Michael Jordan is perhaps the best player NBA has ever seen. Ever since MJ made his debut in 1984, it was apparent that the 6’6″ guard was born to be a superstar. Leading the Chicago Bulls to a flawless record of 6 NBA championship wins in the 90s, Jordan secured his legacy as one of the best to do it on the court.
Not only did he lead the Bulls to six undisputed championships, but he also garnered a host of individual accolades, winning 5 MVP trophies, 6 NBA Finals MVP trophies, 10 scoring championships, and a DPOY trophy as well. Many players in the NBA, after their retirement, opt for coaching. Be it former MVPs like Steve Nash or Jordan’s teammates like Steve Kerr, ex-players coaching in the league has been prevalent for a very long time.
But MJ didn’t opt for the traditional route. Jordan rather became an executive for the Washington Wizards and now is a majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. Back in an interview in 2020, Jordan actually revealed why he never opted to be a head coach in the NBA. (39:12 onwards)
“You know my biggest problem from a competitive standpoint is the focus of today’s athlete and the focus of where I saw the game, how I pursued the game. It changes and it’s and it’s totally different. So for me to ask that individual to focus on the game the way I played the game in some ways would be you know unfair for that kid to have to endure that and if he didn’t do it, no telling where my emotions would be.”
“I don’t think I would have the patience for it, so in essence, coaching is something that I’ve never really felt I could do from an emotional standpoint.”
Jordan certainly was a massive competitor when it came to his basketball career. Stories about him pushing his teammates are well documented. Given how passionate he was during his playing career, it would have been interesting to see how Jordan would have acted in a head coach role.
In his role as an owner, though, MJ has been decent at best. While his team has failed to make their mark in the Eastern Conference so far, the future looks bright for the team with a player like LaMelo Ball leading the way.
