NBA Shouldn't Retire No. 23

There is no doubt that Michael Jordan is The Greatest Basketball Player To Ever Lace 'Em Up.  So much so that I observe it by capitalizing it as if it were a proper title on a business card.

LeBron James said he will honor The Greatest by switching numbers next season as he drops the No. 23 to wear No. 6 with whichever team he so chooses to sign with in the offseason.  And King James wants every other 23 to follow suit.

Again.  There is not a doubt in my mind (or anyone else of my generation's mind) that Mike is The G.O.A.T., but it does not mean he should be honored in every NBA arena.

Imagine the Knicks having a banner raising ceremony honoring Michael in Madison Square Garden.  While it sounds like a good idea for ticket sales and marketing in NYC, how could a Knicks fan cheer as the No. 23 is lofted toward the rafters knowing how Jordan torched and tortured your beloved team throughout the years.

How about the scene in Utah, where Jordan single-handedly kept one of the NBA's most dynamic duos in John Stockton and Karl Malone from winning a title -- twice?  Could you picture the look on Jerry Sloan's face as The Association honored the one player who denied him a championship ring.

Michael has done more for the game of basketball than any other player.  I would even dare to make the argument that he has done more for his sport than any other player has done for any other of the major professional sports.

There are some people out there, such as Lakers coach Phil Jackson, that suggest the NBA should follow in the footsteps of the NHL, which retired the No. 99 in honor of its own greatest player, Wayne Gretzky.  I would counter by asking if following anything the National Hockey League does is a good idea?

I mean, great you've retired the number of your league's greatest icon.  I still cannot get a regular season hockey game on a channel not named "Versus."  Yep, let's follow the ideas of the worst commissioner in sports.  I haven't heard a better idea by a basketball mind since Pat Kennedy gave a DePaul basketball scholarship to Imari Sawyer instead of Dwyane Wade.

Luckily, the NBA has the smartest commissioner in David Stern.  And by "smartest" I mean, "most likely to make the most money for his league."  Stern is widely known as the best commissioner because of the way he markets his league and his teams.  If Stern continues to follow that path, the NBA will not have a league-wide retirement of Jordan's No. 23.

Instead, he will allow players who have idolized His Airness since Day 1 by wearing his number in an effort to continue feeding off the M-Jeff teat.

In Stern's eye, the only way to better honor a player you love by wearing his jersey number is by purchasing his jersey, and the jersey of the players who idolize him, too.

Chicago Bulls To Ride That 'D' In 2009

Part of the reason the Chicago Bulls brought in Vinny Del Negro to coach this team was to instill the kind of offensive firepower he oversaw during his time as a front office member of the Phoenix Suns.

So, why all the talk about defense?

It could be because the team sincerely wants to get back to its championship roots. 

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen carried much of the offensive load during the golden era of Bulls basketball, but it was their defense that was overlooked because of it.  Jordan is known as the greatest player ever because he could defend like a damn doberman after soaring to the hoop.  Like His Airness, Pippen's could guard four different positions on the court if you asked him to.  His build and athletic ability, not to mention his instincts carried him to anchoring the Bulls' defense.

Or it could be because the team sorely lacks the offensive weapons to outscore teams.

When the Bulls have their scoring droughts, losing Ben Gordon's offensive output will likely be the main reason.  Sure, Luol Deng returns ... but the Bulls need to find out which one will show up to the court.  And fast.  Will it be the player that averaged 18.8 points per game in 2006 or the oft-injured star who had to see more doctors than pregnant Maury Show guest in 2008?

John Salmons averaged 18.3 points per game after joining the Bulls at the trade deadline, but did most of his damage when Deng was out of the line-up.  Salmons will be a small forward lining up at the shooting guard position, which will be good on the defensive side of the ball.  However, it has yet to be seen how a pair of wing forwards will play on the offensive side of the ball when they're on the court at the same time.

Kirk Hinirch is the team's sixth man ... and a damn good (but expensive) one at that.

Here's hoping Joakim Noah spent as much time refining his offensive game as he did refining his game spitting.  I expect nothing more offensively from Tyrus Thomas than a few tip-dunks, fast-break slams and an 18-footer once in every 10 attempts.

Then there's Derrick Rose.  No Bulls player will be met with higher expectations than the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year.  If he takes the kind of leaps Deron Williams and Chris Paul took after their respective rookie seasons, then the Bulls will be fine.  If he doesn't, then the Bulls might be sending extra scouts to see Ed Davis, Derrick Favors or Cole Aldrich.

Don't get it twisted, Bulls fans.  The 2009-10 Bulls will go only as far as Derrick Rose will take them.

