They stood and cheered for one minute and then two.
Ten more seconds–130 in all–and the ovation ended, the crowd finally settling to sit back and watch Washington’s 107-82 drubbing of the Bulls.
At first, Michael Jordan acknowledged the sellout crowd of 23,049 with a quick, almost embarrassed wave, not unlike the sheepish shrug he offered as he rained three-pointers down on Portland in the 1992 NBA Finals.
As the noise grew louder, Jordan started thanking the fans, repeating “thank you” over and over as his teammates teased him to not cry and Bill Cartwright smiled near the Bulls’ bench.
Cartwright had implored his team to treat Jordan’s return to the United Center on Thursday as just another game or, as he put it, avoid a “love fest.”
But, really, how could anybody?
The fans didn’t, greeting Jordan with signs that read “Thanks for the memories, MJ” and “Welcome home, Mike” and popping enough flashbulbs on a third-quarter free throw to create a strobe-like effect.
Jordan’s teammates didn’t, acknowledging a certain motivation in helping Jordan take relish in defeating the franchise he led to six championships.
And for all of Cartwright’s words, the Bulls didn’t, admitting to what Jalen Rose had feared might happen–some star-gazing.
“We just didn’t play hard,” Jay Williams said after one of the Bulls’ flattest efforts of the season. “It was like we were in awe.”
Jordan finished with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in 30 minutes in just his second trip to Chicago in a visitor’s uniform. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter despite three chants of “We want Mike!” in the final four minutes.
He offered a slice of vintage Jordan when he drained a 19-footer with 0.8 seconds left in the first half and Rose rushing at him and also held Rose to 5-for-19 shooting through three quarters.
But mostly, Jordan was content to lay in the weeds and watch Jerry Stackhouse score a game-high 28 points and Kwame Brown outplay Tyson Chandler, who, like his team, couldn’t follow up on an impressive performance against Portland.
“I was very appreciative,” Jordan said of the fans’ reaction. “I have much love for the fans of Chicago. They helped me grow. It’s tough for me to play here. I want to win, but I don’t want to beat them.”
Williams, who shot 1-of-9 but flashed his typical defiant competitiveness, didn’t care as much for Jordan’s welcome.
“I understand you respect him and everything,” Williams said. “He’s the greatest player to ever play the game. Still, he’s on a different team now. We’re playing against him.
“It’s not [the fans’] fault. It’s our fault. I’m not putting anything on them. It’s our responsibility. We didn’t play well. But it’s hard. We’re playing an away game at home.”
Rose, who led the Bulls with 26 points on 10-of-25 shooting, said to forget about the ovation.
“That’s an excuse,” Rose said. “The bottom line is we have to play hard.
“A nationally televised game, Michael Jordan’s return, you would’ve thought we would come out with fire and emotion and intensity just for the opportunity to catch a team that’s in front of us in the standings. It’s disappointing that we didn’t.”
The Wizards’ carnage proved complete. Washington led 55-37 at halftime and then enjoyed a 14-0, third-quarter run as Stackhouse scored six of his 15 in the quarter.
Later in the third, Washington’s lead grew to as many as 31. By this time, fans were not only cheering Jordan but also booing the Bulls, who shot 36.3 percent. They were outrebounded 53-32 and allowed the Wizards to shoot 52.8 percent from the field.
The Bulls’ performance looked similar to the sorry 69-point effort they produced when Jordan returned last season. It also showed the Bulls are far from ready for prime time on a night when they had the opportunity to prove otherwise.
Brown finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds before receiving two technical fouls and getting ejected with 1:19 remaining.
Chandler had eight points, four rebounds and five fouls as a follow-up to his 27-point, 18-rebound performance against Portland on Tuesday.
“I think Kwame saw what Tyson did last game and I think he wanted to show what he could do,” Washington coach Doug Collins said.
Everybody knows what Jordan can do.
“Anytime I step in this building, it’s tough to see me not in red and white,” Jordan said. “I can’t imagine what it will be like for the last time.”
