Editorial: Michael Jordan misses basketball. We've missed him

Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune on Oct 24, 2025

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Every retired athlete, whether you played in high school, college or got to the pros, knows how hard it is to hang up your jersey when the game is done with you. You can look at old pictures, you can watch old game film, but you’ll never feel it — never be in it — again.

The same is true for the greatest of all time.

Michael Jordan in an interview that aired Tuesday said he wishes he could take “a magic pill, put on shorts and go out and play the game of basketball today.” He misses it. At 62 years old, he wryly acknowledged that doing so might mean a popped Achilles and a wheelchair.

And that’s where the ache comes from. Retiring doesn’t just mean putting your sneakers and duffle bag in the closet — it often means you’re done. Sure, we all remember Jordan’s loose definition of “retirement” during his younger years — stepping off the court and into minor league baseball with the White Sox organization, returning to the Bulls for another three-peat, retiring again after his sixth title, and eventually finishing his career with a two-season stint on the Washington Wizards. While that final return meant folks got to see a little more MJ, there were others who wished he’d hung it up for good as a Bull. Better to go out on top. In Chicago.

But anyone who ever watched him on the court could understand why he did it.

He couldn’t stay away — because no one loved the game more.

He made it look easy, too. Like every great athlete, from Usain Bolt to Jackie Joyner-Kersee to Caitlin Clark, Jordan’s ease on the court came from relentless effort.

We’re still watching his highlight reels. “The Last Dance” got many of us through the dark days of the pandemic lockdowns. Entire accounts on X are dedicated to Jordan clips. (We confess, we watched plenty of them as we wrote this editorial.)

Nobody does it like MJ did, though countless have been dubbed “the next Michael Jordan” or claimed to play the game better. We Chicagoans know the truth.

He’s back to talk hoops on NBC in “MJ: Insights to Excellence,” a series that will air throughout the NBA season.

“I have an obligation to the game of basketball … as a basketball player is to be able to pass on messages of success and dedication to the game of basketball,” Jordan said in a sneak preview of the series.

We admire his attitude, his gratitude and his willingness to impart some wisdom to the next generation. We think his emphasis on putting in the effort had a positive influence on basketball culture, reminding kids that greatness isn’t given, it’s earned. He didn’t hide from stories about getting cut from a high school basketball team, he built it into his legend. Jordan had exceptional God-given gifts, but plenty of gifted athletes become forgotten names, underachievers. Jordan paired natural talent with exceptional work ethic and a competitive fire like few others before or since, showing what a lethal combination those attributes make.

In sum: Michael Jordan misses basketball. We miss watching Michael Jordan play basketball. We’re excited to tune in and see what he shares with the world about the game he loves so much.

Jordan inspired a generation of kids to love the sport and brought an entire city together, giving us a common cause and a shared point of pride. There’s never been anyone like him. We’re glad that, once again … he’s back.

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