Giving it the old school try

Sporting News, The, Feb 12, 1996 by Michael Wilbon

"These young guys don't realize how much of the game is played in your head," Jordan says. "There are a million ways to mentally compensate when one of your physical skills starts to diminish."

Jordan, about to turn 33, knows that. Magic, headed toward 37, knows that. Asking them to teach those lessons to an entire generation of young players may be too much, but those of us who love the game are desperately hoping they can.

Perhaps you've seen the Nike commercial with Jason Kidd, Jimmy Jackson, Kevin Garnett Eddie Jones and Joe Smith, the one that says, "The revolution will not be televised" (though it will be commercialized). There isn't as much as a single Final Four appearance among them. Instead of leading a basketball revolution, they should've been trying to find their way to a TV set last Friday night even the wondrous Kidd whose triple doubles don't keep the Mavericks from losing night after night. They should've sat down, shut up and turned to the Bulls-Lakers game and found out what a basketball revolution is. The Old School has reclaimed its prominence just in time.