turn back the clock but in staying healthy as you reach middle age.

Aside from having to lose nearly 30 pounds in an effort to get himself back down to a playing weight of 215, by the very nature of his age Jordan is apt to encounter a wave of nagging, physical setbacks. He may think he can alter his odometer, but he simply cannot.

Not that Jordan's presence in the NBA wouldn't be an interesting endeavor. But the price -- in terms of his reputation, let alone the physical demands -- wouldn't seem to be worth the risk or the effort on his part.

One thing about it, we should officially know his intentions within the week.

The NBA draft is June 27 and the Wizards, by virtue of their poor record and luck in the lottery, have the first pick. Whether Jordan intends to play or not will surely influence their options.

If he's going to play, the Wizards will likely deal that first selection -- which could well be a high school player -- for some more immediate help. After all, Jordan isn't going to come back to serve as a role model for a bunch of youngsters; he'll want a cast of proven veterans -- and more than just another old clunker such as Charles Barkley -- around him.

Of course the Wizards even with Jordan (and Collins) and a revised roster won't have nearly enough talent to be considered more than a long shot for a playoff berth, let alone an NBA championship. And that ought to be reason enough for Jordan to excuse himself from this notion of a comeback, given his superlative record of six championships while a member of the Chicago Bulls.

When he retired, Jordan went out on top. Phil Jackson was about to leave as coach and the Bulls were getting up there in years, and the timing was perfect for the greatest player in history to step aside.

He had nothing else to gain and enough other interests -- golf, and his financial investment in the Wizards -- to keep him occupied, even if the lure of playing still took an occasional tug at his emotions.

But then one thing leads to another and here's Jordan trying to round into shape for a return to a sport that he will no longer be able to dominate. He's older and the Wizards aren't very good, so why bother?

Aside from egotistical reasons such as renewed attention and a return to the limelight, he has absolutely nothing to gain. He should stay retired.