Jordan announces comeback

WASHINGTON, SEPT. 26. Michael Jordan, who lifted the National Basketball Association (NBA) to unprecedented heights of popularity, confirmed he would return as a player for the Washington Wizards.

``I am returning as a player to the game I love,'' Jordan said in a statement on Tuesday, ending a three-year retirement.

``While nothing can take away from the past,'' Jordan added, ``I am firmly focused on the future and the competitive challenge ahead of me.'' He last played in 1998, when he led the Chicago Bulls to its third straight NBA championship and sixth in eight years.

Jordan, who turns 39 in February, had planned a news conference to announce his return but called it off in the wake of terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington.

The Wizards said Jordan signed a two-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Jordan will donate his entire salary for the coming season to relief and victim assistance efforts in the wake of the attacks.

``This is certainly an extremely important moment in the history of our franchise, however our excitement is muted by the world events that surround us,'' said Wizards majority owner Abe Pollin.

``The greatest player in the history of the game is joining my team, and for that I am extremely honoured and pleased. Michael has expressed his wishes that we focus on the national events of today rather than basketball. I concur and will certainly honour his wishes.''

Jordan is expected to be available to comment on his return at the Wizards' media day on Monday, the day before its training camp begins in his hometown Wilmington, north Carolina.

The announcement ended months of speculation, and it also marked the second time Jordan has come out of retirement. He ended his first retirement in March 1995 with a fax that simply stated: ``I'm back.''

He had walked away from the game in October 1993 after leading the Bulls to its third title.

Jordan's first exhibition game could be October 11 at Detroit and his first regular-season game should be October 30 at New York's Madison Square garden, the site of some of his greatest performances.

In accordance with league rules, Jordan had to sell his 5 to 10 per cent ownership stake in the Wizards. He will also give up his role as the team's president of basketball operations.

Sellout crowds await the lowly Wizards, a record-worst 19-63 last year, if Jordan is in a uniform.

Teams around NBA have included Wizards games in elite ticket packages touting Jordan's long-hinted-at return. All-new advertisements pegged to Jordan's return have already been filmed.

With Jordan having had a $10 billion impact on the US economy, according to Fortune magazine, his return could help fuel a flagging economy as well as bring joy to us sports fans.

- AFP

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