SI Vault: In third incarnation, Michael Jordan still performs feats of magic

In his third NBA incarnation, Michael Jordan shows he can still perform feats of magic.

In the waning moments of last Friday night's game between the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan added to his compendium of career highlights. With his team holding a six-point lead, Jordan had his jump shot partially blocked by Bulls forward Ron Artest, and Chicago started a fast break. Jordan was certain he had been fouled, but rather than protest the noncall, he sprinted downcourt, his eyes burning like headlights, trying to catch Chicago guard Ron Mercer. As Mercer was about to lay the ball in, Jordan materialized, seemingly from the ether. He didn't merely block the shot—he pinned the ball against the backboard with both hands and then pulled it down, preserving the Wizards' 89–83 win.

Even given the high threshold for awe that Jordan has created, it was a breathtaking play, the topic of animated discussion in both locker rooms afterward. "You knew he was going to do something amazing, because he always does," said Artest, who guarded Jordan for most of the game. "He was tired, it was the fourth quarter, but he came in and whoosh. With him, it's just like the movie Superman."

Well, not just like. By the time the Superman series had reached a second sequel, it was scarcely watchable, Clark Kent bearing only the faintest resemblance to his original incarnation. Michael Jordan III, however, is suddenly as enthralling as the first two editions. "The show keeps getting better, doesn't it?" says Washington guard Hubert Davis. "Sometimes you have to take a step back and say, 'Man, what a great story.'"

SI's 100 Best Michael Jordan Photos

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Jordan leaps from the free-throw line for a perfect-score dunk in the 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. A prolific dunker throughout his career due to his tremendous leaping ability, Jordan won back-to-back dunk contests in 1987 and '88. As MJ continues to dunk at age 50, we present SI's 100 best photos of Michael Jordan.

Manny Millan/SI

Michael Jordan rises up for a buzzer-beater to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1989 playoffs. Jordan hit a jumper with six seconds remaining to give the Bulls a lead, only for the Cavaliers to take it right back with a layup by Craig Ehlo with three seconds left. Jordan, double-teamed on the inbounds play, got just enough separation to receive the ball and get the shot off over Ehlo to win the first-round series in five games.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan gets ready to throw down an authoritative dunk against Detroit in Game 4 of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls put an exclamation point on avenging their back-to-back playoff eliminations at the hands of the Pistons, sweeping Detroit in four games.

John Biever/SI

Jordan pulls up for his game-winning jumper to beat the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals and clinch the championship. Jordan shook loose from defender Bryon Russell to nail the shot, his final in a Bulls' uniform.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Michael Jordan takes off from the free-throw line to earn a perfect score and win the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest. Jordan's famous jam pushed him in front of Dominique Wilkins for his second straight win.

Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

Jordan plays defense in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal game against Clemson in 1984. Jordan improved from a mediocre defender his freshman year to one of the best defensive guards by his junior season.

Heinz Kluetmeier

Jordan hits the game-winning jumper to beat Georgetown in the 1982 NCAA Championship game. Jordan, ACC Freshman of the Year, propelled North Carolina to a national title by nailing a jumper with 17 seconds remaining, putting the Tar Heels up for good 63-62. Jordan had 16 points in the game.

Simon Bruty/SI

Jordan during a home game against the Dallas Mavericks in February 2003. Despite turning 40 during the season and being more than a decade older than some of his teammates, Jordan led the Washington Wizards in scoring, averaging 20.0 points per game with 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Jordan wraps his arm around his mother, Deloris, after defeating the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals to wrap up his sixth championship. In the final 41.9 seconds, Jordan made a layup, stole the ball from Karl Malone and hit a game-winning jumper from the top of the key to bring the Bulls back from a three-point deficit.

Richard Mackson/SI

Jordan smiles after bringing home the first NBA title of his career in 1991. After losing to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals the two years prior, the Bulls swept Detroit and then defeated the Lakers in five games for the first championship in franchise history. He cried after receiving the trophy.

