Playing with a superstar is different."The superstar finally played last Sunday in a game at Indiana, where he caused so much damage in the past that they used to boo him. "He'll vocally push you," said BJ Armstrong, one of Jordan's four ex-colleagues. "Get ready to be lost in the crowd." But those new to Jordan have been in awe, "like fans, wide-eyed kids at the circus," said one observer. "Jordan: Wait Continues" read the Herald Tribune headline, followed consecutively by "Jordan: Saga Still On Hold" and "Jordan: Another Practice, No Word"."It's crazy," Horace Grant, a former Bull, said with a warning to the players.

"They're cheering in anticipation of somebody else." Meanwhile, share prices in Jordan-endorsed products swelled and media speculation raged. "The crowd obviously isn't cheering for us," said Steve Kerr, the Bulls' point. That Saturday, Chicago were at home to Cleveland and there was a last-minute scramble for tickets - just in case. "I've not played in games as exhausting as that," said Ron Harper, the young guard.Chicago feasted on rumours of the return. When they later emerged to an attendant media, they were shaking their heads in amazement.

Everything they had heard was true, they said, down to the idiosyncratic flashes of his tongue in moments of brilliance. Myers was one of only four of the team who had played with Jordan and witnessed his phenomenal work-rate in practice - the others had only heard about it. All his Chicago team-mates were sure about was that Jordan had lost little in his time away. The previous week, after studying Bulls' game videos, Jordan had his first practice back at Deerfield.