Last hurrah for Jordan

(This is the sixth of a series leading to the opening of the National Basketball Association season on Oct. 29. The NBA, through The STAR, will give away prizes to five lucky winners who answer correctly the question at the end of each story. Send in your entries to The STAR, NBA Sweepstakes, 13th and Railroad Streets, Port Area, Metro Manila. Write your name, address, telephone number and answer. Mark the question number–today is No. 6–on your entries. Deadline for all entries is Nov. 5. Winners will be announced on Nov. 7. The prizes are 10 replica jerseys–two each of Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, and Jason Kidd–15 T-shirts and 15 caps.)

Michael Jordan returns for a final call of duty but will he make a difference for the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association (NBA) this season? He’ll be 40 when the Wizards’ regular 82-game grind ends in April. And there’s nothing more challenging for Mike than to lead Washington into the playoffs at that age.

It’s been five years since the D.C., or now the M.J., franchise qualified for postseason action and 14 years since Washington won a playoff game. So making it is a big deal for Jordan and company. Jordan, of course, hopes to just do it for his loyal Washington fans. Last year, the Wizards led the NBA in attendance, a first in club history, as they enjoyed sellouts in 79 of 82 games. Not a bad draw for a team that won only 37 contests, an improvement from 19 the previous campaign. All because of his Airness.

Is Jordan washed up? Don’t ask Mike. He’d rather let his playing do the talking. Last year, he deposited 51 points on the Charlotte, now New Orleans, Hornets. Nobody was ever as prolific at his age in the NBA. The problem is Jordan’s knees aren’t 100 percent. He sat out 22 games last season. With Jordan in the lineup, Washington was an even 30-30. Without, it was 7-15. He still managed to average 22.9 points a game.

Coach Doug Collins is determined not to push Jordan to the limit this year. He’s thinking of a sixth man role for Jordan who logged 34.9 minutes a game last season. If Jordan can be productive for 18 to 20 minutes an outing off the bench, Collins will be more than pleased. As for Mike, he’s realistic enough to realize basketball isn’t a forever thing. Retirement is just around the corner, whether he likes it or not, and this may be his swan song.

Collins did his homework in the offseason to surround Jordan with young and not so young legs. The biggest catch was Jerry Stackhouse, 27, a North Carolina product like Mike. There were others lured to join the Jordan bandwagon. Larry Hughes, 23, moved in from Golden State. Veteran Charles Oakley, 38, signed up for a final fling with his former Chicago Bull teammate. Bryon Russell, whom Jordan burned in the 1998 Finals clincher, switched in a classic "if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em" move. The rookies expected to stick are 6-11 Jared Jeffries of Indiana and 6-3 Juan Dixon of Maryland.

What’s stirring the Wizards’ brew is 6-11 Kwame Brown’s preseason showing. Brown, 20, averaged 15 points and eight rebounds in Washington’s early 5-1 surge in the exhibition campaign. Pushed by Jeffries to put up or shut up, sophomore Brown is finally coming into his own and earning every penny in his three-year $11.9 million contract.

Brown was Jordan’s personal choice as the Wizards’ No.1 pick last year. He didn’t turn out as expected and averaged only 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds as a rookie.

"There was a lot of pressure on me because Michael picked me," said Brown. "They didn’t look at me like they did Kobe or Kevin, ‘he’s going to be good.’ They looked at me like ‘Michael picked him so he’s gotta be better than all of those guys.’ But it’s like anybody who comes into the league, you go through a learning process. I’m still going through mine right now."

Collins complained of Brown’s apparent lack of intensity in his rookie year and once at practice, saw to it that the kid was roughed up during three-on-three drills. Brown later told Collins he got hurt and the coach promptly ordered him out of the gym. Brown retreated to the lockerroom and cried. Jordan followed to console the rookie.

The incident shook up Brown who rebounded to score in double figures in six of the Wizards’ last nine games.

Because of his age, Brown isn’t allowed to hang out in nightclubs like his older teammates. So he spends a lot of time alone in his hotel room on the road, talking on the phone or watching movies on TV. Brown hasn’t gotten the chance to grow up.

When he picked up his first paycheck, he bought his partially disabled mother Joyce a $500,000 home in a gated community and a Navigator. Brown also bought each of his brothers and sisters a car. His father Willie, whom he hadn’t seen since he was six years old, suddenly made contact from his prison cell in South Carolina.

With all the distractions of home and family, Brown tried to make a living on the court and fell short of expectations. He’s got a chance to show up Jordan this year.

Hughes has averaged 13.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in a four-year pro career at Philadelphia and Golden State. Washington took in Hughes for his versatility. He’ll play in spots where Jordan won’t.

"We’ve been in essence trying to secure Larry for two years so this is not something that just came about on the spur of the moment," said Wizards general manager Wes Unseld. "We feel real comfortable that he is going to bring some more versatility to our team. He can play one, two or three but what we want him to do is just play basketball. There are times when we need a guard who can defensively play one with a little more size than we have. And there are times when we need a backup or someone to play alongside Richard Hamilton (later traded to Detroit for Stackhouse). What we’re trying to do is give the coaches as much versatility as we can."

Stackhouse and Hughes will likely start in the backcourt for the Wizards. If Brown continues to play heads-up, he’s a lock at center. Oakley is a force at four and Christian Laettner would be a toughie as a 6-11 wingman. First off the bench will be Jordan. Others in the rotation will be Russell, Tyronn Lue, Jahidi White, Bobby Simmons, Etan Thomas, and the rookies. Collins looks like he’s assembled a cast that should be able to finally break into the playoffs.

NBA Sweepstakes Question No. 6: Who is the Wizards’ recruit off whom Jordan scored the winning basket in Game 6 of the Chicago-Utah Finals in 1998?