John W. McDonough/SI

Magic Johnson works against Jordan during Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals. Jordan dropped 30 points and dished out 10 assists to secure his first NBA title.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Young autograph seekers surround Jordan at a basketball camp in March 1987. With his on-court success and successful off-court marketing, Jordan quickly became one of the NBA's biggest stars.

Andy Hayt/SI

Scottie Pippen helps an exhausted and sick Jordan off the floor after Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. Jordan played through a stomach virus to score 38 points, hitting a three to put the Bulls ahead for good with 25 seconds remaining. In the final seconds of the game, Jordan collapsed into Pippen's arms.

John Biever/SI

Jordan gives a slight smile during a November 1997 game against the Charlotte Hornets. Jordan connected on 12-of-24 shots in the game for 28 points to go along with seven assists and four rebounds.

John Biever/SI

Bulls head coach Doug Collins advises Jordan in Game 5 of a 1988 Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against Cleveland. Jordan averaged 45.2 points per game as the Bulls advanced but lost to the Detroit Pistons in five games in the next round.

Bob Rosato/SI

Jordan encourages his Wizards team from the bench against the Miami Heat in a preseason game in October 2001. Jordan announced his return to the floor on Sept. 25, just a month before the start of the regular season.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan flies to the rim for a dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Michael Jordan and the Phoenix Suns' Kevin Johnson and Charles Barkley battle for position in Game 3 of the 1993 NBA Finals. Barkley beat out Jordan for the regular season MVP, but Jordan got the title as the Bulls beat the Suns in six games.

Manny MIllan/SI

Jordan talks with Bulls coach Phil Jackson on the sideline during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks in 1996. Coming off a record 72-10 regular season, the Bulls lost just three games in the postseason as Jordan claimed another championship in his first full season back from retirement.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Jordan flies through the paint to the rim for a dunk in this 1987 action portrait.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan poses for a 1983 portrait at center court of the Carmichael Arena, the home to North Carolina men's basketball during Jordan's tenure. Playing under legendary coach Dean Smith, Jordan won a national championship in 1982 and the Naismith and Wooden awards for college player of the year in 1984.

Manny Millan/SI

Rookie sensation Jordan sits on the bench during a game against the Phoenix Suns. Jordan scored 20 or more points in 21 of his first 25 games.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan had no trouble adjusting from college to the NBA as a rookie, scoring 28.2 points per game with 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists en route to being named Rookie of the Year. The Bulls made an 11-game improvement from the year before, reaching the playoffs but losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.

Lane Stewart/SI

Jordan rubs the head of Sam Perkins for a portrait in November 1983. The Tar Heels went undefeated in the ACC during the regular season but lost in the ACC Tournament and was upset in the Sweet 16 by Indiana.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan pulls down a rebound in an ACC game against Virginia in January 1982. He scored 13.5 points per game that season as a freshman and hit the game-winning jumper in North Carolina's national championship victory over Georgetown.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Taking a break from the action of the 1993 NBA Finals, Jordan and Charles Barkley chat in Game 5. Jordan averaged an NBA Finals-record 41 points in the series, becoming the first player to win three straight Finals MVPs.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan tries to drive past Barkley in 1991. Jordan said he didn't consciously stick his tongue out while playing and even told kids not to do it out of fear they might accidentally bite theirs.

Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

To tune up for his first Olympics, Jordan competes for Team USA against a team of NBA All-Stars in 1984. Although the games against the NBA players were incredibly physical and left the Olympians bruised and battered, the move paid off when the Americans went 8-0 at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics en route to a gold medal.

John W. McDonough/SI

Jordan contorts in air to get a shot off against Angola in Team USA's 1992 Summer Olympic matchup in Barcelona. The Dream Team crushed every team it faced, never winning by fewer than 32 points and defeating Angola 116-48. Jordan averaged 14.9 points, second highest on the team.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan lays the ball in against the 76ers' LaSalle Thompson in a January 1996 game in Philadelphia. Jordan had nine games with 40 or more points during the 1995-96 season, including 48 points against the 76ers.

