TSN Archives: A teammate's view of Michael Jordan's comeback with the Wizards

Editor’s word: The project was easy: Discover out what it is like when your new teammate is NBA legend Michael Jordan, who was returning as a participant after a three-year hiatus. Sporting Information NBA columnist Sean Deveney’s story, within the cover-dated situation of Nov. 12, 2001, was revealing in a number of methods about Jordan’s Wizards, who have been 19-63 the season earlier than. By the 2001-02 season’s finish, Jordan could be 39 and lead the group in factors (22.9), assists (5.2) and steals (1.4) per sport because the Wizards completed 37-45, an 18-game enchancment and their most wins for the reason that 1997-98 season.

Chris Whitney is standing in entrance of his locker on the MCI Middle in Washington, buttoning his costume shirt after a win over Philadelphia. He appears to be like down at his chest. He is in good condition, however not so good that he desires to look shirtless on TV. So the tv cameras — there are 4 — wait as he buttons.

“I’m going to get with Tim Grover subsequent summer time,” he says. “I received to get constructed up so I can look good for these interviews.”

It is comprehensible that Whitney, the Wizards’ start line guard, isn’t used to such consideration. Interviews have been uncommon for Whitney in his NBA profession, however now that his locker is subsequent to that of his new teammate, Michael Jordan … Whoa, whoa. Whitney desires this story stopped. Let’s get this straight.

“My locker isn’t subsequent to his,” Whitney says. “His locker is subsequent to mine. Be sure you write that.”

Honest sufficient. It is an necessary distinction as a result of no participant has suffered extra with the Wizards than Whitney. He signed with Washington in March 1996 — he was a Bullet again then — and has managed to keep away from the organizational purges the Wizards endure yearly. Solely 4 present Wizards have been with the group at first of final season. So do not anticipate Whitney to be intimidated by some newcomer.

“That is my group,” Whitney says with a smirk and a pause. “However do not write that one.”

Sorry, Chris.

This has been the sensation that has emerged out of Wizardville within the infancy of this NBA season, Michael’s first after a three-year hiatus. The Wizards will be relaxed. They will joke, even at Jordan’s expense (so long as he’s out of earshot, no less than). As a result of though the group is perhaps imbued with a way of lightheartedness it has not recognized in years, that breezy perspective is predicated on the prospect of profitable that Jordan’s return all of a sudden has given the Wizards. With regards to profitable, Jordan could be very severe.

“It’s a utterly modified perspective,” Whitney says. “It was all the time good for me to come back to work as a result of I similar to taking part in basketball. However the ambiance was not all the time nice right here. Now, we’ve got media following us, we’re on TNT and NBC, and all that. That makes it enjoyable. I did not understand it was going to be this a lot enjoyable. And what’s finest is we predict we are able to win.”

As an govt, Jordan was subpar and stored his distance. Earlier than final season, he mentioned the Wizards would end no less than .500 and would make the playoffs, however that delusion unraveled rapidly. As a substitute, they completed 19-63, the second-worst mark in group historical past. He was not across the group a lot however mentioned he was watching them day by day, getting so annoyed with their play he “threw (stuff) on the TV.” However his criticism misplaced which means with some gamers as a result of Jordan was so seldom seen. That, clearly, has modified.

Unable to have an effect on the group from a administration seat, Jordan is, as Wizards ahead Popeye Jones says, “within the foxhole with us now, which makes a giant distinction.”

It makes a giant distinction as a result of the Wizards have proven little or no willpower lately. Will is one factor Jordan isn’t missing.

“They’ve by no means seen ardour like this,” he says. “It is us towards the world. We have got to put it on the road each minute. We’re all on this collectively.”

It’s halfway by the second quarter of the win over Philadelphia within the Wizards’ residence opener. However victory already appears an unlikely end result.

Jordan has been sitting on the finish of the bench for a few minutes. The Wizards have fallen behind, 29-22, and have gone on a two-minute scoring drought. After a turnover and two unhealthy photographs, Jordan has had sufficient. He pops off the bench and begins taking off his warmup jersey. Coach Doug Collins appears to be like shocked to see him, however Jordan desires again within the sport, and Collins isn’t going to cease him, as he did two nights earlier than in Atlanta.

That night time, Jordan needed to forgo his scheduled relaxation on the finish of the third quarter, however Collins talked him out of it by telling him, “Belief your teammates. If I do not relaxation you, we won’t end this sport.” That point, Jordan sat. However now, it is the second quarter, and Jordan is checking himself again in.

“He is aware of what this group wants,” Collins says. “His will is what drives this group.”

“He does what must be accomplished,” Whitney says. “I am not going to argue with him. He’s Michael Jordan. We’re nonetheless getting used to taking part in with him, taking part in with somebody who dominates the ball that method, none of us has. He will get very decided.”

