Fans of the NBA often complain that Michael Jordan doesn’t appear too invested in the Charlotte Hornets. Even though Jordan is most associated with the Chicago Bulls as a franchise, Jordan is the owner of the Hornets.
Jordan became a majority owner of the Charlotte-based franchise in 2010, and since then has had a say in some of the major decisions taken for the franchise. This involves draft picks and free-agent signings over the last decade or so.
Jordan isn’t often seen at Hornets games. But when he is, he does become the center of attention. Given the aura that surrounds him to this day, it comes as no surprise that Jordan steals all the headlines when he is courtside at these games.
One such incident occurred a few years ago during a Hornets game. Jeremy Lamb hit a go-ahead bucket on the Detroit Pistons during the game. Then-Charlotte guard Malik Monk ran on the court to celebrate. The refs caught this and gave Monk a technical foul for running onto the court.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6j9yN9tsR4
After the decision, Monk was talking to Michael Jordan, who was annoyed with Monk for getting an unnecessary tech. He then smacked Monk on the back of the head for his gaff.
Naturally, this became a subject of debate among NBA fans. See below what Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe said about the incident. As expected, Shannon was critical of MJ doing this, but Skip thought it was a good sign of his investment with the Hornets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE2vmu0_ek4
Monk and Jordan seemed to have no hard feelings after the incident, and both had a laugh about it later. But critics of Jordan used this occurrence as ammunition to criticize Jordan in his ownership role.
But this is far from the biggest criticism of MJ as an owner. Fans have been unhappy with the decisions MJ made as owner of the Hornets. Charlotte has missed on some superstars because Jordan passed on them in the Draft. These poor decisions have garnered a lot of criticism from fans and analysts alike.
Over the last year, Jordan has made up for some of his draft mistakes in the past by selecting LaMelo Ball with the 3rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball became an instant sensation in the league and is projected to be a superstar for the Hornets in the coming years.