John Biever/SI

Jordan pressures Magic Johnson in Game 3 of the 1991 NBA Finals. Jordan's defense was a source of great frustration for the Lakers as he tallied 14 steals and seven blocks in the five-game series.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan celebrates the Bulls' repeat at NBA champions after dropping the Portland Trail Blazers in six games. He earned his third MVP Award and second consecutive Final MVP.

Andy Hayt/SI

Jordan knocks down a jumper against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in March 1995. Just five games after returning from his first retirement, Jordan scored 55 points as the Bulls held off the Knicks 113-111.

Lane Stewart/SI

Jordan plays Ms. Pac Man at North Carolina in November 1983. Already a first-team All-America from his sophomore season, Jordan topped that by winning the 1984 John Wooden Award as a junior before declaring for the NBA Draft.

Lane Stewart/SI

Jordan dances to Lionel Richie's <italics>All Night Long</italics> in his dorm room with high school basketball teammates David Bridges and Derek Betts in November 1983. North Carolina entered the 1983-84 season ranked No. 1 in the nation, earning Jordan his first SI cover appearance and photo shoot.

Walter Iooss Jr./NBAE/Getty Images

Jordan poses for a portrait in 1986. After missing most of the 1985-86 season with a foot injury, Jordan returned to set the NBA record for points in a playoff game with 63 against the Boston Celtics.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan walks on the court with his tongue out in November 1984, his rookie season. Jordan picked up the habit from his father, who would stick his tongue out when he was absorbed in his work.

John Biever/SI

Jordan rejects the New Jersey Nets' Chris Gatling at the rim in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference playoffs first-round series in 1998. With Jordan scoring 32 or more points in each game, the Bulls made quick work of the Nets, eliminating them in three games.

Andy Hayt/SI

Jordan fakes on a drive against the Los Angeles Lakers in February 1988. Jordan won his first MVP Award that season, averaging 35.0 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 1.6 blocks. Those final two stats helped Jordan claim Defensive Player of the Year.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan makes a pass in the face of Cleveland's Ron Harper in Game 5 of a first-round Eastern Conference series. Jordan finished the game with his famous jumper over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer to win the series.

Neil Leifer/SI

The three biggest stars of the 1992 Dream Team -- Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson -- pose during a photo shoot in June 1992. The trio and their teammates would put on a show at the Barcelona Summer Olympics two months later.

T Westenberger/SI

Members of the Dream Team Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley hold up Olympic rings for a portrait in February 1991.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan smiles during warm-ups with the Washington Wizards. Jordan's return to basketball was at times frustrating for him as the Wizards failed to make the playoffs in either season.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan goes up for a one-handed slam in 1991. He averaged 31.5 points per game in the 1990-91 season, part of a seven-season stretch in which he scored more than 30 points per game.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan puts up a shot over the outstretched arm of Detroit's John Salley in Game 2 of the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals. Despite four games with 31 or more points, Jordan was unable to keep the Pistons from eliminating the Bulls in the conference finals for the second consecutive season.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Jordan takes batting practice at spring training in Orlando, Fla., in February 1994. After retiring from basketball, Jordan signed a minor league deal with the White Sox to pursue his recently murdered father's dream to have a baseball player for a son.

John Iacono/SI

Jordan misses badly on a pitch during spring training with the White Sox. Jordan's short-lived baseball career did not develop the way he hoped it would as he hit just .202 with three home runs for Double-A Birmingham.

Walter Iooss Jr./NBAE/Getty Images

Jordan watches video before a game against the Bucks in 1988 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan drives a bumper car against Bulls teammates Rod Higgins and Orlando Woolridge at an amusement park in Phoenix in November 1984.

