Michael Jordan has never been one to hold firm on a decision.  After retiring from the NBA after the 1993 season Jordan came back in March of 1995, winning three more championships.  As he closed out his stellar career with the Chicago Bulls with what "was" referred to as "The Last Shot", Jordan again felt the tickle has he returned to the NBA last season with the Washington Wizards.  Jordan is now half way through the last year on his two year contract and has already announced that this will be the final hurrah.... or will it?

Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune is no stranger to Jordan, and if what Smith says is true the NBA will have a very interesting scenario.  As Jordan perpares for what might be his last game as an NBA player in Chicago today Smith delivers the bombshell that talk around the NBA is that Jordan will join the ownership of the expansion Charlotte team starting in the 2004-05 season.

Smith says that Jordan still has juice in the tank, and John Stockton of the Jazz is living proof that a 41 year old can still be successful in the NBA.  'After a year off, why couldn't a 41-year-old Jordan come back and shoot jump shots when it could mean millions of dollars for his next investment?,' asks Smith.

Jordan states that he is going back to his front office job with the Wizards once he hangs up his sneakers while Charlotte owner Robert Johnson says he has his management team in place.

But Jordan back home in North Carolina makes much more sense writes Smith, with Jordan being both the lead figure in a new franchise in his home state and having the greatest ever as the public figure in the first primarily African-American-owned franchise in pro sports.  Jordan with the Wizards simly isn't a fit long-term, and it may be time for him to move on.

Jordan would be free to flee if he so desired, his five year deal with the Wizards concluding at the end of next season.

Washington have learnt first had the value of having Jordan's name linked to the franchise, even though it took Jordan pulling on a Wizards jersey for them to start to turn around the ship and become a drawing ticket.  Jordan could have a similar drawing power in Charlotte, a place where he'd be able to start fresh with his own team to mould without the pressure of having to get results immediately.

Larry Bird, who tried to get the new Charlotte franchise, was said to be unenthusiastic about acquiring an existing franchise because he wanted the challenge of building a team from the ground up.  

Larry might have missed his opportunity, but Michael may not.