MJ should grow pair, play Russell

Two weeks after Michael Jordan alluded to one-time Utah Jazz guard Bryon Russell during his Basketball Hall of Fame speech, an NBA D-League owner has suggested that the two former players square off in a 1-on-1 game.

Jordan, who broke down Russell before sinking the game-winning shot in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, said that Russell’s trash talking helped to motivate him towards returning from retirement.

Russell, nonplussed by Jordan’s comments, was quoted, saying: “I’ll play his ass right now.”

And so, D-League owner Brandt Andersen has offered $100,000 to the charity of the winner’s choice should the two actually play, which I don’t think will ever happen.

Why? Because Jordan doesn’t want to embarrass himself. After all, he has nothing to win. Conversely, Russell has nothing to lose and would likely be out for blood.

Jazz fans still feel Jordan illegally pushed off of Russell in order to sink the game-winner. Russell, a San Bernardino High School graduate, fell to one hand as Jordan hoisted up what has turned out to be one of the more famous shots in NBA history.

I’m sure Russell would like nothing more than to wipe that memory away by playing Jordan again. He would surely train and practice infinitely in order to defeat Jordan. His Airness, on the other hand, can’t be bothered with entertaining revisionist history and is probably happy to remain fat and happy upon his throne.

This absolutely should not be so — and isn’t in the animal kingdom. If the alpha male in a pride of lions is challenged, he fights or is shunned. If he accepts and defeats the challenger, he remains king of the jungle. If he loses and manages to live, he still retains rights within the pride. If he rejects the challenge, he spends the rest of his life outside the pride.

Jordan, the unquestioned king of his era, has yet to be heard from in all of this and is starting to become conspicuous by his absense. Where’s his pride? Where’s his sack? It’s not as if he’s being challenged by Kobe Bryant or LeBron James but Bryon “not Byron” Russell — a guy he’s already bested.

So is he scared of losing or just scared of losing some respect? Well he loses more respect by not stepping up, by letting Russell own the challenge.

I’m rooting for Russell here. I hope Jordan shows up, for charity and all, and gets beaten badly.

Honor the challenge, MJ. It’s the manly thing to do. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the only thing to do.