Big Bull will not run amok on court again

That appeared to leave open the possibility that the NBA superstar of superstars might return. But Jordan now appears to have closed that window.

“It’s a 100%. It’s a hundred right now,” Jordan told reporters yesterday following his round of golf at the pro-am at the Ameritech Senior Open, which begins today.

“I knew that I would enjoy what I wanted to do once I retired. A lot of you guys anticipated that I would be not happy in retirement for long. I’m at peace with the world. I get up and do whatever. I like doing that.”

Jordan explained that his decision to add the remaining tenth of a percent was prompted by repeated media questions about whether he considered returning.

“That’s the only way you guys will leave me alone,” he said. “I might as well tell you Idon’t anticipate going back.”

Since his retirement, Jordan has remained a very public figure. He considered buying a share of the Charlotte Hornets and last month released a new men’s cologne under the Jordan brand, his apparel company under the Nike banner.

He also appeared at a handful of NBA games during the 1999 season and admitted he felt a desire to compete again. But he said he has found a perfect cure.

“I got a little itch during the playoffs so I just went and played more golf,” Jordan said. “As long as I’m busy, I don’t think about it. But when I stop and think about it, I do get a little itchy. But I haven’t really played, maybe only three times over the course of the last year.”

Jordan said he has kept in touch with only two former Chicago Bulls teammates and has not spoken to his old coach Phil Jackson, who recently was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers, sparking rumours that he would return there.

“I haven’t talked to Phil,” he said. “The only people I talked to have been ScottiePippen and Ron Harper.

“Most of the information I get now about basketball comes second hand, which is kind of the way I like it, because that means I’m not too close to things.”

Jordan talked more about his growing interest in golf, which may be his next professional endeavour. Following his first retirement in 1993, Jordan tried baseball, batting just .202 in one season at Class AA Birmingham.

On Thursday, Jordan played in a foursome that included Ameritech CEO Dick Notebaert and senior PGA Tour star Raymond Floyd. He had no official score, but his only birdie came at the par-4 eighth and his approach shots at 11 and 18 found the water.

“Michael’s game is getting better,” Floyd said.

Jordan’s affiliation with Nike could help him make the move to pro golf. The PGA Tour’s lower level is the Nike Tour, which interests Jordan.

“The difference between me and raymond in terms of golf is that I don’t know the fundamentals of golf,” Jordan said. “When you’re in competition, you have to havesomething to fall back on. … My athleticism cannot help me in those situations.

“I’m in the process of learning what those fundamentals are for tournament golf and when tournament situations come, within a four-hour period, if I lose my concentration I’ll have something to fall back on to get me back on top.”

Could the 10-time scoring champion and six-time NBA champion be competing with the likes of Tiger Woods and David Duval in the near future?

“Anything’s possible, except me playing basketball again,” Jordan said. “But anything else is possible.”