Jordan not concerned about tarnishing legacy

NBA legend Michael Jordan said on Monday he was not concerned about tarnishing his legacy by returning to the court with the Washington Wizards, a team that has not won a playoff game in 13 years.

"I'm not afraid to take on a challenge," said Jordan, addressing the media for the first time since announcing his comeback last week.

"People are bound to look at it as hurting the things that I have accomplished thus far. I'm not afraid to take on that challenge.

"If I fall, I fall, I'll pick myself up and move on. No matter what happens here, you can't take away my six championships."

The 38-year-old Jordan, returning to the court after a three-year retirement, acknowledges things will be far different from his glory days with the Chicago Bulls.

The last time NBA fans saw No. 23 on the court, his last-second jump shot against the Utah Jazz shot gave the Bulls their sixth championship in the Jordan era. Now, he joins a Wizards club that won just 19 games a year ago.

"I come from where we were expected to dominate," he said. "You are the target and everybody is shooting at you. Here, no one is expecting anything.

"So, I come from the underdog aspect of things. We're not expected to win 50 games," he added. "From what I hear, we're not expected to win 30 games. And that's a challenge."

"I'm not coming in with preconceived ideas that we're going to be 50-32. I'll be totally surprised if we're 50-32. But I think we can be far better than 19-63."

Jordan, a 10-time NBA scoring champion, said he was returning because "it's an itch that still needs to be scratched here, and I want to make sure the scratch doesn't bother me for the rest of my life."

"I'm not walking into this scenario thinking I'm going to fail," he added. "I'm thinking I'm going to make it work. I'm going to have total confidence I can do all the things I need to do. Physically, I know I'm not 25 years old, but I feel I can play the game of basketball on the highest level."

YOUNG STARS

Critics have wondered how Jordan will fare against the young stars of the league, like Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Tracy McGrady of the Orlando Magic. Jordan said he wasn't worried.

"I stopped reading and listening (to the critics) because everyone was so negative about what I was trying to do," he said.

"You say the young dogs are going to chase me around, well I won't be barking too far away from them either. I'm not running away from nobody.

"You're the guys saying Kobe and Tracy will take me," Jordan added with a smile. "Well guess what, I'm sitting back ready to take on the challenge too."

Jordan agreed to a two-year contract and resigned his post as the team's president of basketball operations, a position he had held since January 2000.

Due to the Wizards' dire salary cap situation, Jordan's $1 million salary is about $33 million less than he earned during his final season with the Bulls.

"I'm not in it for the money," said Jordan, who will donate his entire salary during his first season back to victims of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

Jordan, who had broken ribs, back spasms and tendinitis of the knee during his summer of workouts in preparation for his return, said that physically "right now I'm 100 percent" and he had fully "prepared myself for the gruelling season".

Wizards coach Doug Collins said he expected Jordan to be "one of the best low-post players in the game".

"Michael gives the impression that he's very low-key but I think there's this fire burning underneath that he can't wait to get back on the court once again," said Collins, who coached Jordan and the Bulls for three non-title seasons in the late 1980s.

The Wizards begin training camp on October 2 in Jordan's hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Due in large part to Jordan's return, the Wizards have sold a franchise record 14,500 season tickets. The team, however, opens the season on the road, against the New York Knicks on October 30.