Wizards guard selected as a reserve by Eastern Conference coaches.
The NBA announced that Washington Wizards guard Michael Jordan was named to the 2003 NBA All-Star team as a reserve. The game, being held in Atlanta on February 9, had featured 12 players from the Eastern Conference and Western Conferences, respectively.
“Michael deserves to be an All-Star this year because he has played like an All-Star, ” said Wizards Chairman Abe Pollin. “But it is also only fitting that he be selected in the final year of his remarkable career. It is the perfect way for the game to pay tribute to him.”
This season marks the 14th All-Star appearance for Jordan during his career, and he has earned three all-star MVP awards while recording the only triple-double in the game’s history. Jordan also holds the highest points per game average in all-star history with 21.3 points per game.
Jordan is averaging 18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season. On January 22, he passed Wilt Chamberlain to become the NBA’s third all-time leading scorer by scoring his 31, 420th career point at New Orleans. Jordan posted a season-high 41 points and a season-high 12 rebounds vs. Indiana on January 4. He has tallied 20+ points 18 times and 30+ points four times this season, while recording four double-doubles.
The last time a Wizards franchise player was named to back- to-back NBA All-Star games was Moses Malone in 1987 and 1988.