Bryon Russell Wants A Shot At Michael Jordan & Chance At Redemption

For some reason, Bryon Russell wants a piece of Michael Jordan.

Probably has some thing to do with this.




Apparently he doesn't remember what happened the last time those two squared off in a winner-take-all match-up.  It went something like this.




Winner: Michael Jordan
Loser: Bryon Russell

How Michael Jordan Could Revolutionize The NBA (Again)

 

Image via

Michael Jordan, the greatest player to ever lace 'em up in the NBA, had himself quite a Hall of Fame speech on Friday. Was he cocky?  Yeah.  But can you blame him?  He single-handedly kept Karl Malone, John Stockton, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and Gary Payton without a NBA championship ring.

For those of you keeping score at home, don't adjust your computer screen, Michael Jordan's presence in the league stopped six future Hall of Famers from winning championships. Guys like Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, David Robinson and Shaquille O'Neal didn't win championship rings until after Jordan retired.  In his career, Jordan broke more hearts of Cleveland sports fans than Art Modell.  Think about it.


Anyway, the guys over at my old stomping grounds put forth a rather interesting banter question.  Could Michael Jordan cut it in today's NBA?  My answer is a resounding yes.  But how?

Well, listening to my pitch would be a good start.


Jordan can revolutionize basketball by creating his own position.  He could be basketball's first closer.

In the last few years, athletes fans have grown accustomed to players trying to get the most out of their bodies as their careers inch closer and closer to the white light.  Roger Clemens sat out the first few months of the season to save his (allegedly) roided up arm for a pennant push.  Brett Favre avoided training camp with the Vikings like an annoying one-night stand to save his body for the rigors of a 16-game NFL season.

But instead of saving himself for a late playoff run, Jordan can save himself for late-game situations.  All Jordan has to do is look at the sport he loved (baseball) to see how many pitchers extended their careers by going to the bullpen.  That's exactly what His Airness would be doing.  He'd be a hired gun that would be called upon when his team needed him the most.

This would have been the ideal plan after he came out of his second retirement.  Imagine a team entering the fourth quarter with a slim deficit, tiring down the stretch, looking for a way to pull out a nail-biter.  The coach looks at the end of his bench and sitting there is the single greatest closer in NBA history, itching to get the ball.  Jordan tore opposing defenders up throughout his Hall of Fame career, but could you imagine how badly a fresh M.J. in the fourth quarter could have torched opponents.

The thought of it would probably give Craig Ehlo night terrors.

If successful, Jordan could have paved the way for today's elite game finishers to extend their careers.  Guys like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Paul Pierce could save their stuff for the guts of the game when their teams need them the most.

Somewhere, David Stern is on the horn with Mike pitching this exact suggestion.

The Weekender: Michael Jordan Edition

When the Daily Dosage was in full swing, I used to put a picture of a pretty girl to lure you into the content.  Not today.  Not when Michael Jordan is going into the Hall of Fame.  Pretty girl after the jump?

Ha! Made you look!

Here are the Jordan-related links:

• I've owned, eaten or drank nine of the Top 10 Jordan endorsements.
• Despite delivering a ridiculous amount of unfound rumors, shout out to former Trib hoops scribe Sam Smith who put out two outstanding Michael Jordan features.
• It never had a name, but "The Sequence" seems fitting.
• Jordan couldn't hit a curve ball, but he did hit a double at Wrigley Field. Trust me, I was there.
• Souvenir City takes us back through the greatest shoe line in the history of shoes.
• M. Jeff isn't on Twitter, but he nears the top of its Trending Topics.
• The Mike Jordan of rap, Jay-Z, dropped the Blueprint 3 today. I got the leak. It was good, not great. Kind of like Jordan after coming out of that baseball retirement thing.
• There will never be another Mike. Ever. 
• Kobe? No, but it's a good read.

The No. 23 & The Things I'll Always Remember About Michael Jordan

There are no ifs and or buts about it. Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player in the history of the game.

Years from now, there will be a generation of youngsters that will try to make a case for Kobe Bryant or LeBron James.  When that argument is made, I will laugh and pop in some footage of Jordan making Creg Ehlo his personal whipping boy en route to one of the six NBA titles he won with the Bulls.

While the generation older than me makes the Bill Russell argument, note that Russell played with a dozen Hall of Famers.  Jordan played with one future HOFer and a bunch of guys who rode his coattails to greatness.

So, what else will I always remember about His Airness?

The Trendsetter

The baggy shorts? Check.  Bulls gear in a Bears town? Check.  The shoes? Check to the seventh power.

