Michael Jordan impressed his new Washington Wizards team-mates at two private practice sessions on Tuesday in his home town of Wilmington, North Carolina, picking up where he left off after a three-year layoff.

The 38-year-old superstar, coming out of retirement for a second time, was fine with a fast tempo and rallied his unit to a scrimmage victory by flashing the skills that made him a National Basketball Association legend.

"The rhythm is back. The swagger is back," said Wizards guard Courtney Alexander. "I can't wait to get the season started."

Jordan's first workouts were conducted in private, behind the red-brick walls of Trask Coliseum at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The first day of the team's training camp was a homecoming for Jordan. "It's always good to come back home, especially when you're starting over," Jordan said. "It's a good place to start over."

Jordan took a handful of questions from hundreds of reporters after he finished training.

"I had a good time out there," he said. "I'm pretty sure I will be sore. It was fun to get out there with the guys. Some of the drills have changed. Some drills will be harder than others. It feels great to be out there working my way back in shape and getting my focus back."

Popeye Jones, an eight-year NBA veteran, said he saw no difference in Jordan now and the player who sparked the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in eight years. "One time he made a steal and it was off to the races. It was something to see," Jones said.

"I didn't notice anything different about him. To me, he was still doing it on both ends of the floor. He's still fast. He made great passes and when he wanted something done, he let guys know about it. Some of his passes were unbelievable."

Known for being a harsh critic of team-mates at times, Jordan said he would be patient with a young Wizards team trying to rebuild from a record of 63 losses and only 19 wins last season.

"They've got to learn," he said. "My patience with them is big. They have got to grow. I have got to give them a chance to grow, to see what they can become."

"I'm only thinking about trying to be the best player I can. I can't get into all the hype," Jordan said. "It's going to be a rude awakening for some of them because of the great expectations and the people following us around. They shouldn't get too wrapped up in it.

"I don't think they will."