John Biever/SI

Security guards crowd around Jordan as he gets out of his Ferrari to enter Chicago Stadium in May 1992.

John W. McDonough/SI

Jordan finishes off a fast break with an emphatic slam dunk against the Denver Nuggets in November 1991. Jordan scored 38 points with 12 assists and seven rebounds in a wild 151-145, come-from-behind win.

John Iacono/SI

Jordan tries to drive through traffic against Washington in January 1985. After averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.4 steals, Jordan was named Rookie of the Year and selected for the All-Star Game, the first of his 14 selections.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan hugs Scottie Pippen after the duo won their fifth NBA title together in 1997. Jordan earned his fifth Finals MVP Award in as many appearances.

John Biever/SI

Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman soak in the cheers at the United Center. The trio won three NBA titles together.

John Biever/SI

Jordan walks away from the game of basketball for a second time in January 1999 amid an NBA lockout. At the announcement Jordan said he was 99.9 percent sure he would never play again.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan acknowledges the crowd's roaring applause during the final game of his NBA career on April 16, 2003. Despite playing on the road, Jordan received a three-minute standing ovation from the Philadelphia 76ers fans and players as he checked out of the game with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists.

John Biever/SI

Jordan catches some action at the 35th Ryder Cup in September 2004 at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich. An avid golfer and fan of the game, Jordan has attended every Ryder Cup since 1995.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Jordan enjoys his other passion, playing a round of golf. Jordan had a great love for the sport that occasionally got him in trouble, such as when instances of his high-stakes gambling arose in 1992 and 1993.

John Biever/SI

Jordan takes the ball to the hoop against the Utah Jazz in Chicago in the 1997 NBA Finals. The Bulls won all three games of the series at the United Center, including Game 1, in which Jordan hit a game-winning 20-footer at the buzzer.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan makes a midair pass to Scottie Pippen against the Detroit Pistons in Game 3 of the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals. Jordan's 47 points and 10 rebounds got the Bulls the win in that game, but the Pistons took the series in seven games.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan pulls up for a jumper against the Philadelphia 76ers in November 2001. Jordan came out of retirement three years after leaving the Bulls to help the Washington Wizards, in whom he became part owner in 2000.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan throws down a dunk against the New York Knicks in March 1998. Jordan dominated the Knicks in the Bulls' 102-89 victory, amassing 42 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan drives on the Detroit Pistons' Joe Dumars in Game 2 of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals. Jordan dropped 35 points in the Bulls' win, the second of four straight to finally oust the Pistons in the playoffs after Detroit eliminated them in each of the two prior seasons.

Bob Rosato/SI

Jordan attacks the basket in his 14th and final All-Star Game in 2003. Jordan started the game when Vince Carter offered him his starting spot, and seemed poised to have the game winner with a baseline jumper with 4.8 seconds remaining in overtime. Instead, Jermaine O'Neal fouled Kobe Bryant to force a second overtime, and the West prevailed.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan cuts to the rim against the New York Knicks in March 1995, his fifth game after returning from his first retirement. In addition to his 55 points, Jordan fed Bill Wennington for the game-winner in the Bulls' 113-111 victory at Madison Square Garden.

Manny Millan/SI

Phil Jackson talks to Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 1996. Jordan and Pippen combined for 36 points, 15 rebounds, 13 assists and four steals in the Bulls' 94-91 win at New York.

Manny Millan/SI

Michael Jordan and Horace Grant helped up Scottie Pippen in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 1992. The Bulls needed all seven games to get past the Knicks, dominating New York 110-81 in the final game.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan hits the game-winning jumper to beat Georgetown in the 1982 NCAA Championship game.

John W. McDonough/SI

Jordan reaches for a rebound in the gold-medal game at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Just like every other team the Dream Team faced, Croatia was no match for Team USA, falling 117-85. Jordan scored 22 points to help win his second Olympic gold medal.

