CBS SportsLine.com
March 22, 2001

Michael Jordan is the greatest athlete in basketball history. During his brilliant, and perhaps continuing career, Jordan won 6 NBA Championships, earned 5 MVP awards and was selected to 12 All-Star games.

Not just on the court, Michael talent and personality transcended into the very lives of his fans. He single-handedly paved the way for off-the-court athlete-endorsements - a billion dollar industry today!

Chat transcript below.

Michael Jordan: Hello! Glad to be back and hopefully we can get to as many questions as possible. It is always good to talk to my fans!

Question: mj23fan2: Do you miss you professional NBA career on the Bulls?

Michael Jordan: Yes I do! I definitely miss the camaraderie with my friends and teammates and the competition.

Question: kynetxkid: First I'd like to say you are the most entertaining and charismatic player to ever grace the game. My question is do you feel Vince Carter can rise to the challenge of becoming the next ambassador of the game, and do you think he can do it in Toronto, or should he look to move?

Michael Jordan: I think he can be another star of the game. Ambassador is a lot of pressure. Either the fans will receive you in that manner or not. There are things the fans dictate. He will be a true star of the game. He does have the chance to be an ambassador but that is too hard to tell right now.

Question: jrs: Who would you consider the most dominating player in the game right now?

Michael Jordan: Probably Shaquille O'Neal or Tim Duncan.

Question: dsl: Are you considering to play in the NBA again?

Michael Jordan: No, I am not. I am not considering it.

Question: timtjl: What plans do you have for the Wizards next year?

Michael Jordan: Hopefully to instill some confidence and a winning attitude. To go out and play hard every single night. Hopefully that will turn the success around in Washington.

Question: jorgy8888: What do you think about today's NBA players who come into the league as opposed to when you came into the league? Is there a huge difference in your opinion?

Michael Jordan: Yes. I think there is a difference in terms of maturity level and skill level. I think a lot of the kids coming in now are a lot younger and do not have the experience as the guys coming in when I did. So it will take some time for those guys to understand their skill level and mature a little bit.

Question: tredogg: What are your thoughts on Richard Hamilton's play this year?

Michael Jordan: I think Richard has constantly improved his offensive output. His biggest challenge is to improve his defensive intensity. But I am pleased with the way he has improved and I expect him to continue to improve going into next season.

Question: MookieFan: Why haven't you joined the PGATour yet?

Michael Jordan: Haha! I am -not- that good!

Question: Tolly: who helped you more as a coach - Dean Smith or Phil Jackson?"

Michael Jordan: Dean Smith. He set the foundation for what you saw by the time I got to Phil Jackson. He instilled the confidence and the work habits I needed to excel at the professional level.

Question: Nittany Lion: As a former Tar Heel, how much did that loss to Penn State hurt?"

Michael Jordan: I was very disappointed but I have to understand they had a great season. I would much rather have seen Matt take the guys all the way to the championship game. He did a great job and I can not say I wasn't disappointed when we lost to Penn State.

Question: shooter: If Barkley was serious about coming back, would you be interested in signing him for the Wizards? Why or why not?"

Michael Jordan: If he was very serious, I would consider the idea. I think Barkley was truly a great pro and player. He would add to the leadership the team needs. I think he needs to lose about 60 pounds and would have to show me he was capable of playing basketball at the level needed to compete in the NBA right now.

Question: chavez: How much did it hurt to get rid of Juwan Howard?"

Michael Jordan: Juwan was good player and a good person. It was unfortunate people criticized him for the demise of what happened in Washington. I liked his work ethic and it was unfair. But I was happy for him. And it gave us the chance to turn the team around to a more successful route. But I was happy for him!

Question: daglove: What was the greatest piece of advice you ever received as a player, or as a person?

Michael Jordan: My greatest piece of advice as a player was always know there is someone out there striving to be a better player than you. That means you must always strive to stay ahead of the next player.

Question: nyg: What would you do if you had a feuding Kobe Bryant and Shaq on your team?

Michael Jordan: I would sit both down and find out what their priorities are. Hopefully winning would be that for them. That means someone has to compromise their egos and talents to the point that everyone prospers from it.

Question: oneil: What college players are you going to be looking at come the draft?

Michael Jordan: It is very hard to determine that because we don't know who will enter the draft from high school and college underclassmen. So it is hard to determine that right now.

Question: daglove: Which NBA team looks best right now? Who do you think will take it this year?

Michael Jordan: San Antonio looks very good with David Robinson and Tim Duncan. I think they feel they have something to prove, not playing as well last year. And Philly. They could be playing for the Championship and in all honesty I think San Antonio would have the edge in that series.

Question: marty3: Hello Michael, What Qualities does an NBA Player need to possess to become a "Legend"?

Michael Jordan: I think a winning attitude is something you must have and that is going to motivate you to play all facets of the game of basketball and instill the determination to be the best basketball player you can be. That is a good trait to have as a professional basketball player.

Question: hous: Which championship is the most special to you, and why?

Michael Jordan: Probably the last one in 1998. Because it was so difficult to do with Scottie Pippen being injured. Doing something 6 times is hard to do and the hardest is always the last. So I think 1998's championship was THE hardest of all.

Michael Jordan: Once again, time has flown by. I look forward to chatting once again, next month. Thank you for the questions and we'll see you in the future. GO WIZARDS!