Introducing Michael Jordan As an NBA Owner

This article was originally posted March 3 on my personal blog.

MJ will be successful– in spite of Kwame Brown

Take a look at this Jordan commercial. As soon as he starts to speak, you’ll remember it.

Michael Jordan found limitless success as an NBA player. He revolutionized how the game was played. More importantly, he introduced a new era in sports business. Until he came along, would you have ever seen a pair of basketball shoes priced at over $200? Furthermore, would you have ever seen them fly off the shelf in droves? Why wouldn’t he be a good NBA owner?

Our first introduction to Jordan as an exec came with the drafting of Kwame Brown. At the time, we still had complete faith in Jordan the player– translating into Jordan the exec. Then came the rumors of Brown stuffing $3,000 suits in corners of his million dollar condo. Brown came to camp out of shape and over weight. When asked about his preparation, Brown stated he had been eating at Popeye’s since signing the contract.

That first introduction ended with Jordan again as a player– a not so good one at that. He was then unceremoniously let go by Wizard’s ownership. Driving off with squelching tires in his black Mercedes. I can still see his face on the cover of the Washington Post, that picture of a Jordan who had failed. I hoped that my last public images of Jordan wouldn’t be that picture– and him in a Wizard uniform.

Jordan rebounded in a big way. Will he be more successful this time? I believe he will.

Jordan leads, not follows. If you possessed the gifts Jordan does with basketball– in your chosen discipline, it would be difficult to not call the shots. As the majority owner, Jordan can now call the shots.

Jordan learned the business of selling sneakers and started the Jumpman brand with Nike. As part owner, he now takes on the executive responsibilities. He better understands how the basics of big business work, from an owner’s perspective–not just from the player in an endorsement deal perspective. Now he better understands costs and real profits.

Jordan has experience as a franchise owner in sports. Before becoming a Wizard, Jordan owned a minority stake in the Washington Capital’s, the city’s NHL franchise.

Then he bought into the Charlotte Bobcats expansion team. We didn’t hear much from Jordan during this time. That was good. He was learning and he was preparing. Just like the old days when he shot jumpers all day. Now preparation meant reviewing business accounting reports, not scouting reports.

Jordan learned the team concept works in managing a business, just like it does in sports. In his tenure as Wizards executive, he brought in Doug Collins as head coach. The problem was, his eye for talent stunk. Then again, Jordan really wanted to be an owner, not a GM.

While as minority owner of the Bobcats, he brought in Larry Brown, a hall of fame coach. He let go of Okafur, and brought in good talent.

You have to believe he learned quite a bit from Bob Johnson, the former owner of the Bobcats. Not just about owning a franchise, but as an African-American, doing business with wealthy white men. He proved that he learned, and that he will let the best people do the right jobs.

The Michael Jordan of now, the NBA owner, represents the same guy we see in the commercial. A man who has failed twenty-six times, but for some reason, we mostly remember that he succeeded six. I’m betting MJ the owner will count as number seven.