It was only a matter of time. Now, Michael Jordan, one of the best basketball players of all time, will have his day in September. That's when he, along with five others, will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2009.

While the honor is something that most players would die for, Jordan is a little disappointed.

“This is not fun for me, because it means your basketball career is completely over,” Jordan said. “I was hoping to go in when I was dead and gone.”
 
He says it's bittersweet for him because he would still like to play.

“I want you thinking I could always go back and play the game, put my shorts on,” Jordan said. “Am I? No, but I like for you to think I could. This means you can’t ever put a uniform back on.”

Jordan, 46, won six National Basketball Association championships with the Chicago Bulls and according to the league’s Web site is, by acclamation, “the greatest basketball player of all time.” Jordan averaged a record 30.1 points a game during his career, winning 10 scoring titles, five NBA Most Valuable Player awards and six NBA Finals MVP awards.

Also elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame are Jordan's former Dream Teammates David Robinson and John Stockton, along with Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and Rutgers women's coach C. Vivian Stringer.

This year’s Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies will be held Sept. 10-12 in Springfield, Massachusetts -- home of the Naismith Hall.