Jordan out with the Wiz and coming home?

It looks like he is out in Washington and his representatives have been discussing his ownership with other franchises. I would love for MJ to come home but, wouldn't want him having 100% control of players and salary cap. Having MJ involved would do along way towards marketing the team and having instant celebrity status(even if it is from the owners box) I wonder if MJ would lace them up one last season to get the crowds into the HIVE and get this city excited again????? A farewell tour for the home state. Anyway here's the link.

http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2003/0503/1548932.html

 

Jordan's Strained Ties to Wizards May Be Cut
By MIKE WISE


meeting planned for later this week between Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards' owners, Abe Pollin and Ted Leonsis, was intended as a discussion about Jordan's possible return to the team's front office, but it may instead end their partnership.

Mounting player resentment toward Jordan and ownership's concerns about Jordan's work ethic as an executive — along with Jordan's misgivings about the franchise's future — have changed the relationship between Jordan and the franchise, according to two team officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Another Eastern Conference official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said yesterday that Jordan's advisers had been seeking to set up meetings about Jordan's potential ownership of other N.B.A. teams. The move has further infuriated the Wizards' ownership.

If the partnership does end, it will result in an organizational overhaul and the possible removal of Coach Doug Collins.

"All issues pertaining to the future direction of the franchise will be discussed later this week," Pollin, 79, said through a spokesman.

A spokeswoman said the recently retired Jordan would not comment, and a Wizards representative said Collins was on vacation and was not expected to return messages.

In an e-mail reply, Leonsis, the AOL vice chairman who is the majority owner of the N.H.L.'s Washington Capitals and a minority owner of the Wizards, also declined to comment until after the meeting.

The first wave of change came Friday when Wes Unseld, the team's general manager for the past seven years, announced that he was taking a leave of absence after the N.B.A. draft on June 26, although Unseld's departure had more to do with health concerns.

The Wizards, who finished with a record of 37-45 for the second consecutive season, did not make the playoffs for the sixth straight time. The off-season acquisitions of Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes failed to produce the desired results. The Wizards' season ended in disarray, with Collins complaining about players' disrespect for his authority and with the thinly veiled criticism of Jordan by some of his teammates.


"Without Michael, we could be just as good of a team," Stackhouse recently told The Washington Post. "I look forward to that challenge and I know other guys in this locker room, even though they may not say it, are looking forward to that challenge, too."

Players who originally bought into Jordan's mystique soon became disenchanted with his constant criticism. That ill will, the officials said, may lead to Jordan's departure.

In the season's final days, when many of Jordan's teammates were asked if they wanted to contribute to a retirement gift, the Wizards arrived quickly at a collective decision: no.

When asked to pinpoint the demise of the team in exit interviews with Unseld, they bit their tongues. Seated nearby were Rod Higgins, the assistant general manager, and Fred Whitfield, the director of player personnel, both close friends of Jordan, who hired both men.

"I didn't feel like I could be honest," said one player, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "If Mike goes upstairs again, he's got control of my career."

The unrest and unpleasantness grew as the season wore on. Somewhere between the fanfare Jordan created in a woebegone franchise and two more losing seasons, players began to resent the icon who was supposed to lead the way to the postseason.

The two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Jordan thought he could use his executive position on the court to bring about change in his teammates. But players resisted.

According to one official, Hughes was explicitly told by Jordan to get him the ball if he wanted to play. When Hughes began passing it to Stackhouse as much as to Jordan, he was soon benched.

Point guard Tyronn Lue, the official said, obliged and began finding Jordan every time he played. "He was scared to death of what would happen to him in his career if he didn't," the player said of Lue. "He was always looking at the bench at Michael."

If the players did not take issue with Jordan in their final interviews, they did show unanimity in another way: every player laced into Collins.

Jordan's Strained Ties to Wizards May Be Cut
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Several players felt Collins was caught serving two masters: the organization and Jordan. Collins was told by management on several occasions to coach the team as if he were in charge and not Jordan. But the players, according to the officials, felt Jordan's influence superseded that of Collins, and it led to much friction. Hughes, Stackhouse, Christian Laettner and Bryon Russell were some of the most vocal players, but in the end most of them took issue with Jordan.

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Some Wizards were especially bothered by Jordan's knack for upstaging them on national television, something he routinely did in Chicago during his championship runs with the Bulls.

"When you're winning, everybody justifies it, like, `Oh, Michael, he's teaching the young guys,' " the player said. "When you're not, it's embarrassing. For us, it got old quick."

Kwame Brown and Brendan Haywood became two of the focal points for criticism from both Collins and Jordan.

