Michael Jordan on why regrets coming back to play for the Wizards

“Going back and playing was one of the worst decisions I made,” Michael Jordan says of his decision to return to the Washington Wizards.

MJ believed he was “being innovative in my profession by traveling down and examining the talent firsthand,” but this was not the case.

Michael Jordan’s renowned basketball career bears little resemblance to his time with the Washington Wizards. When most basketball fans think of Michael Jordan, they recall his glory days with the Chicago Bulls, and with good reason: Chicago is where MJ became a global phenomenon.

But, as spectacular as Michael’s career was, what will not be forgotten is how he returned to the NBA in 2001 after retiring twice and claiming that he was 99.9% certain he would never play again. Jordan would later regret returning from retirement for the second time.

 

Michael could no longer deal with his teammates

Before joining the Wizards, Jordan was a part-time owner and the team’s president of basketball operations. He did so for two years, but as time passed, MJ understood that being an active player on the squad again was the greatest way to evaluate his club.

When Jordan returned from retirement to play, it was evident that he was no longer the same player. He was 38 years old and lacked the energy and willpower to chastise his colleagues on the court as he had in Chicago. MJ saw glimpses of his former personality from time to time, but he could no longer lead his squad to the summit.

“…. One of the wrong decisions I made was to go back and play because, while I satisfied an itch, I also assumed I was innovative by going down and assessing the talent firsthand. I assume it would be a great idea to play against them and see what their inclinations were and what we were paying for, but at the same time, I became much more critical of them due to the way I played the game and approached the game, and the players didn’t understand.”

Jordan also confessed that he became overly critical of his teammates, which harmed his relationships with them. According to the six-time winner, his colleagues in Washington did not respond to his passion for winning, which irritated him.

The Wizards may have been in a better position in terms of operations.

Jordan’s tenure as the Wizards’ part-time owner and president of basketball operations could have been a success. He eventually resigned as team president and sold his 10% ownership to Ted Leonsis. MJ acknowledged that he did it because things were not going well in the Wizards’ front office.

“You go in with initiative, and you go into a program that requires guidance, and you have to figure out what the agenda is, and in the Washington scenario, there was an agenda. They were way over the cap and losing money,” Jordan noted.

Jordan’s era as the Wizards’ president and the part-time owner was ultimately forgettable, but he gave the population of Washington enough to shout about. MJ averaged 21.2 pts, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.5 steals a game in two seasons with the Wizards at the ages of 38 and 39.

Despite never entering the playoffs, Jordan scored 40 points or more eight times and had 51 points in one game. He scored two game-winning shots and showed Wizards fans what it’s like to root for a team captained by the one and only Michael Jordan.

 

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