John W. McDonough/SI

Jordan drives to the hoop against Utah in Game 1 on the 1998 NBA Finals. The Bulls dropped the first game of the series despite 33 points from Jordan, but rallied to win the series in six games.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan fights for a loose ball with Rik Smits and Derrick McKey of the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. In a tremendous all-around performance, Jordan led the Bulls with 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to return to the NBA Finals.

Andy Hayt/SI

Jordan shoots a jumper for Team USA at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Playing for a still all-amateur team, Jordan led all the squad with 17.1 points per game as the U.S. took gold with an 8-0 record.

Manny Millan/SI

Michael Jordan throws down a dunk in the second half of Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. After dropping game 1 of the series, the Bulls rattled off three straight wins to take control of the Finals and win the championship in six games.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Jordan smokes his victory cigar in the Bulls locker room after defeating Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals. Between the 1990-91 and 1997-98 NBA seasons, Jordan led the Bulls to a championship each season in which he played the full season.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan leaps to intercept a pass against the Spurs in January 1992. Jordan made the NBA All-Defensive First Team that season for the fifth straight time.

John W. McDonough/SI

Jordan stands on the block during Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Jordan dropped 45 points in the game to rally the Bulls to a series-clinching victory.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Jordan is all smiles, playing piano and smoking a cigar after winning his sixth national championship in 1998. The title finished off the second three-peat of championships of Jordan's career.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Jordan hugs Phil Jackson after winning the 1998 NBA Finals over the Utah Jazz. The championship victory was the last time either would represent the Chicago Bulls as Jordan retired for a second time after the season and Jackson took a year off from coaching before taking over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lane Stewart/SI

Jordan and Sam Perkins sit on the couch in coach Dean Smith's office at North Carolina in November 1983. Smith won the first national championship of his Hall of Fame coaching career with Jordan and Perkins in 1982.

Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

Jordan plays aggressive defense against Duke's Tommy Amaker in a 1984 ACC Tournament semifinal. North Carolina entered the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 1 in the nation, but Indiana upset the Tar Heels in the Sweet 16.

Lane Stewart/SI

Jordan stands with North Carolina teammate Sam Perkins in November 1983. The Tar Heels' star duo combined for 37.2 points per game in the 1983-84 season.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Michael Jordan, Ron Harper, Scottie Pippen and Scott Burrell plays whist on a Chicago Bulls team flight in March 1998. Jordan was in the midst of his fifth MVP season, in which he averaged a league-best 28.7 points per game.

John Biever/SI

Jordan splits a double team to get a shot off against the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. Jordan dominated the Pacers to will the Bulls to a victory, scoring 41 points with five assists, four rebounds and four steals. Chicago won the series in seven games.

John Biever/SI

ordan holds the Finals MVP trophy as Phil Jackson raises the Larry O'Brien Trophy following the Bulls' victory over the Utah Jazz to win the 1998 NBA Finals. Jordan averaged 33.5 points per game in the six-game series to claim the last of his six Finals MVP Awards.

Andy Hayt/SI

Jordan drives with the ball in the 1987 All-Star Game. He earned his third straight All-Star selection and became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score 3,000 points in a season. He also became the first player to record 200 steals and 100 blocks in a season.

John Biever/SI

Jordan goes up for a layup after blowing past Brad Daugherty of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series in May 1988. Jordan torched Cleveland for 38 or more points in each game of the series, but the Bulls couldn't get past the Detroit Pistons in the next round.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan soars for a slam against the Knicks in April 1991. He scored 34 points with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in the Bulls' win in New York.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan takes a fadeaway jumper against the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in 1992. He averaged 31.3 points during the series, capping it off with a 42-point performance in Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Simon Bruty/SI

Michael Jordan drives against Kobe Bryant in a November 2002 matchup between the Wizards and the Lakers. Although nearly 40 at the time to Bryant's 24, Jordan matched Bryant's output with 25 points to the Laker guard's 27 in a 100-99 Wizards win.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan soars for a dunk against a backdrop.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Michael Jordan checks his watch in a Houston hotel elevator with Dennis Rodman and security personnel in April 1998.

