Players looking forward to Jordan's return to NBA

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

At this week's Los Angeles Lakers preseason training camp, the party line on Michael Jordan's return to the NBA went something like this: Yo Mike, whatever makes you happy.

"I hope he gets the love he's looking for again," said Rick Fox, a fellow North Carolina alumnus. "He's had a great career and I hope he can live up to his own expectations. I know he'll be fine. I just hope he can play at a level he's happy with."

Free-agent signee Dickie Simpkins, Jordan's teammate on three championship Chicago teams, worked out with Jordan at Hoops the Gym in downtown Chicago all summer. "From what I saw, he still has it," Simpkins said. "He looks good, in shape. Right now he's just outsmarting the young guys."

Simpkins said he knew months ago that Jordan would probably return. "I didn't know definitely because he always said he would see how he feels," Simpkins said. "But by the middle of the summer I pretty much knew. He said, 'I'm going to come back and play.' "

Mitch Richmond, who played for Washington during Jordan's tenure as a team owner, also predicted a Jordan return. "I kind of figured he was going to come back," he said.

Said Dennis Scott: "I think it's great. I think some people get caught up into his mystique and his greatness, but there's still a lot of grown men across the country who play basketball every day at (age) 38."