Jordan a Laker? That’s Too Easy

I share Phil Jackson’s disappointment that Michael Jordan wouldn’t come to play for him with the Lakers. But you know he really couldn’t do that. As much fun as it might be for us in L.A., it would appear cowardly for him to come back to a sure championship on a team where he could hide any deterioration in his game behind Shaq and Kobe. Jordan loves a challenge, and where’s the challenge in that?

Even though MJ’s legacy is indelible, I think this comeback is still pretty nervy of him. I know he misses the game enormously. But it takes guts to try it all again when you’ve already come back once and proved all your critics wrong.

It takes guts to train through broken ribs and tendinitis when you know the season hasn’t even started yet. It would be a lot easier for him to simply kick back and bask in his countless highlight reels. I’m sure there will be times he wonders what the hell he was thinking.

When people criticized him for trying to play baseball, he said, “I can accept failure. But I can’t accept not trying.” I think that’s the real reason he’s coming back to play.

Art Alenik

Capistrano Beach