“You could sense that Abe…felt disrespected” - Inside Michael Jordan’s unexpected exit from the Washington Wizards

After announcing retirement from the NBA for the second time in 1999, Michael Jordan didn’t step away from basketball completely. Instead, he took on a new challenge. Jordan took a minority stake in the Washington Wizards and later became the President of the franchise. The team hoped that having a person like Michael Jordan, who was considered a legend by his fans, would help them build a stronger franchise. Jordan wanted to help, too. But what fans couldn’t imagine was how he made his comeback in the league. Jordan, in early 2000, announced that he had decided to enter the league for a third time and joined the Wizards.

On the court, Michael Jordan was still a superstar, drawing fans wherever he went. But off of it, his story was a bit different. Running a team required constant attention and planning for the future. Jordan, however, was often busy with his own personal businesses, and he wasn’t really always fully involved in the day-to-day operations of the Wizards. Some of the Wizards’ insiders also felt he was too focused on being Michael Jordan, as the player and the brand, and not being enough of the team's head.

How internal tension quietly ended Michael Jordan’s time with the Washington Wizards?

There were reports of rising tension between Michael Jordan and the team’s management. Many thought that once Jordan retired from the big league, he would dedicate himself to managing the team. But in less than a month after his final game with the Wizards, the team decided to let him go from his executive role. “Everyone expected that when MJ’s playing tenure was over, he was going to move back into the front office…And within a day or two of Michael’s final game, you really begin to hear like Abe’s gonna let him go. You could sense that Abe…felt disrespected. Because, you know, look, I’m not going to lie: Michael at times treated the organization like it didn’t exist before him”, an insider spoke about fallout between Michael Jordan and Abe Pollin, the then-owner of the Washington Wizards.


The decision shocked Jordan and many others in the organization. He felt it was unfair, given how much he had contributed to helping the team succeed. “I didn’t have to do it, but I wanted to help an organization get back on its feet. And the thanks I got was that my services were no longer needed. I felt used”, Jordon later talked about his engagement with the franchise.

How Michael Jordan turned team ownership into a billion-dollar win after his Wizards exit?

Even after this setback, Michael Jordan didn’t give up. He shifted his focus and, in 2006, bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats, which are now the Charlotte Hornets. After managing the team for five years, Jordon took on the team’s majority ownership. And this time, Jordon made sure that he dedicated himself fully to running the organization hassle-free, without any other distractions.


Under Michael Jordan’s leadership, the Charlotte Hornets played in the playoffs three times, though they never qualified past the first round. However, despite the team's on-court success, Jordon sold the team in 2023 for worth $3 billion. It was a reflection of his success not just as a player but also as a business tycoon. Jordan’s journey after retiring from the NBA showed immense success, leading him to become the first billionaire in the history of the NBA in 2014.


Also Read: How Michael Jordan’s one “out of character” remark caught Larry Bird off guard?