Though it seems like ancient history, Michael Jordan once owned the NBA and every single player in the league. Kids and adults adorned #23 jerseys, stood in sneaker lines that would make iPhones envious and sang how they wanted to “be like Mike.” Fast-forward a mere 15 years and “His Airness” now owns the worst team in basketball, with minimal respect and an uphill battle to regain legitimacy in a sport once synonymous with his name.
As today’s biggest stars jockey and jostle to bring home a championship, it’s ironic to see Jordan’s extreme futility. As the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, MJ watched his team finish 7-59 for the worst winning percentage of all-time (.106).
To make matters worse, despite winning 14 less games, the Bobcats lost out in the league’s draft lottery when Charlotte’s old team, the New Orleans Hornets, leapfrogged them to claim the number one pick in the 2012 draft.
With that pick, the Hornets are expected to pick all-world Kentucky player Anthony Davis, who summoned his furrowed brow power to lead the Wildcats to a NCAA Championship in his freshman season. With the top pick, Jordan’s choice would’ve been automatic. Without it, in order to make a sensible pick Jordan will have to rely on his basketball IQ, which depreciated the moment he traded his basketball shorts for pinstripe suits.
Let’s re-examine just a few not-so-brilliant Jordan front-office decisions:
- Drafting Kwame Brown #1 overall in 2001
- Trading a prime Rip Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse
- Hiring Sam Vincent and Paul Silas
- Firing Larry Brown the year after he lead the Bobcats to its only playoff appearance
- Not resigning Raymond Felton or Tyson Chandler after the aforementioned playoff run
Word around the league is also that Jordan’s inner-circle is full of “yes” men. As a player, #23 performed his best when he was challenged. When the lights were the brighest, opponents were toughest or when a player or coach was foolish enough disrespect Jordan in an interview, he literally rose to the occasion. If there is indeed no one to push him to achieve front-office excellence, it may explain why he has seemingly become the Kwame Brown of front office execs – lazy and listless.
Now Jordan finds himself at somewhat of a crossroads. After setting the record for futility and firing yet another coach, the Bobcats find themselves in a familiar position. While they failed at landing the #1 pick, the team should still be able to land an impact player with the second overall pick. Team General Manager Rich Cho was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s front-office staff in 2007 when it drafted Kevin Durant. Cho is seemingly using the Thunder method of attempting to build through the draft. Of course, he and Jordan will have to make the right decisions (and get a little lucky along the way) to be successful.
Hiring a quality coach is even more important. Brown is the only good (and relevant) coach Jordan hired, but even he had a reputation for short stays. The Bobcats need to do and pay whatever it takes to bring in a quality coach who can bring consistency, confidence and culture change to a team down in the dumps. Several candidates have reportedly talked to the world’s greatest shoe salesman about the position, including Jerry Sloan, Patrick Ewing, Lakers’ assistant Quinn Snyder, Nate McMillian and a host of other coaching candidates. Jordan and Cho need to make the right choice to return the franchise to its brief era of respectability. If they flop, Jordan’s legacy of greatness may be permanently damaged.
It would be a shame to see Jordan, the greatest and most-dominating player in history, remembered by the next generation as the horrible owner with the cool shoes instead superhuman player who routinely shook defenders out of them.
