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Even with injury Jordan's a winnerMark Kreidler of the Sacramento Bee weighs in on the topic of the week -- did Michael Jordan make a mistake by coming back? Kreidler points out that there a vast number of positives he brought to the Wizards and basketball and very few negatives. Some of Jordan's critics are now saying "I told you so" that a thirty-nine year old couldn't survive in the NBA and many are saying he's damaged the Wizards future. Kreidler, himself, admits he had doubts about the Airogant One's return but he now concedes he was dead wrong: "As for Jordan's legacy, maybe it really is dent-proof. Players after coaches after executives this week have showered with praise Jordan's effort, even as they acknowledge that they wondered if its pace and demands might eventually overtake him. 'That's especially true if you had told me he was going to play the number of minutes he's been playing," said Kings coach Rick Adelman. "I thought he would've played more like 32 minutes a game, but he was playing in the upper 30s in minutes and with a lot of pressure on his shoulders for that team to do well. With this team, he had to play for them to win.' And so Jordan did play and, for as long as he did, the Wizards won. It didn't last nearly long enough, but then most of the great acts don't. If Michael Jordan reminded a few people along the way of why they started watching basketball in the first place, there undoubtedly are worse epitaphs. And if he made mild fools out of a bunch of us in the process, well, that's par for the course." Worth reading, if only to see an expert with some humility. Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets He's Back!Well, not quite yet, but he will be. 24 hours ago many thought that Michael Jordan's season - and perhaps his career - might be over, father time finally catching up and getting the better of him. Today the Washington Wizards received the news they were hoping for. Michael Jordan's surgery Wednesday morning revealed torn cartilage in his knee, leaving the Washington Wizards hope that he will play again this season. Team physican, Dr. Stephen Haas, repaired the cartilage in an arthroscopic proceudre and said the injury was the result of normal wear and tear. ``Michael will rest over the next few days, then begin therapy,'' general manager Wes Unseld said. ``At that point, we will have an idea of the time frame for his return to action.'' The Washington Post reported that an absence of three to six weeks is likely for His Airness, according to a source close to the team. Team officials were told the 90 minute operation went "great", Jordan going home to rest afterwards. While athletes usually need several weeks to recover from torn cartilage surgery, the outcome is far from the worst case scenario -- a definitive career-ending injury -- feared by the Wizards. The best outcome would have been for the surgery to reveal loose cartilage or bone fragments that could be easily removed. "He was in good spirits," Wizards Coach Doug Collins said of Jordan. "When he was ready to go in [for the surgery], I know he was down but today boosted his spirits. He didn't want to have surgery but the fact that there was a problem and they were able to find it and they can move forward, I think it was comforting to him." Jordan was placed on the injured list Tuesday, which will cause him to miss ast least five games. MJ had previously missed only two games all season. Kwame Brown, the #1 pick in last June's NBA draft, was activated from the injured list to take Jordan's place. The Wizards are 0-2 this season without Jordan, who is averaging a team-high 24 points. They have lost five straight and seven of eight since the All-Star break to drop to 27-28. "There's a lot of miles on those legs now and Michael didn't play them at a low level," Collins said. "He played at the highest of levels. I didn't see inside his knee. If Michael were 23 he's going to heal faster than he is at 39. He knows if he has visions of playing next year it would do no good to rush back to try and do something. We've got to all be patient." Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets MJ Undergoes Surgery, Torn Cartilage RevealedThe AP reports that Michael Jordan's surgery Wednesday morning revealed torn cartilage in his knee, leaving the Washington Wizards hope that he will play again this season. Team physican, Dr. Stephen Haas, repaired the cartilage in an arthroscopic proceudre and said the injury was the result of normal wear and tear. ``Michael will rest over the next few days, then begin therapy,'' general manager Wes Unseld said. ``At that point, we will have an idea of the time frame for his return to action.'' While athletes usually need several weeks to recover from torn cartilage surgery, the outcome is far from the worst case scenario -- a definitive career-ending injury -- feared by the Wizards. The best outcome would have been for the surgery to reveal loose cartilage or bone fragments that could be easily removed. Jordan was placed on the injured list Tuesday, which will cause him to miss ast least five games. MJ had previously missed only two games all season. Kwame Brown, the #1 pick in last June's NBA draft, was activated from the injured list to take Jordan's place. The Wizards are 0-2 this season without Jordan, who is averaging a team-high 24 points. They have lost five straight and seven of eight since the All-Star break to drop to 27-28. Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Wizards Feb 2002 Archive
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