So it was with Michael Jordan.

One retirement is enough for most people, Jordan had three.

Having joined the Washington Wizards as part-owner and President of Operations in January 2000, two years of struggling as an executive while watching inferior players bumble about on the court saw him lace up his Nikes and take to the skies again, albeit at a lower altitude than at his peak.

His name alone carried enough cache to turn the Wizards into the most-watched side in the NBA, and his final season turned into one drawn-out goodbye.

Some moments were heartfelt, such as the astounding reception he received on returning to his old stomping ground in Chicago, a few were saccharine, like Donald Rumsfeld presenting him with the American flag that flew over the Pentagon on 11 September, 2001, and others were truly stomach churning, like Mariah Carey's musical ?tribute' at half-time in that year's All-Star game.

His final NBA game was in Philadelphia, where he played a limited amount of minutes leading to the usually hostile crowd chanting for his introduction. When he joined the fray he sank two late free throws with his trademark cool approaching the buzzer, and then exited the stage to a standing ovation that lasted over three minutes.

Jordan had hoped to continue in his executive role at the club, but his tenure off the court had been marked by many poor decisions. Showing a distinct lack of sentiment, but admirable business sense, Wizards owner Abe Pollin fired Jordan from his post shortly after his final appearance on court. An angry Jordan indicated that he would be interested in taking on a similar role at another team, but no other franchise has since taken him up on this offer.