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NBA
MJ retires on a loss, but ovations and honors help atone for any disappointment.
©Associated Press
April 17, 2003
PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Jordan's coach pleaded with him to re-enter the game, and the opposing coach made sure Jordan had the chance to end his career with a basket.
Jordan's last shot was a free throw, and like his final appearance in an NBA uniform, it was good.
One of the greatest players in NBA history played the final game of his illustrious career Wednesday night, not in the setting he would have preferred but in a special atmosphere nonetheless. Jordan's final moment on court ended with him receiving applause and a lengthy standing ovation from almost everyone in the arena -- including coaches and opposing players.
He soaked it up with a wide smile and wave to the crowd after exiting for good with 1:44 left in the fourth quarter of a 107-87 loss to the 76ers.
"Now I guess it hits me that I'm not going to be in a uniform anymore -- and that's not a terrible feeling," Jordan said. "It's something that I've come to grips with, and it's time. This is the final retirement."
Jordan finished with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes -- drawing several adoring ovations from the last sellout crowd that will watch him play.
"The Philly people did a great job. They gave me the biggest inspiration, in a sense," Jordan said. "Obviously, they wanted to see me make a couple of baskets and then come off. That was very, very respectful, and I had a good time."
Jordan's final points almost looked scripted, with Eric Snow fouling him in the backcourt for no apparent reason except to send him to the line.
"Coach (Larry Brown) told me to foul him, get him to the line to get some points and get him out of there," Snow said.
Both free throws went in, and the Wizards had a foul one second later so Jordan could receive the proper send-off. In a rare scene, the 10 players on the court turned to Jordan and applauded, too.
The 40-year-old would have preferred to end his career in the playoffs, but the Wizards never clicked during his two years and finished 37-45 in both seasons.
Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points -- third-highest total in league history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His final career average of 30.12 goes down as the best, just ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.07.
With the Sixers ahead by 21 points with 91/2 minutes left, the crowd began chanting "We want Mike." The chant grew louder as Jordan remained seated, and fans stood and stared at the Wizards' bench. This being Philadelphia, they eventually booed. Jordan re-entered with 2:35 left for his brief final appearance.
Allen Iverson scored 35 points as the Sixers clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They open against New Orleans on Sunday night.
The 76ers had pregame surprises for Jordan, presenting him with a golf cart driven onto the court by Moses Malone and Julius Erving, then having longtime Chicago Bulls public address announcer Ray Clay introduce Jordan with his familiar inflection of "From North Carolina ... "
The standing ovation Jordan received lasted about three minutes, with Jordan smiling, nodding and chewing gum throughout. The group Boyz II Men sang It's So Hard To Say Goodbye between the first and second quarters as a montage of Jordan's career highlights was shown on the scoreboard.