With the NFL nearing the end of its season, the world of professional sports will shortly be turning more attention to the NBA.

This season has already gotten more notice than past years from fans and media with the second return of Michael Jordan.

Tuesday night was an installment of one of the biggest matchups of the season as Jordan and his surprising Wizards took on Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers.

This matchup was huge for a few reasons as both teams are fighting for possible playoff spots.

After getting off to rocky starts, both teams are hovering around .500 for the season – which in the Eastern Conference means a lot because there aren’t many good teams.

But this game also saw the best player to ever play the game (Jordan) against the best player in the game right now (Iverson).

Since Iverson has returned from an injury, he is quickly turning the 76ers back into the competitive team they were last season when they went to the NBA Finals.

Iverson is the best player in the league right now because he has the biggest heart.

For someone who is listed at six feet tall and 165 pounds, it is impressive that he leads the league in scoring, steals and minutes played per game while getting thrown around the court like a freshman among seniors.

But all eyes are on Jordan when a game like this comes up, and I just can’t decide if that is cool or not.

First off, let me say that when Jordan decided to come back for a second time I was very much against it, even though I was a huge Bulls fan during their last three-peat (mostly because of my love for Dennis Rodman).

I am an avid follower of the NBA and I watched all the changes the league had to go through when Jordan retired. They made many attempts to keep the ratings up and fans interested such as putting microphones in team huddles and rearranging the TV schedule to allow players like Vince Carter more air time.

The goal of the league was to develop new superstars and build everything around them, and it was actually working.

Fans and media alike were finally getting used to the league revolving around such stars as Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Carter and more.

So when Jordan decided to come back, I wasn’t excited at all.

My last memory of Jordan (like many other people) was him making the winning shot for his sixth championship.

Why would I want to remember the best baller ever as a washed up player trying to hang with the young guys?

All I really know of Jordan is him being a winner.

He won six titles in eight years, and it would have been eight straight had he not retired and came back in the mid `90s.

Now that the season is well underway, it’s time to make a fair assessment of Jordan. His scoring doesn’t surprise me much, he’s averaging 24 points a game and shooting 40 percent.

The big thing about him is that he might shoot a little too much considering his low percentage.

The only category he leads the NBA in his shot attempts per 48 minutes. He is ninth in scoring.

When Jordan decided to come back his reasoning was that he wanted to compete again, and he wanted to help teach the younger players and maybe even help out the Washington franchise – of which he was part owner and probably will be when he retires for a third time.

And that is why I am going to eat my words and change my opinion from earlier in the year.

I am still a little disappointed to see Jordan in a different jersey, but he truly has turned that team around.

After ending last season with a 19-63 record, the Wizards, now with Jordan, have already won 19 games. Jordan has also helped such players as Richard Hamilton, Tyronn Lue and rookie big-man Brendan Haywood vastly improve their games.

One of the most astounding things is that this team does have a great chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 1997, when Jordan and the Bulls knocked them out in the first round.

I guess the bottom line is that Jordan really does love to compete.

He came back knowing he wouldn’t quite be the player he once was, but he was willing to take the media criticism and do his thing anyway.

And perhaps the coolest thing Jordan has done since I can remember is that the million-dollar salary he will receive this season is going to a Sept. 11 relief fund.

But the 76ers did win the game and the Answer scored 34 to Jordan’s 30.

Kyle Moss is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.