John W. McDonough/SI

Jordan rises up to the hoop against the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 of the 1993 NBA Finals. Jordan shrugged off the building off-court controversy about his gambling habits to lead the Bulls to their third straight championship.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan drives against the New York Knicks in the 1993 NBA Playoffs. After winning a third straight NBA title, Jordan stunningly retired from basketball, saying he had lost his desire to play.

John Biever/SI

Michael Jordan receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy from NBA commissioner David Stern before Game 2 of the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals. In his first full season back from his first retirement, Jordan won his fourth MVP Award, leading the league with 30.4 points per game.

Manny Millan/SI

Jordan hangs his head in exhaustion and tugs at his shorts during Game 5 against Utah in the 1997 NBA Finals. Battling a nasty stomach virus he came down with the day before the game, Jordan scored 38 points with seven rebounds, five assists and three steals to lead the Bulls to a critical victory.

John Biever/SI

Jordan argues with a referee during Game 3 of the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals. Jordan had little to worry about in this series as his Bulls swept the Orlando Magic to advance to the NBA Finals.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Jordan clasps the Larry O'Brien Trophy and high-fives some fans after winning the 1997 NBA Finals, the fifth championship of his career. The Bulls downed the Utah Jazz in six games, and Jordan was named Finals MVP, avenging his loss to the Jazz's Karl Malone for the regular season MVP.

Manny Millan/SI

Rookie sensation Jordan opts for some slightly smaller links in a round of miniature golf with the Bulls in Phoenix in 1984.

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Jordan readies a cigar in his Porsche after a home game in 1998.

Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

Jordan poses for a portrait in 2008, five years after he retired from his playing career for good.

Jordan's second encore began inauspiciously. Despite the hype surrounding his comeback, Jordan, at age 38, looked more wizened than Wizard at the start of the season. Watching him shoot less than 40% from the field, miss routine shots and ice his knees with each trip to the bench, many wondered whether hubris had gotten the better of him. Jordan's teammates often stood idly on the court, unsure of their roles. With nine losses in its first 11 games, Washington was a sinking ship. Following a 19-point loss to Cleveland on Nov. 27, Jordan said succinctly, "We stink."

Then the plot started to turn like a formulaic feel-good movie: The great player showed confidence in his teammates, and having earned his approval, they began to realize how good they could be. After the Cleveland debacle, Washington won 14 of 18 and at week's end stood at 17–14, on course for the playoffs. Before he suffered a strained groin that will sideline him until at least Jan. 19, sweet-shooting swingman Richard (Rip) Hamilton had started to blossom into a star. Rookie center Brendan Haywood—another bald-pated former North Carolina Tar Heel, whom Jordan shrewdly acquired in a trade with Orlando in his last major move as a Wizards executive—has come off the injured list to emerge as a rebounding and shot-blocking force. The team has tightened up defensively and become more adept at swinging the ball. "The guys started clicking," says Jordan. "We all started finding ways to fit, and you could see the enjoyment coming back around our locker room."

As for Jordan, he gradually lost his torpor, found his rhythm and has been splendid of late. After scoring a career-low six points against the Pacers on Dec. 27, he exploded for 51 points against Charlotte, becoming the oldest player in NBA history—by three years—to score 50 or more. In his next game, on Dec. 31 against the Eastern Conference-leading Nets, Jordan poured in 45 points, 22 of them in succession. He followed that up with 29 against the Bulls, his former team, including his 30,000th career point. Suddenly the player many fretted would scuff up his legacy by returning to the NBA was averaging 24.6 points and had established himself as a credible MVP candidate. "People had their doubts," says Wizards coach Doug Collins, "but I knew that if Michael was going to do this, he thought he still could play pretty damn well."

