D.C. daze

MJ won't soon forget his demise in Washington

Michael Jordan, the biggest name in basketball, getting broomed out the door?

It seems almost unthinkable for any NBA franchise. Let alone a franchise with a history as sorry as the Wizards'.

But Jordan's unceremonious ouster as Wizards GM on Wednesday really shouldn't be considered that big a surprise.

From the start, according to sources around the league, Jordan's relationship with the Wizards was an odd fit. "A mercenary deal," according to one person with ties to Jordan's camp. Keep in mind, it wasn't Abe Pollin who brought Jordan to Washington. It was Ted Leonsis, the team's minority owner. Pollin and Jordan actually never shared a close relationship.

In fact, Jordan and Pollin were perhaps best known for a rather testy exchange during the 1999 lockout. Making a rare appearance at the negotiating table, Jordan famously told Pollin that if he couldn't afford to do business in the modern pro market, he should sell the team. Pollin, the senior member of the NBA's ownership, was not amused.

Pollin, naturally, was willing to let bygones be when Leonsis convinced MJ a year later to come to D.C. After all, the Wizards were a laughingstock. Jordan was just the kind of miracle the franchise needed to get back on the NBA radar.

But for Pollin, it was also something of a deal with the devil.

For one, Jordan got a sweetheart arrangement, worth as much as $50 million in equity, according to some estimates. More important, he got near total control over basketball decisions. The Wizards were like a family business to Pollin. Since buying the team in 1964, he had run it with that kind of blind loyalty.

That's why he had refused to fire GM Wes Unseld (whom he has called "his second son"), despite the fact that the team has made one playoff appearance since 1988.

So when Jordan came in and started hiring his own people and throwing his weight around, it ruffled some feathers. There are whispers that Jordan and his people were arrogant, acting as if they were saviors brought in to clean up a backward operation. Maybe they were, but it had to bother Pollin just the same.

Of course, Pollin didn't mind at first as long as the Wizards were the talk of the NBA again. Suddenly ticket sales were booming and fans were tuning into the games on TV. It got even better when Jordan decided to come back as a player.

But when Jordan retired again last month, amid player bickering and locker room dissension, Pollin was said to have had enough. He saw the Wizards as being back to square one, before Jordan's arrival, and that the family atmosphere had been poisoned. It didn't help that MJ had begun publicly discussing other options he might have in Charlotte and Chicago, as if he were getting ready for another poker game with Pollin.

So with his family business split in two camps, the 79-year-old Pollin did what patriarchs do. He sided with his "family" and cut ties with the outsiders. It was a business deal all along, he decided, and he could be mercenary too.

Who's right and who's wrong in the whole thing is a matter of opinion. Some say Jordan got a raw deal. After all, he single-handedly put the Wizards back on the NBA map and made them a fortune when he came out of retirement. Surely Pollin didn't mind the tradeoff when MJ decided to don the No. 23 jersey again; so why not give him the chance to resume his work as GM?

On the other hand, Jordan is nothing if not a businessman. He was given a sweet financial deal to join the Wizards, and was reportedly offered a $10 million severance package in Wednesday's meeting. Should he be upset if Pollin decides it's in his best interests now to cut ties?

Ultimately, it won't matter much anyway. Jordan could well end up with his friend Robert Johnson in Charlotte, although he would be facing the likelihood of big losses for four or five years. Chicago, Atlanta and Milwaukee also remain possibilities.

Wherever he lands, though, one thing is for sure. Jordan will carry some hard feelings about his days in D.C. for a long time.

Funny how mercenary business deals so often end up like that, isn't it?

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.

 

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