Will he or won’t he?

That is the question everyone is asking about Michael Jordan. Will he return to the league that he has dominated, winning three championships in the early ’90s and then retiring, only to return to lead the Chicago Bulls to another Three Peat?

With Jordan telling a group of reporters today that barring any flare-up of the tendonitis he’s battled recently, he’s coming back, the possibility has reached it’s highest peak.

With an official announcement coming in the next 10 days, the rumors are running rampant as to what his future will hold.

“I love Jordan, but I don’t know if he should come back,” said senior OMIS major Antonio Thompson. “It’s time to let the younger guys have the game. The younger guys, it’s their time, and he might be stealing the limelight away from guys like Vince, Kobe and Allen.”

With a championship matchup last year pitting the NBA’s budding stars of Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson against each other, some are getting accustomed to the next generation of stars in basketball. While most players will say they felt it a privilege to be playing with Jordan after his initial retirement, he didn’t give anyone else a realistic chance to be the focal point of the league, in his course of snatching three more NBA championships on his way to a second retirement.

“I think it’s unfair because on TV the other night they were talking about what games were going to be aired opening night in the NBA,” continued Thompson. “And they were talking about some good games with some good young stars, but they said if Mike comes back they are going to air the Wizards game and that is unfair to the younger guy. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mike, and I grew up watching Mike. But I just think that he’s going to tarnish his image, and he may hurt the game.”

Having a 31.5 career point per game average, there was no question of his offensive dominance. Making the All-Defensive team nine times and ranking third all-time in career steals, his defensive skills were impeccable. Called the fiercest competitor by many of his rivals, his desire to win was truly unmatched. And all of his uncanny attributes were glaringly evident as he dominated the league since his entree after being selected third in the 1984 Draft behind Akeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie.

“Why he’s coming back is the question,” said Thompson. “He doesn’t have anything else to prove. He went out on top and now he’s coming back to a losing team and rebuilding. How many years does he have left? How many years can he do that and try and carry the team by himself?”

With no evident honors that have yet to be obtained by the once high school player that was cut from his junior varsity squad, searching has to be done to find the reason for his willingness to get back into the game that he has been departed from for three years.

“I think there’s an underlining reason of why he’s even coming back,” Thompson said. “I don’t know what it is, but with Jordan it could be something as a silly bet.”

To some, the reason does not matter for his return. Do they think Jordan can still succeed at the same lofty standards that has set for himself or are they being selfish?

“I’m glad he’s coming back because I just want to see him in person,” said junior Speech and Language Pathology major Brie Hatch. “He’s been working out with the best players I think he could come back and still be as good. I don’t think he’d come back if he didn’t think he could do it. He’s such a great player and such a legend and the best player in our time.”

With a wife, three kids, ownership in two professional teams (Washington Wizards and Capitols) and numerous business ventures, Jordan certainly isn’t sitting around twiddling his thumbs all day. Or is he?

“He’s probably just bored,” said junior Sociology major Matt Schumacher. “He has all kinds of money and is probably getting sick of golf and just wants to prove it to himself that he can do it.”