From Air Jordan to Despair Jordan?

Michael Jordan didn't exactly detract from his legacy. But at this rate, he certainly won't add to his highlight reel.

Playing a slower, smarter game way below the rim, Jordan delivered an underwhelming 19-point performance in his highly anticipated return to the NBA Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. As expected, Jordan's Washington Wizards lost to the New York Knicks, 93-91. But in a shocking reversal from his dominant days as the best player to ever lace up sneakers, a new Jordan dawn was received with a collective yawn.

Said Wizards coach Doug Collins, "I thought Michael was fine."

Despite apparently leaving his gravity-defying super powers in the 20th century, Jordan was clearly his team's best player with four steals, six assists and five rebounds, despite missing 14 of 21 shots in 37 minutes. But to the disappointment of the sellout crowd of 19,763 and an audience expected to be among the biggest in cable TV history, he didn't come close to dunking or even prodding a single ooh or aah. Instead, he settled for a variety of jump shots launched by any number of NBA players on any given night and even threw an air-ball 18-foot jumper. In fact, in a performance not only under the rim but barely off the floor, the 38-year-old Jordan did nothing better or different than any of his younger peers.