NBA
Michael Jordan Revealed What ‘Drives Me Nuts’ About His Time With the Wizards
While Michael Jordan had about as much success as any NBA player on the basketball court, he hasn’t had a whole lot of it in the front office. Jordan’s time as part-owner and president of basketball operations the Washington Wizards wasn’t considered a success. His Charlotte Hornets haven’t been much of a postseason participant. Jordan once revealed what he believed is a misconception that “drives me nuts” about his time with the Wizards.
Michael Jordan was the face of the NBA
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He’s considered the greatest of all time for a reason. Michael Jordan brought the NBA to a new level in the 1980s and he had a whole lot of success in doing so. He brought a big-market Chicago Bulls team to prominence, building a dynasty and a legacy in the process.
Jordan was more than just a scorer and a high-flying dunker. He became the face of the NBA. He brought the league to a new level with his game and his brand. Jordan guided the Bulls to a pair of three-peats, winning six NBA titles during his career.
He’s widely considered the best to ever play the game of basketball. Jordan won 10 NBA scoring titles and was a 14-time NBA All-Star. He was named the league’s MVP five times and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Jordan’s struggles in the front office
After Michael Jordan retired for the second time from the NBA, he became part-owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards in January of 2000. He had the final say in all basketball decisions. His tenure in the front office with the Wizards was short-lived as he did come back to play in the NBA.
On Sept. 25, 2001, Jordan returned to the NBA to play for the Wizards. He played two seasons in Washington, averaging 21.2 points per game. As president of basketball operations with the Wizards, Jordan is best known for drafting bust Kwame Brown with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft.
Jordan since moved on to become the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. He bought a minority stake in the then-Charlotte Bobcats in 2006. In 2010, he became a majority owner of the team, making him the first NBA player to be a majority owner of a franchise. Since 2006, the Charlotte franchise has made the postseason just three times.
Jordan revealed what drove him nuts with the Wizards
Michael Jordan’s time in the front office of the Washington Wizards was very short. He was responsible for making the first pick in the 2001 NBA draft and he picked high schooler Kwame Brown ahead of Tyson Chandler and Pau Gasol. Brown averaged 7.7 points in four years with the Wizards before getting traded.
While the Brown pick wasn’t a good one and it sticks with Jordan, he believes he wasn’t a failure in the Wizards’ front office. He explained himself in a 2007 article in GQ. He said he wanted to prove himself in the business world and was looking as that as his latest challenge.
“There’s business, and my attitude to prove that I can be successful in that world,” he said back then. “Especially with the Bobcats. To me, that is very motivating, because everyone thinks I did such a terrible job in Washington. And now it’s a challenge to prove them wrong. We didn’t make the playoffs, but I think in terms of where Washington is now, it’s because of what we did from a business standpoint—setting up the cap room, getting out of debt. No one looks at that as a success, which drives me nuts.”