In the wake of Wizards President of Basketball
Operations Michael Jordan's failed attempt to hire St.
John's Univ. (SJU) men's basketball coach Mike Jarvis as
Wizards head coach, ESPN.com's Jeffrey Denberg asked, "How
could the Wizards have turned Jordan from the most dominant
athlete of his time into such a bumbling executive?" One
agent, who has dealt with Jordan, said, "He's lost. He
doesn't know what he's doing. It's sad to say, but Michael
is really out of his element trying to run a team." Denberg
wrote that Jordan "tried to lowball" Jarvis by offering him
$1M per year, which would have made Jarvis the lowest-paid
coach in the NBA and "barely given him a salary increase"
over his SJU contract. The agent, on Jordan's handling of
the Jarvis talks: "First, it tells me that Michael didn't
learn a thing from years of association with [his agent]
David Falk. Second, it tells me that Jordan and Falk are no
longer close. If they were, David would never have allowed
Michael to blunder this badly" (ESPN.com, 5/24).
DOUBTING THOMAS? CBA Owner Isiah Thomas was elected to
the Basketball HOF yesterday, and in Detroit, Bob Wojnowski
examines Thomas' "acrimonious split" from the Pistons after
retiring in '94 and writes that "there does appear to be
only one side interested in mending the rift." Thomas:
"[The Pistons] have my phone number. You don't have to
scream it too loudly to say you don't want me in this
organization." Wojnowski writes that after the split with
Thomas, Pistons Owner William Davidson "never welcomed
Thomas back, and it's the biggest basketball mistake the
crafty old owner ever made" (DETROIT NEWS, 5/25). Also in
Detroit, Drew Sharp notes the absence of Davidson and
Pistons President Tom Wilson from yesterday's ceremony at
the Palace honoring Thomas' induction and writes that "it
created the appearance that all still isn't forgiven or
forgotten" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 5/25).
NOTES: The Nuggets announced that ticket prices for
next season will increase by an average of 9.3%, raising the
average ticket price to $37.31. Nearly 1,000 seats at the
Pepsi Center will cost $10, while a third of the arena will
be priced at $15 (Nuggets)....Heat Owner Micky Arison was
fined $25,000 by the NBA yesterday for his criticism of the
officiating after the Heat's loss to the Knicks on Sunday
(Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 5/25)....In Orlando, Tim
Povtak interviews RDV Chair/Magic Owner Rich DeVos and asks
him if he still enjoys owning the team as much as he did in
the early '90s. DeVos: "It used to be more fun when it
wasn't losing money, but my enthusiasm hasn't changed. It's
more fun when you're not reaching into your pocket (for the
money) all the time" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 5/25).
