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Call from the Bullpen by David Maull

The Bullpen | NBA | Sports Front Page

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An Appreciation of Basketball's Best
From the May 21, 1998 TV Times

I don't recall the exact moment I began to dislike Michael Jordan. Rather, it has been a gradual process in which a few minor annoyances snowballed into one large repugnance.

Maybe it was the accusation that he lost thousands of dollars gambling on the golf course.

Maybe it was his decision to wear No. 45 upon his return from retirement and, after creating a major run on sporting goods stores and putting a few more merchandising dollars in the Chicago Bulls' pockets, switching back to No. 23 a few weeks later.

Maybe it is his ability to take insult from the most innocent comment by an opponent and turn it into an excuse for making that opponent's life hell for 48 minutes.

Maybe it's the fact that no emotional outburst, regardless of how severe, results in him being slapped with a technical foul while the slightest contact from an opponent, no matter how soft or incidental, produces a whistle from the official.

Or maybe it's just the constant hype that makes it impossible to watch an NBA game without hearing his name mentioned a thousand times or seeing his face every five minutes in a soda or fast food commercial.

But one thing is for sure -- it's not fair.

And now that Jordan is likely making his final run to an NBA championship, I feel as if I've missed out on part of something that will never be seen again. It didn't used to be like this, of course.

In his younger days, Jordan carried the Bulls on his back and his numerous failed attempts at an NBA title made him a sympathetic hero. He was a gracious loser, which made the Bulls' first championship in 1991 one of the most stirring moments in NBA history.

Two more titles followed in 1992 and 1993, and so did the relentless hype. Soon, every pregame television piece, every Sunday conversation and every magazine cover focused on Jordan.

And it got old, especially when he returned from an abbreviated retirement in 1995.

When a certain sector of sports fans are beaten over the head with diatribes about the greatness of a certain individual, sooner or later they are going to rebel. They will root against that individual simply to make the hype stop.

Sadly, Jordan was the victim in this case.

Not only is Jordan the greatest player in NBA history, but he has also been one of the game's best ambassadors. He has never choked his coach, refused to enter a game or been arrested for drug possession or sexual assault.

He possesses a competitive spirit unlike any other in professional sports, literally willing his team to victory.

It's unlikely there will ever be another athlete with his combination of physical gifts and dogged determination.

So I'll enjoy it while I can and try not to become disillusioned by Sports Illustrated's 15-page behind-the-scenes look at the Bulls or the television cameras that track Jordan's every move from his home to the basketball court.

Someone with Jordan's talent comes along once in a lifetime and we should be able to savor it on our own terms.

We're all aware of his greatness. We don't have to be told anymore.