National Basketball Association

LeBron James' playoff ouster sparks remembrance of Michael Jordan's time with the Wizards

Updated Jun. 5, 2021 5:59 p.m. ET

After the Los Angeles Lakers bowed out of this year's playoffs in the first round, Colin Cowherd, obviously, wanted to talk about Michael Jordan.

"LeBron James won titles in three different cities. Michael Jordan couldn't even win games in a second city," Cowherd said this week on "The Herd."

When engaging in a discussion about LeBron's career, the natural progression is to compare it to Jordan's. After James won his fourth NBA title last season, his 18th year in the league became that much more important, considering that he and Anthony Davis – along with a cast that included reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell, a prime Dennis Schroder, an ascending Kyle Kuzma and others – would be the favorites to repeat as champions in a second consecutive condensed season and move James that much closer to Jordan's six rings.

The Lakers' first-round opponent, the Phoenix Suns – as well as the injury gods – had a different idea, however.

Now, James is at home, saddled with his first first-round playoff exit, with Jordan's six titles sitting farther and farther in the distance, mainly because for the first time in nearly two decades, LeBron appeared to be showing his age.

With that, of course, it's time to remember a veteran Jordan in the context of a veteran LeBron.

Who was MJ the player once he got up in age?

Jordan's career was chopped up. He played nine seasons with the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1993 and won three titles before his first retirement. He then returned for 17 regular-season games and a playoff run during the 1994-95 season before winning three more titles between 1995 and 1998. Then he went into a second retirement with a little more than 12 seasons under his belt.

Jordan then spent three more years out of the game, between ages 35 and 37, before deciding to give it one more go at 38 and 39.

At the twilight of his athletic abilities, Jordan's return was the biggest story in sports, and MJ didn't underperform.

In his first season with the Washington Wizards – a franchise of which he was a part-owner and the president of basketball operations – Jordan led the team in points (22.9), assists (5.4) and steals (1.4) and was second in minutes per game (34.9).

He scored 40 or more points five times that season, including a 51-point outburst in a win over the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 29, 2001.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing for MJ and the Wiz.

Jordan shot an abysmal 41.9% from the field and played in only 60 of Washington's 82 games that season. The Wizards finished with an overall record of 35-47, good for 10th in the Eastern Conference, and Washington missed the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 seasons.

"His Airness" came back for one more season with the Wizards in 2002-03, and that year, he was better. He was second on the team in points (20.0), rebounds (6.1), assists (3.8) and minutes (37.0), led the team in steals (1.5), boosted his field-goal percentage to 44.5% and played in all 82 games, starting 67 of them and playing 30 of them at age 40.

He cracked 40 points three times that season and had a season-high 45 in a win over New Orleans on Feb. 1, 2003.

However, the Wizards only eked out two more wins, finishing 10th in the East, at 37-45, and missing the playoffs yet again.

James is still 36, meaning he hasn't quite reached Wizards-MJ status, but he will turn 37 in December, and from all indications, he has no plans to retire anytime soon, considering that a few short years ago, James said that playing in the NBA with his oldest son, LeBron James Jr., would be "the greatest achievement of my life."

"If I'm on the same court as my son in the NBA — that would be No. 1 in my lifetime as an NBA player," James said in 2018.

As of today, Bronny is a sophomore at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California.

If Bronny were to follow the traditional college route and be a one-and-done player, he would enter the 2024 NBA Draft – when his dad will be 39, going on 40, just like MJ in his final NBA season.

It's lovely when a potentially serendipitous plan comes together, isn't it?

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