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CNN Live At Daybreak

Jordan To Play For Wizards

Aired September 11, 2001 - 07:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're going to get more on just what Jordan told reporters in Chicago on Monday to tip them off to this story.

And we are joined by Marty Burns of cnnsi.com, who spoke with Jordan, Marty one of the reporters breaking this story -- good morning, Marty.

MARTY BURNS, CNNSI.COM CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Vince.

CELLINI: It's good to see you again.

Tell us about that conversation and what indication Michael gave to reporters. How did he tip his hand and do it strategically, I'm sure?

BURNS: Well, Michael didn't come right out and say it, that he would come back. But he told us that he felt great, that his knee that had been bothering him in recent weeks felt fine and that barring any kind of flare up of the tendonitis, he was ready to do this and to make a comeback to the NBA.

CELLINI: And he said he would play four years. Now, we mentioned his age. He is 38 years old. And Marty, there's a big difference in playing in the NBA than playing pickup games with NBA players in Chicago. So do you feel like he's ready to take this next step?

BURNS: Yes, you know, it's been heard to really get an idea of how well Michael is playing because the games are closed to the media, the pickup games that he's been playing. But we have talked to players who have played in the games and spectators who have watched and you get the feeling from them that Michael's game has really come on in recent weeks as his knee has started to improve and that he's, he might not be the acrobat and the high wire player that he was early in his career, but that he's still smart enough and he's still good enough to get the job done.

CELLINI: He would remain, do you believe, one of the elite players in the NBA if he steps on the court in the fall?

BURNS: Yes, I think he will. You know, Michael wouldn't come back unless he knew he could play at a very high level. He's a guy with a lot of pride and he's set such a higher bar for himself that he wouldn't be doing this unless he was confident he could play at near the same level he was before.

CELLINI: Maybe you can talk about what the next step would be in terms of his relationship with the Wizards and his front office capacity. And I know you can't do both, you can't be an executive and a player.

BURNS: That's right. NBA rules require or don't allow an owner to participate or be a player. So Jordan would have to divest himself of his ownership shares in the team, but he told us yesterday that that's not a problem. He has a mechanism in place in which he can divest his shares temporarily and then reacquire them when his playing career is finally over.

CELLINI: All right, Marty Burns, thank you very much for that information. And, of course, the NBA season will open up, not so coincidently for Michael Jordan and the Wizards, in Madison Square Garden October 30, site of some of his great all time games as a Chicago Bull. So New York will be the spotlight on that night as Michael returns.

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