CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- He has been called the NBA's greatest player and one of the country's top pitchmen.
Jordan
Now Michael Jordan is ready for a new title: NBA owner.
With minutes to go until his exclusive negotiating window was to expire, Jordan struck a deal late Friday night to buy controlling interest of the Charlotte Bobcats, putting the six-time NBA champion in charge of the money-losing team in his home state.
Owner Bob Johnson announced in a statement that he's agreed to sell the Bobcats to Jordan, who has been a part-owner of the team since 2006. Jordan has been running the team's basketball operations.
The purchase price and details of Jordan's ownership group -- called MJ Basketball Holdings LLC -- weren't immediately available. A spokeswoman for Johnson and a spokesman for Jordan said neither was available for comment early Saturday.
The league's owners must approve the purchase.
Jordan was in competition with former Houston Rockets executive George Postolos, who also had an ownership group together to buy the team. But Postolos said Jordan had the exclusive right to buy the club until just before midnight Friday night.
Jordan hit another last-second shot -- reaching a deal minutes before the deadline.
"I remain committed to becoming an NBA owner, and I'm glad that Michael will continue to bring his talent to the sport and the league," Postolos said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "He's very, very committed."
It will end Johnson's stint as the first black majority owner of a major professional sports team. Jordan becomes another black owner in another milestone for the Hall of Famer, but one that comes with many challenges.
Jordan, a five-time NBA MVP and 14-time All-Star, has made millions selling sneakers, apparel and other items. Now he'll begin a completely different role trying to make the Bobcats a winner, and the franchise and Charlotte's downtown arena profitable.
After paying $300 million for the expansion team that began play in 2004-05, Johnson has accumulated about $150 million in debt and the team is expected to lose tens of millions this season as they struggle to draw fans and find sponsorships.
Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, shook up management several times before recruiting Jordan to be a minority investor while giving him the final say on all basketball decisions.
Jordan, who turned 47 this month, has had a unique role with the Bobcats. General manager Rod Higgins runs the day-to-day basketball operations and Jordan has rarely attended practices or games, or worked on the marketing side of the operation.
Jordan has had some missteps -- drafting the disappointing Adam Morrison No. 3 overall in 2006 -- but he was also able to lure Hall of Famer Larry Brown to become coach at the beginning of last season.
Jordan and Brown have made seven trades involving 21 players since the start of last season. The November acquisition of Stephen Jackson from Golden State has helped Charlotte get into playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.
But attendance has still lagged, and Jordan has been criticized in Charlotte for rarely being seen -- despite his iconic status in the state.
Jordan grew up in Wilmington, N.C., led North Carolina to the 1982 national championship with a last-second shot, then remained one of the state's favorite sons when he starred with the Bulls.
Jordan's first stint as an NBA executive came with the Washington Wizards, where he was roundly criticized for drafting Kwame Brown with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft.
He changed roles when he returned briefly as a player, then was fired by owner Abe Pollin in 2003 when he tried to return to his role running the basketball operations.
No one will be able to fire Jordan after he takes control of the Bobcats, and it's likely the team will not change much in the front office.
Jordan's close friend, Fred Whitfield, is team president, and Higgins was Jordan's hire.
I have zero faith in MJ ever making the right moves. He isn't a business man in the sense of running things and I have zero faith his backers have the ability to curb his ego and tell him he is wrong. This is the same guy who wanted Adam Morrison.
This team will never amount to shit but at least they'll have fly sneakers.
i am fortunate enough to catch a little Illinois basketball this glorious afternoon.
man, jeff jordan is terrible. what an embarrassment to be the son of mj and suck this bad. mj is courtside and the painful expression on his face says it all. the man is humiliated
makes sense he is attempting to compensate by purchasing partial ownership. too bad its in such a bad sports city
keL wrote:i am fortunate enough to catch a little Illinois basketball this glorious afternoon.
