All-Star notebook: At 54, Jordan aura resonates with NBA stars

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Former Bulls star Michael Jordan turned 54 on Friday. “There will never be another Mike,” said Pacers forward Glenn Robinson III. (Tom Cruze/Sun-Times file photo).

NEW ORLEANS — Michael Jordan turned 54 on Friday. And while fewer and fewer NBA players saw Jordan play in his glory days with the Bulls, his reputation as ‘‘the best there ever was’’ still resonates with them.

‘‘There will never be another Mike,’’ said Indiana Pacers forward Glenn Robinson III, who will participate in the All-Star Weekend dunk contest Saturday. ‘‘The stuff he did was amazing. I don’t think anybody’s seen that type of talent, that type of will to win. Kobe [Bryant] was the last guy that kind of had that. So it’ll be interesting to see if that legacy kind of changes.’’

Though he’s only 23, Robinson III has actual memories of Jordan. His father, Glenn ‘‘Big Dog” Robinson, was a two-time All-Star who averaged 23.4 points for the Milwaukee Bucks in Jordan’s final season with the Bulls in 1997-98. He once matched a 44-point effort by Jordan with 44 of his own.

Robinson III recalled going to a Bucks-Bulls game at the United Center.

‘‘You know those ‘miss’ signs you hold up when they shoot the free throws?’’ Robinson III said. ‘‘I asked him to sign the ‘miss’ sign.’’

He said he still has the framed, signed sign.

‘‘It’s at my house,’’ Robinson III said. ‘‘That’s something I’ll keep forever.’’

Bulls star Jimmy Butler wasn’t fortunate enough to see Jordan back then, but he has more than made up for it as a Bull.

‘‘He’s always in my corner,’’ Butler said. ‘‘If I ever need somebody to talk to about anything, I could pick up the phone and call him. Even though I’ve probably got a lot of other people I could bother every once in a while, I bother him.’’

Western Conference coach Steve Kerr said players don’t ask him about having played with Jordan. But even as memories fade, the aura of Jordan still is going strong.

‘‘Mike is Mike,’’ Butler said. ‘‘He’s an icon on the floor and off the floor. What he’s done for the city of Chicago, for the game of basketball . . . the guy’s incredible.’’

Durant-Westbrook saga

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook and the Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant will be teammates again at the All-Star Game, but a thaw in their frosty relationship isn’t imminent.

Asked about playing with his former teammate, Westbrook talked about clothing instead.

‘‘Man, you know what? Fashion Week has been great,’’ Westbrook said. ‘‘You seen Fashion Week? You been paying attention to Fashion Week? Man, a lot of great-looking things in Fashion Week.’’

Butler OK

Butler, who missed four games out of five with a heel injury before playing 38 minutes Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors and 40 minutes Thursday against the Boston Celtics, said he is OK to play in the All-Star Game.

Butler has been limited by injuries in his previous two All-Star Games. He scored six points in nine minutes in 2015 and didn’t play last year.

‘‘I want to play,’’ Butler said. ‘‘I mean, damn. All the hard work . . . in the first half of the season, you get rewarded by being here. I want to compete against the best, even though it’s a different type of game than a normal NBA game.’’

Follow me on Twitter @MarkPotash.

Email: mpotash@suntimes.com

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