When it comes to Favre-like saga, the NBA is out of its league

Magic Johnson came back in 1996, five years after his first retirement with the Lakers. AP Steve Aschburner's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Steve. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

It is, quite possibly, the most overwrought, snarky, hand-wringing, interminable, nitpicked and some would say nitwitted story in the history of professional sports.

And yet, deep down inside, you get the feeling that the NBA and the other leagues envy the NFL for its Brett Favre saga, at least a little bit.

If the NFL circa 2008 is the biggest and most popular pro sports enterprise ever, the NBA still prides itself on a little-engine-that-could mastery of modern marketing methodology over, oh, the past 30 years or so. What commissioner David Stern, his staff, the league's owners and their many well-heeled partners pulled off -- starting roughly with the arrival of Julius Erving in 1976, then gaining momentum from Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, right through superstars such as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James -- really was unprecedented, transforming the NBA from third-string into the nation's "in'' sport, selling both the steak and the sizzle.

But the NBA hasn't had a situation/opportunity quite like the Favre novella. An offseason news story that dominates the media, from mainstream to the blogosphere? A topic crammed with all sorts of emotions and intrigue, yet ultimately about the game and its X's and O's? Involving a transcendent, cinch-Hall of Fame player, one of the best ever at his sport's glamour position, in what arguably is the league's most passionate and insular market?

Think Bill Russell announcing his comeback for the 1969-70 season but in a 2008-09 media world. Then picture Russell repeatedly battling with Red Auerbach out in the middle of the street at high noon -- and live on Greta Van Susteren's television show. Then imagine Russell's Celtics teammates and everyone in Boston, as well as most sports fans across the country, choosing sides and hanging on every breathless "Russell is on his cell phone again'' update. That's the only thing that conceivably could come close.

Unseemly? Sure. But a lot more compelling than the Tim Donaghy watch, synthetic basketballs and the dress code.

The NBA has had episodes with some elements of Favre-mania, but none that pulled together all of its twisting, teary turmoil. Among them:

• Michael Jordan's second comeback: The first one doesn't qualify, because there never was another team involved; when Jordan came back from his October 1993-March 1995 hiatus, he came back to the Bulls. The second one, with Washington in 2001, caused a stir when former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly reported the possibility several months before Jordan's formal announcement. (Incidentally, in a similar way, the Los Angeles Times' Sam Farmer was out front on the Favre story.) Still, Jordan already was Wizards "property,'' switching franchises via a front-office job and then moving down for a memorable but unremarkable two-season return. So this one, too, ultimately was lacking.

• Wilt Chamberlain's countless rumored returns: If you believed the big man -- always a buyer-beware proposition, given the many tales as tall as he was -- Chamberlain still was getting courted to come back well into middle age. He could have been the charter member of the NBAAARP. Chicago, Cleveland, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Phoenix and the L.A. Clippers all allegedly inquired about his availability, an old-Jim Brown-to-the-Raiders thing with more (and longer) legs.

"It's great for the ego to think, at age 50, 52, 53, that guys think I could still go and play,'' Chamberlain said back in 1991. "And personally, I think I could do it. But I have no desire. The time I had was enough.''

(For sheer Favre-like rumor and speculation, let's not forget the ballyhooed heavyweight bout between Chamberlain and Muhammad Ali in their prime. If floated today -- like a butterfly, of course -- such a story might crash the Internet for a week. Back in April 1971, though, ABC's Wide World of Sports had to stand in for the entire World Wide Web and the gimmick lasted a relative minute and a half.)

• Dave Cowens' comeback: Cowens was a lot like Favre -- an intense competitor, one tough hombre, a former MVP and winner of championships and the leader of his league's most storied franchise. But when he let former Celtics teammate Don Nelson talk him into playing again, after a two-year layoff, for the rival Milwaukee Bucks, the news barely caused a ripple. Back in 1982-83, playing at age 34 was a lot tougher than it is now. In 40 games, Cowens averaged just 8.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in 25.4 minutes. But Milwaukee did sweep Boston out of the playoffs -- which theoretically might explain Green Bay's reluctance to trade Favre to a 2008 opponent. We're just sayin'.

• Magic Johnson's comeback: Johnson's shocking retirement announcement in November 1991, triggered by his HIV virus, remains one of those remember-where-you-were-when-you-heard-it moments, not just in sports but in pop culture. That was sad and scary, though, with no sniping or posturing or other Favre-Packers chessboard maneuvers. Johnson's initial comeback bid the following fall got aborted when he suffered a cut and players, including Utah's Karl Malone, openly fretted about the health risk posed by the Lakers' star.

Finally, midway through the 1995-96 season (almost five years after his most recent NBA game), Johnson returned as an older, thicker power forward with the Lakers. At 36, he was remarkably effective, averaging 14.6 points, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds while helping L.A. to a 22-10 finish. But having set his personal bar so high from 1979-91, and feeling out of sync with some younger Lakers' priorities, Johnson retired again after a quick playoff exit.

Temporarily, at least, Johnson perked up the NBA and breathed life into his legend for young players such as Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett and O'Neal. Again, though, it was a one-man, one-team story, no trade demands or rumors involved, and it played out during the regular season. Verdict: not quite Favre-like.

And really, that's it. Other controversies and comebacks -- Connie Hawkins finally making it to the NBA after his reputation was smeared by bogus point-shaving allegations, Spencer Haywood legally forcing his way into the league to establish the "hardship'' rule and mythic stars George Mikan and Bob Cousy making token returns -- all occurred in the relative dark ages, when media and the NBA both were smaller. Scottie Pippen's, ahem, comeback in 2004? Puh-leeze.

So there never has been anything quite like the Brett Favre soap opera-cum-passion play-cum-reality TV series in the NBA (if we forgot any, please pass them along via the mailbag and we'll compile a list). Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing depends, most likely, on the league's bottom line.

Steve Aschburner covered the Minnesota Timberwolves and the NBA for 13 seasons for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He has served as president or vice president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association since 2005. His most recent book, The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: Minnesota Twins, can be ordered here.