HILLERY SMITH GARRISON/AP
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CAN JORDAN CROSS OVER? THE JURY IS STILL OUT
Magic Johnson had his talk show. MICHAEL JORDAN had the Wizards. After 3 1/2 seasons at the helm of Washington's aggressively mediocre NBA team (and two seasons as the team's oldest and best player), Jordan got his walking papers last week in a rage-filled, 18min. meeting with Wizards' owner Abe Pollin. Jordan argued that as the greatest player in the history of the game — and as the man whose return to the court lined Pollin's pockets with $30 million of unanticipated revenue — he deserved more time to turn things around. Pollin countered that Jordan was a poor executive (he commuted to D.C. from his home in Chicago), a poor judge of talent (he drafted disappointing Kwame Brown as the team's No. 1 pick) and a poor father figure for that talent (he called Brown a "flaming f_____" during an intersquad game, according to the Washington Post). He did think Jordan was a pretty good ballplayer, though. With all that out of the way, the two finished by cursing at each other. It was that kind of meeting. Jordan already has an offer to join the Charlotte, N.C., expansion franchise; Pollin has a lot of seats to fill.
— Josh Tyrangiel |
