Michael Jordan, the iconic figure in basketball, recently made headlines with his draft pick, Brandon Miller as the number two selection. He offered the promising talent a substantial rookie contract worth $9,065,600. However, Jordan’s history of draft picks has been marred by one infamous selection that has become a running joke in the NBA. Kwame Brown, who was signed to a $17,286,153 contract when chosen as the number one pick, has faced relentless criticism over the years. It is in the midst of this criticism that former NBA player Gilbert Arenas has unexpectedly stepped forward to defend Michael Jordan’s draft choices.
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Throughout Michael Jordan’s illustrious career, his draft decisions have endured intense scrutiny and criticism. The backlash extended beyond his playing days, reaching his roles as the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and the general manager of the Washington Wizards. Let’s delve into the controversies surrounding Jordan’s draft choices and explore Gilbert Arenas’ defense of his selections.
Gilbert Arenas’ Defense of Michael Jordan
In a recent appearance on VladTV, Gilbert Arenas took the opportunity to defend Michael Jordan’s draft decisions. Arenas argued that when assessing Jordan’s picks, it is crucial to consider the available options at the time.
He said:
“Now here’s what Jordan’s gonna say: well, you take every year I owned it, you take my pick, right? You take my pick and then you redo the pick. Now that I make the worst decisions, that’s where Michael Jordan will sit there and go… Now you look at it, so now you’re saying, ‘Alright, I got the number one pick, okay, I got Kwame Brown, right? Now let’s rewind it. Who, who, who was I going to pick now, right? Right? Am I going to pick Tyson Chandler? Yeah, he had 20 years, but he was never a star. Do I take that with the number one pick? Probably not Eddie Curry. Probably not Gasol. Ding, ding, ding, but was Gasol even considered the number-one pick? No. So technically, I don’t—you can’t fault me for picking what everybody would have picked as a number one pick right now.”
According to Arenas, Jordan’s selection of Kwame Brown as the number one pick was reasonable, given the circumstances. Arenas pointed out that there were no better alternatives on the table during that draft.
Notorious Draft Picks by Jordan
Michael Jordan’s draft choices have not always panned out as expected. During his tenure with the Charlotte Hornets, he selected players like Adam Morrison and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who failed to live up to the expectations set by their high draft positions. Both Morrison and Kidd-Gilchrist faced criticism for their inability to make a significant impact in the NBA despite their potential.
Moving beyond his time with the Hornets, Jordan’s draft choices as the general manager of the Washington Wizards also drew scrutiny. One notable example is Jarvis Hayes, whom Jordan picked as the 10th overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft. Hayes struggled to find consistent success in the league, further fueling doubts about Jordan’s ability to evaluate talent. Additionally, the selection of Kwame Brown once again raised eyebrows during Jordan’s stint with the Wizards, as the big man failed to live up to the expectations set for a number-one pick.
