"He's done with baseball," said the source on Thursday night, speaking on the condition he not be identified. "He's going to play basketball."
Jordan practiced again with the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, the third straight day he appeared at team headquarters, and will shortly trade in his baseball spikes for a new pair of Air Jordan basketball shoes.
"It won't be tonight, tomorrow or the next day," the source said. "But it will be soon. ... He's going to take a couple of weeks to tune up."
Jordan retired suddenly about a month before the 1993-94 season. He has stayed in shape playing baseball, but he "wants to make sure he's near the top of his game," the source said.
The ESPN cable television network also reported Thursday night that Jordan is returning, citing a "reliable" but unidentified source. They said he will come back in a couple of weeks. ESPN said Jordan is intent on being in good shape and wants to discuss the future of the Bulls with team management.
It was unclear how Jordan would fit under the Bulls' salary cap. He has two years remaining on a contract reportedly paying him $4 million a year. "He won't rush back to improve the (team's) playoff position," the source told the AP. "It doesn't matter to him as much whether they play the No. 1 or 2 seed as whether he's in real good shape."
New York Knicks president Dave Checkets said: "I think he is coming back. I hope it happens. I really do. Bring him on. If we don't beat him, we don't deserve to win."
Earlier Thursday, Bulls coach Phil Jackson talked about Jordan's return.
"We just have to hang tight here and wait to see what goes on," Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. "He and I spoke about this possibility happening last September and October. It's a reality ... but it's still not a reality."
John Bach, a former Bulls assistant now with Charlotte Hornets, said he hoped Jordan would stay retired.
"I'll be very disappointed if he tries to come back," Bach said after the Hornets beat Seattle in Charlotte on Thursday night. "He has to try to return as the greatest player in the game. He was the top scorer, he was the top player, he won three championships."
After the Bulls' two-hour practice, Jordan drove off in his Range Rover without comment. And spokesmen for the Bulls, the Chicago White Sox and Jordan's agent said no announcement was forthcoming.
Jordan, 32, led the Bulls to NBA titles in 1991, 1992 and 1993. He then shocked the sports world on Oct. 6, 1993, retiring with a 32.3-point scoring average, the best in league history. Last year the Bulls lost in the Eastern Conference playoff semifinals to New York. They are 30-30 this year. (AP, Reuters)
… we have a small favor to ask. As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.
Remind me later.