Michael Jordan Says He’s “In It For The Long Haul” With Bobcats
By Josh Hill
Nothing was more miserable last year than watching the Charlotte Bobcats. Not only was it the worst team in the history of everything that’s been awful, it’s making the best player to ever play the game look like a front office moron, and is doing something we didn’t think was possible: make Michael Jordan look really bad.
Sure, he was the best thing to ever happen to the game, but he’s living proof that genius on the court doesn’t equate to genius off of it. However Michael Jordan is a competitor and just because he’s failed miserably as an NBA owner, doesn’t mean he’s about to give up. When speaking about the future of his franchise, Jordan said he’s in it to win it and he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
For the first time ever really, Jordan has publicly spoken about his team and the plans for the future. When asked about the direction of the team, Jordan said he’s trying to create a winning culture not unlike the one he experienced during his days in Chicago.
“I want to establish a culture within this organization so that when you plug a guy in, the culture is sitting there and no one guy is bigger than that culture,” Jordan said. “You either fit in or you don’t fit in. When you look at organizations that are established, they have a winning culture.”
But as much as Jordan wants to win and yet again smugly shrug at all his critics as he hoists another title, he’s well aware that even though he’s now a focused NBA owner, the process of building a winner is a long one.
“Are we a playoff team? C’mon, we can’t expect that,” Jordan said. “But we need to get the ball rolling in the right direction. I’m not real happy about the record book scenario last year. It’s very, very frustrating.”
With guys like Kemba Walker and rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist however, Jordan is hoping that he can finally get it right and build a winner based around star players that can carry the team.
“I’ll spend money, that that’s not even a question, if a person fits what we want to do and it makes sense,” Jordan said. “But I don’t think it makes sense for us to be in a luxury tax situation and fighting for the eighth spot in the playoffs. That doesn’t make any sense. You have to spend money wisely.”
But above all, Jordan is reiterating that he’s a competitor first and foremost, even if his playing days are long gone. Jordan knows how to win, and he saw numerous successful teams pieced together in Chicago with his running mate Scottie Pippen. From plugging in massive stars like Dennis Rodman, to relying on bit players like Ron Harper, Steve Kerr and Toni Kukoc, Jordan knows what a championship team feels like, and he’s not about to let his critics get the last laugh.
“I didn’t get in the business to try to get out. Granted I want to turn this thing around as fast as possible but this is obviously a process. I’m committed to it and I want to pass it down to my family members or my kids. I want this to always be in Charlotte.”