We’re always trying to figure out who the next Jordan is. While Jordan was on the court, we were doing it. And now that he’s off of it, the search continues. Right now, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are the heir apparents.

But if you stop and think about it, for as good as LeBron and Kobe are, they haven’t, and probably never will, transcend the game like Jordan did. It was just a unique time in history: Jordan’s heyday came before the Internet and reality TV rose to prominence, it came just before basketball exploded on an international level. Eyeballs and brains weren’t darting off in a million directions everyday. Being famous actually meant you were famous. And when you thought of basketball back then, you thought of Michael Jordan. You still do.

And when you think of golf? You think of Tiger Woods. There was no one like him before. There may not be anyone like him after he retires. He’s transcended the game. He’s got the Nike swoosh on his chest. Tiger Woods is this generation’s Michael Jordan, albeit in a different sport.

Anyway, through their Nike bond, and Jordan’s love of golf, the two have struck up a big bro-little bro relationship. Jordan is his mentor. They text each other. And if there’s any guy that knows about keeping good graces with the public in the midst of some infidelity at such a high level of fame, it’s MJ.

So as David Haugh points out in today’s Tribune, Jordan can hand Woods some sounds advice on all this:

Lessons from Jordan: America will forgive your imperfections the quicker you remind them you are the closest thing to perfect anybody has ever seen in your sport. And like a good golf follow-through, keep your head down and everything soon straightens out.

At golf’s Presidents Cup in San Francisco two months ago, Jordan proudly identified himself as a mentor to Woods, his Nike family member. Since Tiger’s father, Earl, passed away in 2006, Jordan said he had become more of a confidant who offered advice when asked.

A day after publicly apologizing might be the right time for Woods to ask Jordan how a guy who earned his reputation as a womanizer endured as a global sports icon despite the occasional dalliance made public.

… Woods is facing his Karla Knafel moment.

Knafel is the woman Jordan accused of extortion after their extramarital affair became public in 2002. Based on a handful of conversations Wednesday with those who covered the Jordan Bulls, if texting, Twitter or TMZ had been popular in that era, MJ might have faced more such moments.

Forget Woods’ mistresses voicemails, these are the messages and conversations I’d really want to hear. Haugh also mentions going on Letterman might be a good move for Woods; we’re already joking about this, so why not add some humor into it with Letterman, a guy who knows a thing or two about what Woods is going through now as well?

It’s a great idea. But it’s likely not going to happen. Woods hasn’t been making the best calls PR-wise so far, and there’s no indication he’s going to change his tune anytime soon.