Michael Jordan will play for the Washington Wizards in the 2001-02 season. The basketball star also said he will donate his $1 million first-year salary to the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Jordan, 38, made the announcement Tuesday, two weeks after he admitted in a conversation with friends that the comeback was imminent.

In order to comply with NBA rules, the five-time MVP relieved himself of Wizards financial holdings and cleared up an endorsement obligation before officially sending word of his return.

Jordan made waves in June when as owner of the Wizards, he picked Kwame Brown as No. 1 in the NBA draft, the first high-schooler chosen with the first pick. Even then, rumors had been swirling about a possible comeback, but Jordan insisted he would only play if he felt he was in shape.

So the future Hall-of-Famer spent the summer at exclusive basketball camps in Chicago, honing his figure even after friend and former All-Star Charles Barkley abandoned talk of his own comeback.

Despite a rib injury and doubts about his ability three years after his second retirement, Jordan chose to play for a variety of reasons.

“The opportunity to teach our young players, and help them elevate their game to a higher level, and to thank the fans in Washington for their loyalty and support, strongly influenced my decision,” he said.