One of the officials said even the acquisition of Stackhouse came about partly because of a player unwilling to defer to Jordan. Late last fall, Richard Hamilton and Jordan got into an ugly shouting match. The two officials said it began when Hamilton told Jordan he was tired of being a "Jordannaire," the term used for Jordan's role players in Chicago.

"Rip was a young, brash guy who threatened the idea of Michael being the guy here," the official said. "He was promptly gotten rid of for Stackhouse."

A person close to Jordan denied Hamilton was traded because of a personality conflict. He insisted contractual issues led to the Stackhouse deal.

In the season's final weeks, players openly complained about the double standards for Jordan. Promptly dressed and ready to speak with reporters after games, they were forced to wait in the locker room for 15 or 20 minutes while Jordan showered and dressed in a private room.

Jordan's return to the court two seasons ago was heralded as the last, great chapter of his playing career.

Two years before then, the Jordan-Pollin union began smoothly. Before hiring Jordan to run the basketball operation and giving him a piece of the team's ownership, Pollin and his wife, Irene, invited Jordan to dinner.

Jordan immediately turned the Wizards into a player-friendly organization. A player lounge with all the amenities was built at the MCI Center and the family lounge was upgraded. The team's old charter plane was sold so the Wizards could fly in the luxurious surroundings offered by the N.B.A.-sponsored charter service. Expensive contracts were eaten to clear salary-cap room for better players.

The scouting department, once composed of Unseld, his son and Chuck Douglas, added former Jordan teammates and friends to keep pace in a growing international market.

But there were no immediate dividends in the standings. The team was 36-89 with Jordan as an executive in two seasons — a .288 winning percentage. Despite sellouts and streams of revenue created from ticket sales and merchandising, Jordan's two years as a player were marred by two seasons without a playoff berth. Other than Jahidi White, every player on the current Wizards roster was acquired with Jordan's consent.

Jordan had to sell his stake in the Wizards when he resumed playing, but it was believed that he would buy back his ownership if he remained with the team.

While Jordan could point to how his contributions directly increased the franchise's value, Pollin and Leonsis could argue that his association has produced more short-term economic growth than any kind of winning legacy.

The two men have always been suspect of Jordan's work ethic as an executive, two team officials said. While Jordan had final say in personnel matters, Unseld was in charge of most of the legwork regarding the draft, free agency and scouting.

Jordan's absence as the primary basketball decision maker bothered the owners, according to the team officials and high-placed executives.

Leonsis, who has enjoyed Jordan's company socially and has publicly endorsed his moves, is perturbed that Jordan has been unable to create a playoff team in a weakened Eastern Conference.

During Jordan's last tenure as director of basketball operations — from January 2000 to October 2001 — Pollin was concerned that Jordan's business and social calendars were too filled to tend to his duties as a Wizards executive.

Pollin, one of the officials said, became upset after this past season about Jordan's potential involvement in the front office. He was relayed a message from Jordan through intermediaries: "Don't expect to see much of Michael this summer. He has too many other commitments."

If Pollin has reservations about continuing his relationship with Jordan, the same can be said for Jordan about Pollin. Over the past three seasons, two camps have clearly formed in Washington: those people brought in or employed by Jordan and those loyal to Pollin.

The chances of both men working a deal that will include Jordan remaining with the franchise appear slim.


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too little, too late. Hornets would be working on like title number 3 or 4 in a row here, in charlotte, if shinn wasn't such a bitch.

 

hear is the story from Espn.com Source says Jordan wants stake in Charlotte

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Associated Press


CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Michael Jordan is interested in a possible role with the Charlotte expansion team and has talked recently with owner Robert Johnson about buying in as a partner, The Associated Press has learned.


Johnson and Jordan have a publicly acknowledged friendship and have spoken frequently in recent years. But talks between the two men over the past three weeks have been different, including preliminary discussions over doing business together on the team Johnson bought last December for $300 million.


"He and Bob have been talking,'' a source with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.


"A deal isn't close. It's just the beginning of the discussion,'' said the source, who indicated that possible stumbling blocks could be the amount of control Jordan would want and the purchase price. "It isn't going to be a freebie,'' the source added.


The as-yet-unnamed team will begin play in the 2004-05 season.


The news of Jordan's possible involvement in Charlotte comes amid reports that his relationship with the Washington Wizards has deteriorated to the point where he and the franchise might part ways.


Jordan is expected to meet with Wizards majority owner Abe Pollin this week to discuss his future role with the team.


Jordan's talks with Johnson indicate that he is looking for alternative ventures that will keep him in the NBA -- even if it isn't in Washington. Jordan has ties to the area, having grown up in Wilmington, N.C., before playing for Dean Smith at North Carolina


Johnson, the first black owner to hold a majority stake in a professional franchise, held discussions with Jordan in Washington, but Jordan was not initially interested, the source said.