To be sure, this is not the same Jordan as before. Still, the fact that he has reinvented himself and continued to perform at such a high level might be the most inspiring part of the story. Creaky knees have slowed his first step and—the odd game-saving block notwithstanding—reduced his air time. As former Georgetown coach John Thompson derisively predicted before the season, he is indeed Floor Jordan. Through Sunday he had dunked a grand total of 12 times this season, which would have been about two games' worth in his younger days. Without the lift in his legs, he was shooting 14.7% (5 of 34) on three-pointers.

• MORE NBA: Remembering the night Jordan announced return to dominance

Instead, Jordan has scored his field goals almost exclusively on midrange jumpers and his patented fadeaway, his game now predicated on craft and guile. "It's a luxury car and no longer a sports car," says Collins. The owner of the game's nastiest head fake, Jordan need only raise an eyebrow and most defenders will leave their feet. In one series against Chicago, Jordan gave Artest three straight feints without starting his dribble, and on the fourth Artest finally bit. Jordan calmly dribbled once to his left and nailed a 15-footer. "Michael couldn't have been so great if he wasn't so good fundamentally," says Bulls forward Charles Oakley, a longtime friend of Jordan's. "He's showing that in basketball, an old head can beat a young pair of legs."

Jordan is also using his wits on defense. A first-team all-defensive player in his prime, Jordan no longer demands the toughest assignments, preferring to ration his energy. At times he shifts into stopper mode, as he did in a win over the Knicks on Dec. 14, relentlessly shadowing New York's leading scorer, Latrell Sprewell. In 33 minutes Sprewell made two of 13 shots. But Jordan spends much of the time patrolling passing lanes like a free safety and helping teammates with double teams.

Still, there are plenty of earmarks of the Jordan of old. His indomitable competitive spirit and disdain for failure remain in evidence. As a Wizards executive last season Jordan became so enraged watching one of the team's 63 losses that he smashed a television set in the owner's box at the MCI Center and berated the players in the locker room. Now that he's on the floor, he doesn't hold back when teammates have a lapse in concentration. He holds himself to the same exacting standards. In warmups before the Bulls game he made eight straight fadeaway jumpers. When the ninth rolled off the rim, he smacked his hands together in exasperation.

Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images

Jordan still uses every dig, real or imagined, as motivation. Time and again last week he spoke of proving his critics and doubters wrong. (In reality, by now you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone still questioning Jordan's comeback.) He also seems to take it as an affront when opponents don't double him. "Teams in the last couple of games have been playing me straight man-to-man," he said with a sly grin after the New Jersey game. "I think that's going to have to change." As in the past, Jordan has also received, shall we say, generous dispensation from the officials.

A cynic could be forgiven for wondering how a 38-year-old player jacking nearly 24 shots a game helps Washington in the long run. Jordan, however, has hardly stunted the young Wizards' growth. When Hamilton caught fire last month, Jordan dialed back his game and deferred to the 23-year-old. In the seven games before Hamilton went down, he attempted 144 shots to Jordan's 145. Collins asserts that far more plays are designed for Hamilton than for Jordan. Now that Hamilton is out, who on Washington besides Jordan can shoulder the scoring load?

More important, Jordan has, trite as it sounds, imbued his teammates with an infectious winning attitude. The Wizards haven't won a postseason series in 20 years, and a culture of losing has pervaded the franchise. Even the slogan painted on the team's locker room wall bespeaks a grim resignation: THE GAME IS SCHEDULED, WE MUST PLAY. WE MIGHT AS WELL WIN. Enter Jordan. He practices relentlessly. He eats right. He hares downcourt to block a shot rather than bitching at the refs. At 8:30 on the morning after his 51-point explosion against Charlotte, Jordan met his personal fitness coach, Tim Grover, at the Washington branch of the Sports Club/L.A. for a conditioning session. When Collins arrived at practice at 11 a.m., he delighted in telling the players that Jordan had already worked out. "When you see how hard he works and watch how he conducts himself, you want to do the same," says guard Tyronn Lue. "That's the kind of stuff that rubs off on all of us."

