Jordan will play for NBA Wizards, Washington Post says

Basketball legend Michael Jordan will come out of retirement to play for the NBA's Washington Wizards, the Washington Post reported in Monday's editions.

Jordan, who has been part owner and president of basketball operations of the Wizards since January 2000, was to announce his decision as early as Monday, the Post said, citing a National Basketball Association source.

The team announcement will come via a news release, the source told the newspaper, adding that Jordan will not make a public statement regarding his return until Oct. 1, a day before the team begins training camp, the Post said.

The announcement had been expected last Thursday, but was postponed after the Sept. 11 hijack attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

At 38, an advanced age for basketball players, Jordan will sign a contract for the 10-year veteran minimum salary of $1 million, the Post said. In his last year in the NBA, Jordan earned $36 million.

Jordan will have to sell his 5 percent to 10 percent stake in the Wizards, the Post said.

Jordan began a training program heavy on basketball-related drills last winter in preparation for a possible comeback, the newspaper said. The superstar also played regularly, first casually with friends, then with former NBA players and then with active pro players.

When he began the workouts Jordan, said there was a "99.9 percent chance" he would not play again. But during his months of training he gained confidence he could resume his career at a level of skill and stamina suited to his expectations, and those of his fans.

Over 13 seasons, Jordan captured five league Most Valuable Player awards and six championship finals MVP awards in guiding the Chicago Bulls to six league titles during the 1990s. The team's reign was interrupted for two years by his first retirement in 1993.

When he retired the first time, he turned to playing minor league baseball. When that was something less than a success, he returned to the Bulls late in the 1994-95 season and led the team to a series of championships.

He retired again in 1998, going out on top as the Bulls won their last championship.