Jordan's next job hot topic

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jordan's next job hot topic


By Peter May, Globe Staff, 6/7/2003

AN ANTONIO -- Michael Jordan may have gotten the boot in Washington, but you
should not be surprised if he is back in the NBA in some capacity next season.
Last night, prior to Game 2 of the NBA Finals, commissioner David Stern
predicted an MJ return, although he didn't say where or in what job.



''It's my strong sense that he will be back for the 2003-2004 season,'' Stern
said. He said he could not comment on Jordan's departure from the Wizards,
other than to say it is the owner's right to terminate his employees.

Jordan has been linked to the new franchise in Charlotte, N.C., as a potential
president of basketball operations. He also has been mentioned as trying to
put together a group to purchase the Milwaukee Bucks, who are for sale.

Jordan expected to be back in Washington in his position as director of
basketball operations. But he was fired by the Wizards, who have yet to
replace him. The Wizards also fired Jordan's hand-picked coach, Doug Collins.
They have yet to hire a coach, either.

Stern and his deputy, Russ Granik, also touched on a number of other issues,
among them:

 Instant replay. The league used it last year for the first time and will use
it again in the same fashion next year. There were 421 usages of instant
replay last season. Only 13 of the calls were overturned.

''It seemed to work smoothly,'' Granik said.

 International play. After two years of staying in the US and Canada, the
league will venture to Europe, China, Mexico, and Japan for exhibition games
and regular-season games next fall. As for expansion to Europe, Stern said
that if there are NBA-spec buildings in Europe, and if the game continues to
grow, he would not be surprised to see the NBA expand there by the end of the
decade.

 Stern said the league is happy with the 2-3-2 format for the Finals, but was
not planning to adopt the format for the conference playoffs, even though all
series are now best-of-seven.

 Stern and Granik both said the NBA would still like to adopt a minimum age
limit of 20.

Center of attention

The status of Dikembe Mutombo was a hot topic prior to the game -- and
afterward as well. In easily his most important stretch of the postseason,
Mutombo played 20 minutes, including the entire second quarter. He had 4
points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, and did the things he always does -- clog the
lane, throw a few elbows, wag a few index fingers. ''I thought he was really
effective,'' coach Byron Scott said of Mutombo. ''I thought he did a great job
blocking shots. For a guy who had not played a long time, I thought he did a
heckuva job.'' Mutombo's minutes came at the expense of Aaron Williams, who
did not play. Williams has led the Nets in games played in each of the last
three years. He missed only one in the regular season and had not missed a
playoff game until last night . . . Usually, it's a good sign for the Spurs
when Tony Parker goes for 20 or more points. He had 21 last night, but the
Spurs still lost. San Antonio is now 25-2 in games this season in which Parker
has 20 or more points . . . Lucious Harris was again a factor for Jersey off
the bench with 10 points. He had one huge hoop in the fourth, an excuse-me
heave to beat the 24-second clock when the Spurs were making a run. Harris and
Jason Kidd led the Nets in rebounding with seven apiece . . . Steve Kerr saw
his first action (1 minute at the end of the first half) since his Game 6
heroics against Dallas. He received a thunderous ovation when introduced into
the game . . . Neither team will practice today. The series shifts to New
Jersey for the next three games. Since the 2-3-2 format was adopted in 1985,
the home team has never swept Games 3-5 . . . Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said
his team's brief use of a zone defense in Game 1 was ''a deviance'' from the
norm and wasn't sure when or if we'd see it again. ''I don't even know what it
is,'' he said. ''Sometimes it works for us and sometimes it's a debacle, quite
honestly.'' It definitely worked in Game 1.

Thanks,

Steve
sb@maine.rr.com

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