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While Jordan hasn't converted his teammates from rap to his musical preferences of Luther Vandross and Anita Baker, he has taken pains to fit in. "At first we were like, 'What do we call him? Michael? Mr. Jordan? What?'" recalls Hamilton.

Now Jordan is known to his teammates—some of them barely half his age—simply as M. "People ask, 'What is it like playing with the greatest player ever?'" says Davis. "I tell them it's the most natural thing in the world. He just wants us to think of him as a teammate."

Aside from the Wizards, the NBA is the other big winner in Jordan's comeback. While league officials said all the right things at the time, they did plenty of hand-wringing when Jordan announced his return. What if he failed spectacularly? What if he succeeded but monopolized the spotlight at the expense of the league's young stars? Neither has happened. This NBA season has hardly become all Jordan, all the time. Through last week, in fact, Vince Carter, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett all ranked ahead of Jordan in All-Star voting.

Despite the good vibes, the Wizards don't suffer delusions of grandeur. Collins admits he's not coaching an elite team, and while the playoffs are a real possibility, Jordan won't get his seventh ring this season. No matter. His challenge wasn't to win a title but to improve the prospects of a foundering organization. Doing so might be the most fitting capstone to his career.

"Think about it: He's cleared salary cap space, brought all sorts of energy and excitement and given us the belief that we can win," says Collins. "Already he's left his imprint on this organization. On top of all that, he's playing some of the best basketball in the league."

Go ahead and call him Floor Jordan. He has still found a way to soar.

Michael Jordan's 50 SI Covers

November 28, 1983

Lane Stewart/Sports Illustrated

July 23, 1984

Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated

December 10, 1984

Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

November 17, 1986

Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

December 28, 1987

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

May 16, 1988

John Biever/Sports Illustrated

March 13, 1989

Bill Smith/Sports Illustrated

May 15, 1989

Carl Skalak/Sports Illustrated

August 14, 1989

Jacqueline Duvoisin/Sports Illustrated

November 6, 1989

Theo Westenberger/Sports Illustrated (Dumars): Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated (Jordan)

May 21, 1990

Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

December 17, 1990

John Biever/Sports Illustrated

February 18, 1991

Theo Westenberger/Sports Illustrated

June 3, 1991

Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

June 10, 1991

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

June 17, 1991

Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

August 5, 1991

Illustration by Amy Guip

November 11, 1991

Jean Moss/Sports Illustrated

December 23, 1991

Hologram by Sharon McCormack

May 11, 1992

Brian Drake

May 25, 1992

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

June 15, 1992

Bill Smith/Sports Illustrated

June 22, 1992

Bill Smith/Sports Illustrated

June 7, 1993

Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

June 21, 1993

John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

June 28, 1993

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

October 18, 1993

David Liam Kyle

March 14, 1994

John Iacono/Sports Illustrated

March 20, 1995

Illustration by Jeff Wong

March 27, 1995

David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated

May 22, 1995

John Biever/Sports Illustrated

October 23, 1995

John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

June 3, 1996

John Biever/Sports Illustrated

June 17, 1996

Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images

March 10, 1997

Illustration by Jeff Wong

May 19, 1997

John Biever/Sports Illustrated

June 9, 1997

John Biever/Sports Illustrated

June 23, 1997

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

February 16, 1998

Stephen Green

May 11, 1998

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

June 8, 1998

John Biever/Sports Illustrated

June 15, 1998

John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

June 22, 1998

John Biever/Sports Illustrated

December 28, 1998

Bob Gomel/Time & Life Pictures (Muhammad Ali); Bettmann (Babe Ruth); John Biever/Sports Illustrated (Jordan)

January 25, 1999

John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

February 14, 2000

Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

October 29, 2001

Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated

January 14, 2002

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

February 17, 2003

Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated

February 18, 2013

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated