B-Russ would welcome another game vs. Jordan News Utah Jazz

Bryon Russell wants a piece of Michael Jordan again. He even named the place. It's now up to Air Jordan to decide if and when the supermano-a-mano challenge will be staged. Days after being mentioned prominently in the Hall of Famer's enshrinement speech for throwing some motivational trash-talk Air Jordan's way about 15 years ago, Russell told Yahoo!

Sports that he'd love to take on the guy he calls "the greatest player to play the game." "I'll play his (behind) right now," Russell said in a recent interview with the Web site. "This is a call-out for him to come play me. He can come out here in his private jet and come play. He's got millions of dollars. He can pay for the jet. He can meet me at the Recreation Center in Calabasas (Calif.)." Russell is now throwing down the gauntlet in response to Jordan telling the world about some smack the former Jazz guard talked while M.J. was retired from Basketball in the mid-1990s. During Russell's rookie season, and while the Jazz were in Chicago and Jordan was visiting with John Stockton and Karl Malone, B-Russ told the then-minor-league baseball player that it was too bad he'd retired from Basketball. Russell went on to say he could've shut Jordan down. Jordan kept that in the front of his mind when he came back to the NBA, even telling Russell at center court before tipoff when Utah and Chicago met up for the first time in his return season, "Well, you're about to get your chance." A couple of years later, Jordan hit that famous shot over Russell to win the 1998 NBA Finals for the Bulls. Jordan joked during his speech that, "From this day forward if I ever see him in shorts, I'm coming at him." Russell ? Jordan's teammate with the Washington Wizards in 2002-03 (when the incident was never brought up then, by the way) ? was actually flattered that he got a Hall call-out of sorts. But now he wants a rematch. He told Yahoo! Sports that he keeps in shape and would love a chance to "guard (Jordan) again and beat him." And an FYI to Jordan from Russell: "I keep my Basketball shorts on." OSTERTAG'S COMEBACK: Turns out, Greg Ostertag, who worked out with Portland last week, has been considering an NBA return since getting pumped up about playing during last spring's postseason. "I just miss it," the former Jazz center told the Lawrence Journal-World. "Watching the playoffs got me excited. My wife said, 'Why not go try it again?' One day I said, 'What the heck. I'll get in shape and get back on the court and give it a try.'" The 36-year-old, who retired three years ago after playing 10 of his 11 NBA seasons in Utah, has only received a tryout invitation from the Trail Blazers so far. Ostertag admitted he's not exactly in NBA shape right now, but believes he can get to that point if picked up PROUD PRESENTER: Charles Barkley isn't quite sure why Jerry Sloan chose him to present the Jazz coach at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. But the Round Mound, who said he occasionally does impersonations of Sloan, was touched that he did. "It's really one of the greatest honors: First of all, it's one of the great phone calls that I ever got in my life. It's a great honor," the Hall of Fame power forward said during a chat with Sports Radio Interviews. "I was totally shocked and surprised by the phone call." Barkley told the radio host that the phone call was both shocking and fast. "Jerry calls and said, 'Charles Barkley, Jerry Sloan. I don't mean to bother you but it would be my honor to have you introduce me at the Hall of Fame,'" Barkley related. "I said, 'Mr. Coach Sloan it would be an honor and a pleasure. OK, bye'. I tell people that these guys (Sloan and Bill Russell) are so humble and great people. They don't say many words. They are like E.F. Hutton, but when they speak, people listen." e-mail: jody@desnews.com