Michael Jordan remains one of the world’s most prolific influencers. His mark on the Jordan Brand and his business acumen have transcended generations.
Fans worldwide admire Jordan and eagerly seize any chance to meet or glimpse the superstar. After his historic run with the Bulls ended in 1998, Michael Jordan became the president of basketball operations and a part-owner of the Wizards in 2000.
However, his front office tenure was less-than-stellar, marked by several questionable decisions, including the selection of Kwame Brown with the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft (which may or may not have been his decision).
Michael Jordan’s return to the Wizards and Its aftermath
Before the 2001-02 season, Michael Jordan made a significant decision: he returned to the court to play for the Wizards. However, Washington’s losing streak didn’t just disappear. After a 19-63 record in the 2000-01 season, the Wizards finished with a 37-45 record in both seasons Jordan played for them, missing the playoffs each year.
In 2003, Jordan decided to retire from playing for good and planned to continue his front office role, but the organization chose to part ways with him entirely. According to a 2003 Associated Press report in CBS News, a source cited “player dissension, a franchise faltering after the years of Jordan in charge, and deteriorating relationships throughout the organization” as reasons for the decision.
Jordan’s $10 Million rejection: A principled exit from the Wizards
In a recent interview, Gilbert Arenas shared that in 2003, Jordan rejected a $10 million compensatory check when he parted ways with the Wizards. Wizards owner Abe Pollin explained to Arenas how Jordan, after being dismissed as president of basketball operations, angrily discarded the check as he left the team.
He was like, ‘Yeah, you know, I wrote MJ a check, $10 million dollars, said, “Thank you for your services.” MJ threw that check and said, “F*** off,” and drove out of the arena,’” Arenas said of his conversation with Pollin. “… MJ just chucked it, left the building.”
Clearly, money wasn’t a priority for Jordan. Despite this, it’s hard to grasp how someone could discard a check of such significant value. For Jordan, it was a matter of principles. Feeling wronged by the Wizards, he rejected their money as compensation.