man, jeff jordan is terrible. what an embarrassment to be the son of mj and suck this bad. mj is courtside and the painful expression on his face says it all. the man is humiliated
makes sense he is attempting to compensate by purchasing partial ownership. too bad its in such a bad sports city
I AM NOT RENEWING MY SEASON TICKETS IF THEY GO UP ONE CENT IN PRICE. REGARDLESS OF PLAYOFF STATUS. LOL. MY ASS. THIS IS TERRIBLE. GOOD LUCK DRAFTING DREW II IN THE FIRST ROUND NEXT YEAR AND TRADING FOR RASHEED WALLACE AND GIVING HIM A MAX DEAL IN 2030. LARRY WILL LEAVE AND SCOTT CHERRY WILL ASCEND TO HEAD COACH. MAYBE DOUG MOTHERFUCKING COLLINS WILL BE THE GM. FUCK FUCK FUCK. AT LEAST THERE WILL BE MORE COOL SHIT IN THE TEAM STORE... NOPE. JORDAN IS A FUCK. CHARLES OAKLEY WILL BE TEAM PRESIDENT. HE WILLGET JORDAN HIS SOUP AND CRACKEERS, WHORES AND CIGARS. THERE WILL BNE POKER TABLES IN ALL SUITES. AND FAT WHITE BLONDES. THE WHORE INTERN AT THE LOCAL CBS AFFILIATE THAT FUCKS JORDAN WILL SOON RUN THE STATION. SHE ALSO FUCKED JEFF REED IN A DROM ROOM. DANIELLE TROTTA WILL CLEAN UP THE JISM HE LEAVES ON HIS BOWLING BALLS AND WAIT OUTSIDE HIS SHITY LIMO AT FORUM TO SUCK HIS FAGGOT DICK OFF LIKE A DOZER TRANNY.
FIRST THEY BOMB MY CHANCE OF AMAZING PLAYOFF SEATS AND THEN THIS. THE ONLY GOOD THAT CAN COME IS IF THEY BACK INTO TTHE 8 SEED AND I GET TO SEE LEBRON ANOTHER COUPLE TIMES.
JESUS. THE CIAA IS BAD ENOUGH. WHAT A TERRIBLE WEEKEND FOR A WHITE PERSON LIVING IN UPTOWN CHARLOTTE.
IT TOOK ME 20 MINUTES TO GET FROM 77 TO MY HOUSE TODAY. A TOTAL OF 100 YARDS. FUCKING. I SAW A CARE BEARS DONK ON MY WAY HOME. A GROWN MAN SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO MAKE HIS MONTE CARLO LOOK LIKE AN AD FOR FUCKING CARE BREARS. JESUS MOTHERFCKING CHRIST.
JORDAN. REALLY. DID HE HAVE TO BORROW MONEY FROM HIS WIFE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. IT TOOK 3 FUCKING SEASONS. DEGENERATE FUCKING HOMO. BOB JOHNSON NEEDS DEATH.
blastmaster wrote:
JESUS. THE CIAA IS BAD ENOUGH. WHAT A TERRIBLE WEEKEND FOR A WHITE PERSON LIVING IN UPTOWN CHARLOTTE.
IT TOOK ME 20 MINUTES TO GET FROM 77 TO MY HOUSE TODAY. A TOTAL OF 100 YARDS. FUCKING. I SAW A CARE BEARS DONK ON MY WAY HOME. A GROWN MAN SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO MAKE HIS MONTE CARLO LOOK LIKE AN AD FOR FUCKING CARE BREARS. JESUS MOTHERFCKING CHRIST.
