His Airness’ conditioning was his downfall
By Skip Bayless
KRT Campus

SAN JOSE — A recurring theme of Michael Jordan’s final year with the Chicago Bulls was his desire to retire and have a potbelly.

I ran into him at a health club about six months after he quit and he proudly showed me the spare tire that was growing around his waist.

Jordan didn’t mind lifting weights, but he hated any aerobic exercise that didn’t involve dribbling, he ate without conscience and he smoked lots of long, thick cigars.

KRT CAMPUS Michael Jordan, who is done for the season with a knee injury, goes for a shot as Kevin Garnett, from the Minnesota Timberwolves, during this year’s NBA All-Star game in Philadelphia.

But when he announced his third NBA comeback, at age 38, I figured the world’s greatest athlete finally would have to admit he was human. No more getting by on rare genetics and competitive fire. Surely Jordan would attack Father Time the way he once did Karl Malone. Surely his pride would drive him away from the sirloin strips and creme brulee and onto the treadmill or exercise bike. Melt, belly, melt.

Instead, Jordan continued to eat, drink and smoke the way he did when he was 28. Carrying at least 20 more pounds than he did in his final Chicago season, Jordan tried to play his way into shape during scrimmages against other NBA players. But Air Jordan remained Floor Jordan.

He told reporters he was trying to keep his weight up so he could be more of a “point forward” and bang with all that bulk down low. But he was kidding us and himself. Now Jordan’s game is mostly shooting fadeaway jump shots. Those could have benefited from a little less ballast.

Predictably, the knees that had never bothered him began to creak and ache under the new load. Jordan did drop weight as the season wore on. But the nagging tendinitis had sunk its teeth into his shock-absorbing joints.

How great and sad it was to watch him play.

I was all for Jordan coming back. I knew that nothing in his life made him feel more alive than winning NBA games with last-second shots. His performance did not disappoint me. But his spare tire did.

Jordan didn’t pay the late-30s price that Barry Bonds and John Stockton have, to name two. He didn’t work harder than ever on his conditioning. Now, his overburdened knees have ended his season prematurely.

Just before the All-Star break, Jordan had transformed the NBA’s second-worst team of 2001 into a contender for the conference title. At 26-21, his Washington Wizards were on pace for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. That’s when Jordan banged knees with teammate Etan Thomas, leading to the first surgery of his career, on Feb. 27. But Jordan had battled swelling in both knees all season, icing them after games for the first time.

Now fans and critics who predicted he would tarnish his legacy — and their memories — will say, “Told you so.” But this had very little to do with age. This was mostly about discipline and dedication — or lack of.

He tried to return from arthroscopic surgery on March 12 and played as a reserve in seven games. But Wednesday, the day after playing a career-low 12 minutes and scoring a career-low two points in a 113-93 home loss to the Lakers, Jordan announced he’s through for the season.

“I tried to get back as soon as possible,” Jordan said. “Early on, the knee responded well. But after the swelling this morning, I think it’s best to give it a rest and let it heal properly.

“I signed a two-year contract. Obviously, my health will always determine my playing status. But at this time, my plan is to play next season.”

Fine by me. At times this season, Jordan was more incredible than ever.

It was one thing for a 20-something Jordan to score 50-something points with 20-something dunks. But the degree of difficulty rose dramatically for a 39-year-old with sore knees to score 51 mostly on perimeter fallaways.

Four times “Floor Jordan” topped 40 points. Here was the greatest competitor ever willing a team no better than the Warriors into contention.
Would you have bet against a fit, healthy Jordan in an Eastern Conference finals against, say, New Jersey? I wouldn’t have.

So by all means he should play one last season, at 40.

If he’s willing to get in the best shape of his life.

This means hiring a nutritionist, as Bonds has. This means hitting the weights the way the “Breakfast Club” of Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Ron Harper did three mornings a week in 1998, when he turned his shoulders and biceps into weapons while keeping his waist as trim as ever. This means melting away some fat by doing low-impact exercise like swimming or biking. This means playing a lot less golf and doing a lot less night-clubbing.

Stockton, who just turned 40, looks like he could run forever because he weighs the same as he did in his rookie year.

You might say Jordan’s punishment wound up fitting the crime. Jordan, who hates riding a stationary bike, had to pedal one during games to keep his surgically repaired knee loose enough to play. Now he needs to ride one every day. Now he must defeat the aging process before he worries about the Lakers.

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