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Familiar faces After beating Phil Jackson, MJ prepares to host Bulls
Posted: Friday March 17, 2000 07:20 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The win was the biggest of the Michael Jordan presidency. His Washington Wizards beat the best team in the NBA, ending the Los Angeles Lakers' 19-game winning streak and giving Jordan some bragging rights against his old coach, Phil Jackson. Beating the worst team in the league would be even bigger. When asked what he would do if the Wizards lost to the Bulls on Saturday night, Jordan laughed. "I may send in my resignation," he said after the Wizards jolted the Lakers 109-102 Thursday night. If Jordan were serious, he should have his letter ready to draft: Chicago, Jordan's former and now estranged team, already has beaten Washington twice this season. Jordan has strained relationships with Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and general manager Jerry Krause. And he let his players know, in no uncertain terms, the president will be not be pleased if it happens a third time. "It would be very disappointing for the fans for them not to come out on Saturday and put forth the effort that they put forth" against the Lakers, said Jordan, who became a Wizards part-owner and president of basketball operations in January. "I just hope that they understand that. I expect that, but I've been disappointed before. It would be terribly disappointing if Chicago comes and outplays us from an energy standpoint." The Wizards are certainly testing Jordan to the max, proving his assertion they are underachievers. If Mitch Richmond, Juwan Howard, Rod Strickland and the rest of the team played against the also-rans the way they've played recently against the Lakers, Knicks and Spurs, the Wizards would be contending for first place, not last place. "I just like the way they played with a lot of energy," Jordan said. "We need this every single night. When you look at their record against contenders, this team plays well. But against teams that they're supposed to compete with and possibly win the game, they don't compete with the same attitude. And to me that's deep inside them more so than the organization itself." The Lakers game was the first Jordan attended in three weeks. He defended his absence by saying he shouldn't be the one that has to motivate the players daily, and that there is little else he can do to help the team right now because the trading deadline has passed. "If I'm here, I'm not here, you've still got to go out and do your job," Jordan said. "That's the thing that they have to understand. If they have to wait for me to look over their shoulders, then quite naturally they're not the team of players that I think should represent this organization. "I can't do anything with this team as of right now. I think everybody's been speculating in terms of me being here or not being here. There's very little in terms of movement we can do with this team. I'm trying not to be hands-on because I think Darrell [Walker, the coach] should be given an opportunity to maneuver this team the way he thinks it should be. "But, quite naturally, I am watching every game, and certainly every situation. Sometimes it's painful, but I have to pay attention." The Wizards have played with more energy since Jordan fired Gar Heard and hired Walker nearly seven weeks ago. Jordan said he'll wait until the end of the season to decide whether Walker will coach next season. Walker has made it clear he would love to ditch the "interim" tag. "It's a tough position to be in, but I cherish it every day," said Walker, who was coaching in the Continental Basketball Association when Jordan called. "Any day in the NBA is a good day. A lot of people take it for granted." Jordan has given Walker a free hand with the team, evidenced by Ike Austin's sudden demotion to third string. In return, Jordan will hold the coach accountable come the end of the season. "I'm trying not to be in a coaching status," Jordan said. "I think that's Darrell's responsibility to make sure his team is prepared every single day -- and that means Saturday as well." Saturday? There's that Bulls game again. And Walker already knows how big it is to his boss. Minutes before tipoff against the Lakers, Walker already was calling the Chicago game "the game that worries me." "We should be ready to play," Walker said. "We'll see what happens."
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