My homie called me pissy drunk. Sounded like a good time to me. Half of Rochester was out there. Suprised you didn't go out and "kick it".
blastmaster wrote:I AM NOT RENEWING MY SEASON TICKETS IF THEY GO UP ONE CENT IN PRICE. REGARDLESS OF PLAYOFF STATUS. LOL. MY ASS. THIS IS TERRIBLE. GOOD LUCK DRAFTING DREW II IN THE FIRST ROUND NEXT YEAR AND TRADING FOR RASHEED WALLACE AND GIVING HIM A MAX DEAL IN 2030. LARRY WILL LEAVE AND SCOTT CHERRY WILL ASCEND TO HEAD COACH. MAYBE DOUG MOTHERFUCKING COLLINS WILL BE THE GM. FUCK FUCK FUCK. AT LEAST THERE WILL BE MORE COOL SHIT IN THE TEAM STORE... NOPE. JORDAN IS A FUCK. CHARLES OAKLEY WILL BE TEAM PRESIDENT. HE WILLGET JORDAN HIS SOUP AND CRACKEERS, WHORES AND CIGARS. THERE WILL BNE POKER TABLES IN ALL SUITES. AND FAT WHITE BLONDES. THE WHORE INTERN AT THE LOCAL CBS AFFILIATE THAT FUCKS JORDAN WILL SOON RUN THE STATION. SHE ALSO FUCKED JEFF REED IN A DROM ROOM. DANIELLE TROTTA WILL CLEAN UP THE JISM HE LEAVES ON HIS BOWLING BALLS AND WAIT OUTSIDE HIS SHITY LIMO AT FORUM TO SUCK HIS FAGGOT DICK OFF LIKE A DOZER TRANNY.
FIRST THEY BOMB MY CHANCE OF AMAZING PLAYOFF SEATS AND THEN THIS. THE ONLY GOOD THAT CAN COME IS IF THEY BACK INTO TTHE 8 SEED AND I GET TO SEE LEBRON ANOTHER COUPLE TIMES.
JESUS. THE CIAA IS BAD ENOUGH. WHAT A TERRIBLE WEEKEND FOR A WHITE PERSON LIVING IN UPTOWN CHARLOTTE.
IT TOOK ME 20 MINUTES TO GET FROM 77 TO MY HOUSE TODAY. A TOTAL OF 100 YARDS. FUCKING. I SAW A CARE BEARS DONK ON MY WAY HOME. A GROWN MAN SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO MAKE HIS MONTE CARLO LOOK LIKE AN AD FOR FUCKING CARE BREARS. JESUS MOTHERFCKING CHRIST.
JORDAN. REALLY. DID HE HAVE TO BORROW MONEY FROM HIS WIFE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. IT TOOK 3 FUCKING SEASONS. DEGENERATE FUCKING HOMO. BOB JOHNSON NEEDS DEATH.
blastmaster wrote:
JESUS. THE CIAA IS BAD ENOUGH. WHAT A TERRIBLE WEEKEND FOR A WHITE PERSON LIVING IN UPTOWN CHARLOTTE.
IT TOOK ME 20 MINUTES TO GET FROM 77 TO MY HOUSE TODAY. A TOTAL OF 100 YARDS. FUCKING. I SAW A CARE BEARS DONK ON MY WAY HOME. A GROWN MAN SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO MAKE HIS MONTE CARLO LOOK LIKE AN AD FOR FUCKING CARE BREARS. JESUS MOTHERFCKING CHRIST.
My homie called me pissy drunk. Sounded like a good time to me. Half of Rochester was out there. Suprised you didn't go out and "kick it".
Ha. I, like every sensible person, stayed as far away from downtown as possible. A bar had a SUNY-themed party for the Cuse game and there were about 300 Rochester folks there for that.
Showing up about thrice per year and acting all the part of the deadbeat dad that jumps the turnstile just before the second inning for the first time all season, telling his son to "choke up" after his little league coach just spent six weeks working on the poor kid's swing.
pathetic attempts to prove your 1992-ness, challenging white collar types for pickup games and stealing girlfriends for sport, raising the roof at two in the morning and stiffing every server in sight.
Philaflava wrote:
This team will never amount to shit but at least they'll have fly sneakers.
Last I checked they were in the playoff race..
How do you think they would fair in the playoffs? They just beat Orl without Wallace...
Honestly I think we would challenge any of the top 4 for the simple fact we play tough defense, we are more athletic than ever b4 and our best 2 players aren't punks (Jack & Wallace). Our weakness is our Bench and Inexperience as a ball club.
, about time...