"Bob Johnson stayed after him. He thinks (Jordan) would be a great asset to the team and the community. He would help sell tickets,'' source said.


Jordan retired as a player at the end of the regular season following a two-year comeback.


Before returning as a player, he sold his shares in Lincoln Holdings, which owns the Washington Capitals and a minority stake in the Wizards. Jordan also resigned as Washington's president of basketball operations.


It was widely expected that Jordan would repurchase his stake and take back his old front office job, but that may not happen.


"I've urged everyone in our circle not to say anything,'' said Jordan's agent, David Falk. "At some point people will sit down together and see what makes sense.''


Messages left with spokesmen for the Wizards were not immediately returned.


"I am not aware of any discussions between Bob or anyone else in our organization with Michael about possible involvement with the team,'' said Chris Weiller, a spokesman for the Charlotte team. "These talks have been rumored in the past because of Bob's friendship with Michael and the curiosity fueled by Michael's natural Carolina connection.''


During a visit to Charlotte last week, Johnson deflected all questions about Jordan's possible involvement with his expansion team.


"Michael Jordan is under contract with the Washington Wizards until July 1,'' Johnson said Monday at a reception for the WNBA's Charlotte Sting. "Because he's under contract with another team, it is against league rules to discuss him.''


Jordan once tried to buy into the Charlotte Hornets. But when negotiations with owner George Shinn broke down in 1999 over issues of control, he instead made a deal with the Wizards.


Since being awarded the NBA's 30th franchise, Johnson has said he was willing to sell shares in the team while holding onto the majority interest. There has been speculation since he applied for the new team that Johnson would try to involve Jordan in some capacity.


Johnson's top hire has thus far been Ed Tapscott, who as executive vice president and chief operating officer is responsible for all basketball and business decisions and answers directly to Johnson.


Tapscott said earlier this week that the team's general manager will be hired this summer and would be in charge of basketball operations. He said he was not interested in that role.


"It's kind of hard to run the day-to-day operations as well as everything else,'' Tapscott said. "I think the team deserves someone with a certain focus on the day-to-day things.''


In his final season playing with Washington, the 40-year-old Jordan often criticized his teammates -- and some of them took shots at him in return -- as the Wizards stumbled to a 37-45 record and missed the playoffs for the second straight season.


The New York Times reported Sunday that mounting player resentment toward Jordan, ownership's concerns about Jordan's work ethic as an executive and Jordan's misgivings about the team's direction has left his future in doubt.


Also, The Washington Post quoted sources close to Jordan as saying that if Pollin attempts to curtail Jordan's influence during their upcoming meeting, or merely says something that unsettles him, Jordan could walk away.


Before Jordan returned as a player and was still team president, he attempted to run the Wizards from his home in Chicago, leading to criticism that he was not sufficiently active in the day-to-day running of the franchise.


The recent season ended in disarray for the Wizards, with coach Doug Collins complaining about players' lack of respect and with Jerry Stackhouse saying the team was looking forward to playing without Jordan.


According to The Times, many of Jordan's teammates were asked if they wanted to contribute to a goodbye gift. The collective answer was: No.

 

Part owner, maybe. Making decisions in the office, no thanks. He seems to crave all the attention and pisses off those "less Michaelesque" His ego is blown out of proportion

 

I'd consider it, but we should be allright with or without him. I'm not a huge fan of Tapscott as a personnel guy, but he and Silas if teamed together could go out and get what Silas needs. I don't see Jordan sharing the same vision as Silas, and Tapscott would just be a scouting guy for Jordan. As a matter of fact, if Jordan hired his boys under Tapscott, they'd end up working to go against Tapscott anyway. So I don't know if I'd do it unless it was under certain conditions - and Jordan's more of a "my way or nothing" type guy.

 

If Jordan wants to be a minority partner, that would be OK . . . But I would rather have Ed Tapscott calling the shots as GM vs. him . . . If MJ can help sell the skyboxes/clubseats in the new arena, why not bring him on board as a part owner ** ? ?


I'm sure many Tarheel followers would jump back on the NBA bandwagon in a second and buy season tixs just so they can see their favorite player munching down on nachos & a supersize Coke in his skybox/courtside seat . . .

 

He's already said he didn't want to be GM

 

tapscott i reckon? i do believe tapscott said he was strictly president of operations, not a gm- like brane said. i really dont give a shit what mj does- as long as he's in charlotte.

 

Hiring Michael Jordan to be GM of the new Charlotte team would be a mistake of enormous proportions. I don't expect Johnson or Tapscott to make that mistake.