Michael Jordan winning 6 titles in a decade is an achievement please cannot stop talking about. It showed the world what a dominant player looks like, given the right tools for the job. For he had spent 7 years as a lone blade trying to slice through the dense forests of the Lakers, Celtics, and Pistons, but he couldn’t do it.
Advertisement
Not until the Chicago Bulls spent 7 years building a roster that was finally ready to go “BANG”, did MJ win his first title. And when that 0 turned into 1 (If you watch Bluelock, you know what that means), there was no way back. And there came out the megalomaniac in him – a person who to this day, is hounded.
Michael Jordan may have retired as one of the most successful players ever, but he made a fair few enemies along the way. Not just because he looked down on them – he stopped many a player from reaching their true potential. That is the narrative Stephen A Smith wants us to believe.
A narrative that fits like a glove (A Gary Payton reference) to MJ’s recent struggles. With Jordan looking to liquidate, many presenters have their thoughts. Smith is one of them.
I believe there is A LOT more to the story of Michael Jordan’s struggles as an owner than it may seem…MJ ruined a lot of careers…and has faced unique problems as an owner as a result.
New episode of @KnowMercyPod here: https://t.co/VtZEne5GBo pic.twitter.com/BwcLGiddbV
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 24, 2023
Stephen A Smith believes that MJ’s career torpedoed his chances to become a successful owner
With Jordan becoming an immovable wall for many greats, their careers stagnated and ended as few of the many who could not win a championship. Every player who’s ever played professionally dreams of winning the championship, but sometimes, it doesn’t pan out that way.
And what do you do, when the person who curtailed your career comes asking your player?
According to SAS, you make sure he doesn’t get him. Vlade Divac, Clyde Drexler, Gary Payton – all of them have had some control over the players Jordan wanted for his franchise, but couldn’t obtain them. One of the most successful players ever becoming an owner of a “poverty” franchise does not come by accident.
But that is not entirely on his playing days, there is another reason for that. A very big reason for that.
He’s also had to protect his brand image as Nike’s biggest name – people buy a sub-brand more than the parent. That caused a major problem because he couldn’t choose any random person to represent the brand he had so carefully curated. Not all great players fit the mold of a brand ambassador, and not all brand ambassadors are great players. He’s had to be very picky, causing improper roster construction.
Michael Jordan’s best moves in management came when he was on the Wizards- until LaMelo Ball happened
Back in 2001, The Washington Wizards had Michael Jordan in their front office, and they needed a spark. What did he do to do just that? He pulled on the uniform and put people in those seats for 2 years. He also tried to stack the team with individual talent, but could never make a playoff push.
Once he became the owner of the Bobcats, a string of bad drafts, trades, and overall poor management of the roster and wage bill saw star after star leave. It’s almost like he didn’t learn anything from Jerry Kraus and his time with the Bulls.
A string of bad drafts seemed to come to an end when he managed to land future superstar LaMelo Ball. And then 2 years later, with a poor roster constructed around him, Michael Jordan risks losing the franchise savior in the future. There is no way such a marketable star stays in Charlotte of all places when he’s built for the bright lights of LA or NY.
Like SAS said, MJ definitely has had numerous struggles with the team, but not because of animosity towards him as a player. Sure, that may have played a part, but a major chunk of it comes down to poor management. Not every player becomes a good coach or owner -Mike is living proof.
