Elder Jordan Much More Than a Fan : Reaction: Bull star’s father was in the foreground of his son’s life, often acting as a buffer to outside when pressure was high.

The grieving continued in the NBA with the mysterious death of Michael Jordan’s father, James Jordan.

As details of the death surfaced Friday, Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bull teammates, club officials and others associated with perhaps the game’s greatest player expressed shock and grief over the loss of a man who was not only close to his son, but to an entire organization.

“He was a nice human being, a very, very nice human being, who cared about people,” Jerry Krause, general manager of the Bulls, said at a news conference. “I think that the fondest memory we will all have of him is the hugging (between father and son).”

Said Will Perdue, Bull center: “It’s like Michael and his dad were one. Whenever there was a tight game or important game or any time of the year, it seemed like when you turned around, there his father was.”

Said David Stern, NBA commissioner: “Obviously, we are shocked and saddened by this senseless tragedy. Our hearts go out to Michael, his mother, Deloris, and the entire Jordan family.”

Authorities announced that a decomposed body found on Aug. 3 in a South Carolina creek was that of James Jordan, 57. The body had a gunshot wound in the chest. The elder Jordan’s gutted car had been found near Fayetteville, N.C., about 60 miles to the north.

The death marks the fifth time that tragedy has rocked the NBA since June.

Last month, the league dealt with the sudden death of Reggie Lewis, star forward of the Boston Celtics, who collapsed while shooting baskets at Brandeis University and died shortly afterward. An autopsy to determine cause of death has not been concluded.

Also in the last three months, Drazen Petrovic of the New Jersey Nets died in an automobile accident; the parents and sister of Brian Shaw of the Miami Heat were killed in an automobile accident, and the father of Muggsy Bogues died.

Jordan, who last season led the Bulls to their third consecutive NBA title, was very close to his father.

“(James Jordan) was important to Michael . . . and when Michael couldn’t speak to (the media), he did,” Horace Grant, Chicago forward, told reporters at the Bulls’ practice facility. “He was Michael’s voice.”

It has been a controversial year for Michael Jordan, whose gambling has prompted an NBA investigation.

But Friday’s events muted the feelings of the player’s chief accuser, San Diego businessman Richard Esquinas.

“I feel very uncomfortable talking about this now,” said Esquinas, who wrote a controversial book, “Michael and Me: Our Gambling Addiction, My Cry for Help.”

Esquinas added: “I wish Michael and his family the best during what is obviously a very difficult time.

“James was a fine man. I met him four or five times. He was a good father, and he had a good relationship with Michael, based on . . . what I saw.”

Esquinas declined to speculate on whether there is a link between Michael Jordan’s gambling and his father’s death.

“The Jordan family has enough trouble now. That family is without a father and a husband. . . . My book was based on facts, and (the investigation into James Jordan’s death) should be based on facts.

“This is a terrible crisis, a shame.”

In Wilmington, N.C., James Jordan was remembered as a father devoted to all his children, but who made a special effort to follow his famous son’s career.

“I don’t remember (James) ever missing a ballgame,” said Fred Lynch, who coached Michael Jordan at Laney High. “And academically, he was always pushing Mike to get the job done.

“It’s been a rough year--all the accusations and the gambling and now this.”

Filmmaker Spike Lee, who directed a shoe commercial starring Michael Jordan, wondered if Jordan might consider retiring because of the death of his father.

“It’s hard to say,” Lee told Newsday. “Then again, one way for him to keep his mind off of things would be to plunge back into basketball.

“Most anybody would trade places with Michael. But then you remember as great as he is, he’s still a human being. He’s as susceptible to death and tragedy as we are.”

Magic Johnson, who watched Michael Jordan replace him and Boston’s Larry Bird as the NBA’s premier player, said in a statement: “We’re all thinking of Michael and his family.”

Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns said: “As a friend of Michael’s and Mr. Jordan’s, words cannot describe the sadness I feel for Michael and his family. Mr. Jordan was a great guy to be around. To lose a parent has to be devastating, but to lose one under these circumstances has to be unbelievable. I hope whoever is responsible is caught and punished.”

* MURDER: Body found floating in a South Carolina creek is identified as James Jordan, Michael’s father. A1