Michael Jordan didn’t do much wrong in his NBA career, but choosing to come out of retirement and play for the Washington Wizards clearly wasn’t one of the better decisions he made. Jordan recognizes that as well, and he expressed regret over playing for the Wizards when he took the stand to testify against NASCAR in an antitrust case in Charlotte on Friday.
When asked about his basketball career, Jordan mentioned his tenure with the Chicago Bulls but did not bring up the Wizards. That prompted attorney Danielle Williams to ask the 63-year-old if he had played for any other team, to which he had a hilarious response.
“I try to forget, but I did,” Jordan said, via The Athletic.
Jordan’s basketball career seemed to be over for good when he retired in 1998 after leading the Bulls to six championships in the decade. He had previously retired in 1993, only to return in 1995. Surely he wouldn’t do that again, right? Well, he did.
Jordan initially returned to the NBA as part-owner and president of basketball operations for the Wizards in January 2000. They were roles he would hold for just over a year, though.
In September 2001, Jordan announced he would be suiting up for the Wizards, giving up his stake in the team and stepping down from the role in the process. Things wouldn’t go as he’d have imagined, though.
Jordan put up respectable averages of 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in two seasons with the Wizards. The team failed to make the playoffs on both occasions, though, and he wasn’t exactly a beloved figure in that locker room either.
Jordan chose to retire for good in 2003, and he hoped to resume his role as president of basketball operations after walking away from the game. Wizards owner Abe Polin fired him from that role in May, however. Jordan wasn’t the least bit pleased, and it’s not a surprise that this is a chapter of his career that he wants to forget.
Years later, in 2006, Jordan purchased a minority stake in the then-Charlotte Bobcats and was named Managing Member of Basketball Operations. Then in 2010, he became the majority owner and assumed full control.
Jordan’s time as majority owner wouldn’t prove to be a success, however. In 13 full seasons under him, the Bobcats/Hornets went 423-600. They didn’t even win a single playoff series.
Jordan finally sold his majority stake for approximately $3 billion in 2023 and started becoming more active in managing 23XI Racing, his NASCAR team. That now brings us to this court case.
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have filed this lawsuit against NASCAR. The two teams had refused to sign the charter agreement offered to them in September 2024. They had termed it a last-minute, take-it-or-leave-it offer that also included a clause that meant they weren’t allowed to take legal action against NASCAR.
Jordan has made it clear he wants to see a change in NASCAR’s business model and believes that would be best for all parties.
“The thing I’m hoping for is you create more of a partnership between two entities,” Jordan said. “If that’s the case, it becomes a more valuable business. If you can ever compromise on the things that matter, you can grow your business.”
Jordan won countless battles on the basketball court over the years, and it will be interesting to see if he wins this one in the court of law.
