Friday, March 28, 2003
Anaheim, Calif. — Adonis Jordan played 137 basketball games for Kansas University, but he hadn't been to a college game since he finished his KU career at the 1993 Final Four in New Orleans. His 10-year drought ended Thursday night at Arrowhead Pond in a game that, naturally, involved his Jayhawks.
"This is my first game as a spectator," said Jordan, who played in an Australian pro league this season. "I'm usually gone during the season." Jordan, an All-Big Eight point guard, was selected by Seattle in the second round of the NBA draft, but his playing time as a pro in the United States was limited. He has played in France, Germany, Belgium, Venezuela, Korea and Australia.
"I just got back five days ago," said Jordan, a California native who lives in Las Vegas in the offseason. "I just found out three days ago the games were in Anaheim. I called coach (Roy) Williams and said, ‘I need some tickets.'" Jordan had a good seat a few rows behind KU's bench for a West Regional semifinal matchup with Duke, a program that defeated Jordan's Jayhawks in the 1991 national championship game.
What does he remember about that game in Indianapolis? "Seventy-two to 65," Jordan said of the seven-point loss.
Jordan met with Williams and the team briefly before they left their hotel for the Pond. Jordan said he followed Kansas via the Internet and occasionally was able to see games on television. He also has friends back home send him game tapes. "I'm really excited," he said. "It's against Duke to see who goes to the Elite Eight. It couldn't get much better than that."
Jordan might have more time to watch games in the near future. He's pondering a career in the gaming industry and will be learning the ropes from a friend in Las Vegas during the offseason. He doesn't know how much longer his playing career will last. "I'm 32, so maybe another year or two," he said. "It depends on how my body holds up. It's an opportunity to travel and see the world and meet a lot of people. It's really educational."