Coming home

Jordan returns to North Carolina amid 'what-if' questions

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Long before Michael Jordan bought a piece of the Washington Wizards and came out of retirement to play for them, he negotiated to buy part of the Charlotte Hornets.

That was over three years ago, and the Hornets franchise has struggled since. Attendance is among the worst in the NBA and the team is considering relocating at the end of the season.

But the fans came out in full force Wednesday night for Jordan's return to his home state, filling The Hive for the first time all season to see the Wizards play the Hornets.

Flashbulbs popped 30 minutes before the game and one fan near Washington's bench held a "Welcome Home, M.J." sign.

"I think it would be really sad to see, with the success that this franchise had early on to take it and move it somewhere else," Jordan said. "I think the fans here in Charlotte would be devastated to some degree. But, yet, I don't know how you solve the issue."

Hornets fans think Jordan could have been the answer to the problem. Instead, co-owner George Shinn sold a percentage of the team to Ray Wooldridge, who fans loathe just as much as they do Shinn.

Many in the community have wondered what could have been if Jordan had bought into the team, and whether he might have been wearing purple and teal now instead of a Washington uniform.

Jordan said the main issue he and Shinn couldn't work out was Jordan's desire to have a certain level of control over the franchise.

"We both were very hardened with our views and that was the deciding situation. That happens," he said. "When you have two egotistical guys working to find the best way to solve a problem and one's hardened and the other's hardened, then you don't get a compromise."

Jordan, who grew up in Wilmington and played at North Carolina, said family and friends keep him filled in on the possible relocation of the Hornets.

"It's not a happy situation and I just hope that the franchise is not moved and everybody can come to some sort of a sensible compromise," he said. "I think there's a lot of tension between the fans and ownership. But, at the end of the day, it's still a game. And it's still something the fans love to see."

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