Two nights earlier, in a win over Atlanta, Jordan had proven a extra vocal form of dedication. The Wizards trailed the Hawks, 53-49, on the half, and when the gamers received to the locker room, they received a pointy tongue lashing from Jordan. He needed higher execution. He needed higher effort. He yelled. He used foul language. However he was cautious to not flip the halftime assembly right into a self-serving speech. He by no means brings up his previous together with his present group.

“He retains the give attention to us,” Jones says. “He by no means talks about issues like, he didn’t come again to lose like this, or we’re hurting his historical past or something. I do know you do not consider it, however he got here again to assist this group, to not show something.”

Jordan additionally mentioned such halftime outbursts can be uncommon. When the Wizards have been down once more towards the 76ers, he left the speaking to Collins, who delivered a peaceful, subdued abstract of what the group wanted to do within the second half. The Wizards outscored the Sixers, 55-33. This represents a significant change for Washington. Final season, the Wizards have been an terrible third-quarter group, unable to carry leads and much more unable to beat deficits. They misplaced 47 of 57 video games through which they have been tied or behind at halftime.

This season, to this point, halftime deficits should not an issue.

“Final 12 months, each sport it appeared like we might get off to a sluggish begin, and we might are available in at halftime and get collectively and say, ‘We received to vary this,'” Whitney says. “We’d strive, too. However you additionally knew what was going to occur. No matter how we tried, majority of the time, it didn’t work, and also you wind up trying on the scoreboard and hanging your head somewhat.

“It is completely different this 12 months. There’s a confidence now, we all know we are able to win.”

Whitney as a lot as anybody else on the group has some leeway with Jordan. Whitney earned the group president’s respect in the course of the distress of final season, because the Wizards suffered by accidents, a roster overhaul, three arrests and two on-court blowouts at former coach Leonard Hamilton (one in all which concerned Hamilton summoning enviornment safety to have Tyrone Nesby faraway from the sideline).

Whitney emerged as a group chief. He stood and cheered teammates regardless of the rating or circumstances. He performed so long as he may regardless of two sprained ankles that received worse with each sport. He was the man gamers sought out for recommendation on performs and positioning.

Now, it’s Jordan who directs visitors on the court docket. He makes the loud pronouncements, and gamers are alleged to observe what he says. However Whitney nonetheless has his function — gamers nonetheless come to him, particularly once they don’t need Jordan to know they’re unsure about one thing.

“Mike is on the market, all the time speaking,” Whitney says. “He’ll let you recognize if you find yourself doing one thing unsuitable. Guys nonetheless come to me typically as a result of we’ve got completely different types. They’re extra snug coming to me one-on-one. All Mike has to do is say one thing, and all people listens. That alone is completely different than final 12 months, or previously.”

It helps that Whitney has performed nicely to this point. Over the summer time, he was informed he must win his beginning job from free-agent signee Tyronn Lue, however Whitney has been making photographs. Jordan appears to belief him, as he did with a number of the shooters on his previous Bulls groups. When Jordan faces double- or triple-teams, Whitney is without doubt one of the guys he appears to be like for to take an open shot. Lue has had issue getting off the bench due to it.

“Chris is like my Steve Kerr or John Paxson,” Jordan says. “If he is hitting his photographs, it permits me to function underneath the radar display screen.”

Teammates say Jordan’s greatest contributions to the group is also underneath the radar display screen. Greater than drawing defenders to his spot within the put up, or drawing fan and nationwide consideration to a moribund franchise, Jordan has been a glue for the group. He offers the Wizards, who’ve been so fractured lately, what Collins calls “a connectedness.” He’s the sport’s most fierce competitor, however his potential to calm down, have a beer and play playing cards when the sport is over is simply as necessary.

“We’ll get on the group airplane, and it will be enjoyable,” Whitney says. “We would discuss concerning the sport somewhat, but it surely’s not like that’s all there may be to it. He’ll discuss to everybody, we’ll joke round, some guys can be taking part in video games. That is not one thing we’ve got all the time had right here.”

It goes past enjoyable, although. Staying collectively off the court docket impacts what occurs on the court docket.

“Doug and Mike are available in and preached cohesiveness,” Jones says. “We had no concept what that meant. Final 12 months was, ‘Hey, I will cease my man myself, or I will rating myself; I do not want you guys to assist me.’ In the event that they received a straightforward basket, it was, ‘Effectively, it was not my man who scored.'”

The change from final season already has begun to take maintain, and no Wizard appreciates that greater than Whitney.

“The distinction is night time and day,” he says. “I will allow you to guess which one is night time and which one is day.”