NBA FORUM

Hosted by Kin-man Fong

Kin-man Fong has been watching NBA for almost a decade. He witnessed how Mike put up all those big records, how Majele poured in 8 treys, a few of which from way downtown, in a single playoff game, how Stockton made a coast-to-coast pass to the Mailman for an easy basket, and of course, how Mike pulled through a stomach flu and buried 38 points to put his team back to the way to the destiny.

In this Forum, Fong will share with you some of the lastest news in the NBA. He will also give comments on some of those big stories in the league.

- What's on Mike's mind?
- Jordan wants to be the greatest of the greatest
- Pippen the Poor Guy Coming Soon
- The Twin Towers Coming Soon

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What's on Mike's mind?
Written on 10/3/97

Will Jordan retire after this season? This has been a hot topic for quite a while. As he has made it clear to the press and the public about his retirement plan, just a few days before, the answer to the question is -- 99%.

At present, Phil Jackson is under a one-year contract with the Bulls. He has made it clear he won't stay on for another season and he has refused to take up the job as a head coach in any other teams.

So, Phil is leaving. And obviously, there is no point for Jordan to stay behind. Think about it. If you were going to be the head coach of the Bulls next season, and if Jordan were to hang on with the team, would you still allow him to take as many shots as he is doing right now? Look at his declining field-goal percentage and look at how fatigued he was throughout the playoffs. Would you rather let the new breed gain more experience and take up more of the offensive load on the court when the Air will soon become history?

Jordan knows all that well. That's why he is always saying that Phil is a respectable coach and he would never team up with another. He knows the new coach may limit his playing time and the number of shots, and may, to an extreme, put him on the bench just like what Dominique had done all year long last season.

And well, Jordan may really be a bit too old to get accustomed to other coaching styles.

What if Jackson changes his mind and decides to coach another team? Will Jordan follow him? Once again, the chance won't be great. If you were Michael, would you want to end your career in a "foreign place"? Bear in mind that you have played in the Stadium and the Center for more than a decade. You know your team well, you know the staff well, you know the fans well and you know the city well. So, you've got the answer, right?

Given the above, why then did I say the chance of Jordan's retiring is only 99%? Look at the article Jordan wants to be the greatest of the greatest.

Jordan wants to be the greatest of the greatest
Written on 10/3/97

Why is Jordan still playing in the league? For money? I don't think so. Everyone knows he will never have to worry about that for centuries. For fame? Partly correct. He has got all the fame he deserves. What more does he want?

For those who know him well, they all know Mike doesn't just want to be one of the best, but the best of the best. At present, if one is to name the greatest player in the last 20 years, Air, Magic, and the Legend will be the first (and perhaps the only) three names that will pop up in your mind.

If you were just Magic or Larry, you would be very satisfied with that already. But for Michael, he always wants to distinguish himself from the duo and rank the top. During the rivalry series between Lakers and Celtics in the 80s, Johnson led his club to five championships while Bird carried his team to the destiny twice.

Up till now, Jordan has surpassed Bird and tied the record set by Johnson. Of course, he would love to get another championship ring before the Chicago era ends. So you will see this guy doing all he can, perhaps by taking more shots when he feels he is the only one who can get it done, in the coming season.

But this year, competition will be much tougher. On the west, Lakers will be more mature than last year. The Spurs will have the twin towers to defy the defending champion. Utah will continue to be the biggest threat to Chicago. On the east, the Knicks are still eyeing on the title and Miami will still be very hungry for a berth in the finals.

The worst thing is that, the sigining of the league's top rebounder, Dennis Rodman, is still a question. With a weaker supporting cast, will Jordan still be capable to reach the goal for one last time?

If not, there could be a chance that Mike might play for even one more season. Look at all those members of the Dream Team I--Barkley, Malone, Stockton, Ewing. All of them were so close before but couldn't finish it off. So, all of them are still playing!

Well, let's wait and see what will happen when the seasosn kicks off in the near future.


Coming Soon

Pippen the Poor Guy
The Twin Towers


For more information, you can go the NBA official site.

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