I've owned seven pairs of Air Jordans in my life and am currently wearing this pair as I type this.  Jordan was so much of a trendsetter, people have named birthdays after him.  Yes.  And here's a story.

In late June, NBA Jeff and SalukiOrphan were out at a local establishment pondering a prospective game plan for my 23rd birthday.  That is when we came to the conclusion that I should party like Mike.  That sparked the idea of begging my parents for a Jordan-esque birthday gift.  In the end, I received a MJ watch, jersey and (of course) the shoes.

But it wasn't the first time this had happened.  Apparently, my mother told the story of the Jordan Birthday to a friend at work, who laughed it off saying that she threw her son a Michael Jordan birthday party a year ago with the No. 23 sprinkled throughout the day.

You know you're the G.O.A.T. when kids are looking to celebrate their birthday in your honor.

The Guy Who Beat (Almost) All Of His Enemies

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is the sole reason that Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, John Stockton and Karl Malone do not have championship rings.  Jordan's Bulls were the ultimate cockblock for those great players, and it took his retirement after the 1998 season for David Robinson to finally get his ring.

Jordan will always be known for conquering each of his opponents.

Except the curveball, of course.

The New York City Tease


Knicks fans and NBA execs drooled over the idea of having the G.O.A.T. play on the world's biggest stage inside the world's greatest arena.  Too bad for Knicks fans, it never happened.

The United Center will forever be known as The House That Jordan Built.  Madison Square Garden should always be remembered as The House That Jordan Torched.  He averaged 32.6 PPG against the Knicks in his career.  The only team he scored at a higher average was against the Phoenix Suns.

So, Cubs & White Sox fans, if a New Yorker ever gives you crap about your lack of World Series hardware, ask them about their NBA trophies.  Be prepared to shield yourself as their heads will likely explode from the rage.

The Baller

So many memories have been told and re-told by others.  And here is mine.

It was June 1998 and I was in the second month of having a full cast on my right leg after suffering a broken bone while making a diving catch as a Little League Baseball player.  I wore the No. 9, which of course has Jordan significance as he wore that number during the Olympic games.  Anyway.

I was resigned to the fate that I would be watching the NBA Finals from the (dis) comfort of my bed as I had to sit up and watch the television at a diagonal angle.  It wasn't pleasant, but it was the Bulls and the NBA Finals.  It was a tradition.  If it wasn't Harry Cary, it was Marv Albert, Bob Costas and the best sports theme music in the history of music that was the soundtrack to my childhood.

Everyone remembers what should have been the final shot in Jordan's career, but I will always remember hopping on one foot and a crutch celebrating the victory. 

The Best Dressed Man In The Room

 

They say beauty is in the eye of the beerholder beholder. That's why Michael Jordan wakes up every morning, looks in the mirror and realizes how fly he is.  Only a Cam'Ron line could describe how good MJ looked (pause) and how much I wanted to dress like that.

Happy Sam Bowie Appreciation Day: 25th Anniversary Edition

I'd probably puke if I ever would have seen Jordan with the Jail Blazers.

If not for Sam Bowie, there would be no Air Jordans. There would be no slam-jam-thank-you-ma'am moments. Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller would each have NBA championships. The No. 23 would not have the same significance. Craig Ehlo would be just another member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As a Bull, Michael Jeffrey Jordan played 930 regular season games, sunk 555 3-pointers, drilled 6,798 free throws, grabbed 5,886 rebounds, snatched 2,306 steals, scored 29,277 points and made countless NBA players his bitch throughout the years.

And it all added up to 6 NBA championships for the greatest player to ever lace 'em up.

Thank you, Sam Bowie. Thank you, Portland. You will always be remember fondly in my heart.

A Quarter-Century Later, Jack Ramsay Still Catches Grief For Passing Over Michael Jordan [NJ Star Ledger]

This Just In: Michael Jordan Was Really Good

They said the only man who could stop him was Dean Smith, his coach at North Carolina.

He averaged more than 30 points per game, won six NBA championships and five Most Valuable Player awards. It wasn't a matter of if, but when Michael Jeffrey Jordan was going to be inducted to basketball's Hall of Fame.

Not bad for a guy who got cut from his high school basketball team.



And for your entertainment:



Jordan, five others going to the Hall of Fame [Associated Press]

Happy Birthday to the G.O.A.T.

Happy birthday to Michael Jeffrey Jordan, the greatest basketball player in the history of the game.

Sure, he's packed on the pounds since he's retired (for the third time) but he's still very well-dressed and still has an eye for the good looking ladies.

Kudos, Mike. And thanks for the championship banner-raising memories from my childhood.