Michael Jordan’s return to the NBA in 2001 to play with the Washington Wizards excited the fans quite a bit at the time. After all, the memories of his celebrated career with the Chicago Bulls, which he ended in 1998 with a sixth championship, were still fresh. They expected and wanted more from MJ. But Charles Barkley was worried for his friend.
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Chuck believed that MJ’s career ended on such a high note that a comeback after three years was unnecessary. Jordan’s legacy as the greatest of all time was indeed cemented in the 1990s. Perhaps the return was his way of dealing with post-retirement blues. Or maybe Jordan truly believed that he had some basketball left in him.
Regardless of what the reason may have been, Barkley expressed his apprehensions to ESPN a month before the official announcement of MJ’s return. “I think he’s going to play. I’d be really surprised if he doesn’t come back at this point, but I don’t want him to,” Chuck had said, worried about the prospect of seeing his friend struggle.
“It’s an awkward situation for me because he’s my friend and my brother, but I don’t want him to do it,” Chuck said.
“I don’t want the press to have the right to criticize him. I don’t want them to have that luxury. They’ll expect him to play like Michael Jordan, but he can’t do that. He’s the greatest basketball player who ever lived, and he can’t compete against that,” he added.
Barkley added how he saw Jordan in practices in Chicago and said he was competitive but not dominating. He believed that MJ was vying to return because of his ego. Jordan had taken up part ownership of the Wizards in 2000 and was President of Basketball Operations. However, that didn’t help the struggling franchise.
“He wants to get his franchise out of dire straits,” Barkley said. “He’s seeing his team lose, and he’s taking a lot of unfair criticism because people complain he’s never in the office. When I was in the NBA, I never saw the GM or the president, and I never heard of where they were being a big deal.”
During Jordan’s brief stint as an executive, the Wizards had a miserable 19-63 record. MJ believed he could benefit the team more by being on the court, and that probably led him out of retirement for the second time.
Barkley was sure MJ wouldn’t gain anything from the stint. And he was spot-on with his prediction, as Jordan, though playing well, didn’t add the golden chapter to his storied career that many had hoped for.
Jordan’s stats with the Wizards
MJ was on the Wizards roster for two seasons. In 2001-02, he played 60 games, averaging 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.4 steals in nearly 35 minutes per game. The following season, he played the full 82, spending 37 minutes on the floor each contest.
Jordan averaged 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 142 games overall during that stint. Apart from the personal satisfaction of being an athlete again, not much was gained in terms of legacy or records.
Most of Barkley’s fears ended up becoming a reality. MJ was expected to be the same version of himself who dominated the 1990s. But he was far from that. Jordan lacked athleticism and explosiveness, staples of his earlier game. He did make the All-Star team both years, but that was the end of his accomplishments.
While Jordan helped the Wizards improve from 19 wins to 37, he ultimately fell short of making the playoffs both seasons. After such a legendary career, MJ surely didn’t want—and fans certainly didn’t expect—two regular-season exits.
