Michael Jordan announced at a press conference
yesterday that he has reached a five-year deal to become
Wizards President of Basketball Operations and that he
"would answer only to" Majority Owner Abe Pollin, according
to Steve Wyche of the WASHINGTON POST. Jordan, who said
that he will commute between Chicago and DC: "I'm going to
have my imprints and footprints all over this organization.
I look forward to turning this thing around." Although he
"put the entire franchise on notice," Jordan said that he
will retain Wizards GM Wes Unseld and CEO & President of
Business Operations Susan O'Malley. Under the deal, Jordan
will receive a share of equity in the team "that could
increase to" 20% if Pollin decides to sell his stake.
Jordan will acquire his share from Lincoln Holdings, which
owns 44% of the Wizards, Capitals, MCI Center and US Airways
Arena and is led by Capitals Owner Ted Leonsis. Pollin:
"Without [Leonsis], it would not have happened. Ted was the
guy that started all this. Ted was the guy who contacted
Michael in the beginning." But Pollin, who has owned the
team since '64, "reiterated" yesterday that he will retain
his majority ownership "and has no plans to give up his
stake in the near future" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/20). Jordan's
job description will include overseeing all aspects of
basketball operations for the team, "from drafting of
players to making trades to firing people." Though the size
of Jordan's ownership stake wasn't revealed, he did get
"significant equity" in Lincoln Holdings (USA TODAY, 1/20).
Jordan, on making changes within the organization: "If
everyone is looking over their shoulder, good. If they do
their job, they don't have to worry about it. ... I'm going
to evaluate everyone" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/20). In DC,
Richard Justice writes that Jordan, "in one of his first
meetings with" Pollin, said that he "wanted the team's
essential front-office structure to remain unchanged."
Jordan, on O'Malley and Unseld: "She runs everything in
terms of business. I'm the president of basketball
operations with a lot of help from Wes. There were a lot of
stories that Wes would be kicked out on the curb. That's
certainly not the case." O'Malley, on Jordan's hiring: "If
this makes it better, we're for it. We'll get out of the
way, we'll be part of it, we'll do whatever Mr. Pollin
wants" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/20). Jordan's role with the
Capitals "was not immediately clear," but Capitals GM George
McPhee "welcomed Jordan's inclusion in Lincoln Holdings."
McPhee: "I think it's going to do our franchise a world of
good in all kinds of ways, but mostly with our athletes.
Just sitting down with him for a couple of hours, it may
change some of their lives" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/20).
A MINORITY VOICE? In Philadelphia, Edward Moran writes
that Jordan's move to the Wizards' front office "is not
breaking a trend in a league owned almost exclusively by
white men." Univ. of PA professor Kenneth Shropshire, who
is the author of "In Black and White: Race and Sports in
America": "This won't be anything new. When it comes to the
owners' meetings, he won't be the one making the big
decisions" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 1/20).
NOTES: In Dallas, Marc Stein writes that Mavericks
prospective Owner Mark Cuban called Jordan last week when
the Wizards deal "appeared to be falling through" to see if
he "would be interested in a job with the Mavericks."
Cuban: "I just made a phone call, but his people said he was
already too far along with the Wizards" (DALLAS MORNING
NEWS, 1/20). In Baltimore, Ken Rosenthal notes that
Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown Vice Chair and Leonsis attorney
George Stamas "played an instrumental role in bringing"
Jordan to the Wizards. Stamas is also a "very small
partner" in Lincoln Holdings (Baltimore SUN, 1/20).
President Clinton "showed up in the second half" of last
night's Mavs-Wizards game and sat with Jordan in the team's
owners' box (USA TODAY, 1/20).
