Michael Jordan is best known for his exploits during his time with the Chicago Bulls. A time when he cemented his status as the greatest player in NBA history with his six NBA titles and multiple accolades. But after his second retirement he came back to get his then Washington Wizards to a respectable level. Former NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony vividly recalls how a 40-year-old Jordan played at that time.
The former 10-time All-Star was speaking on his podcast 7PM in Brooklyn. When guest Kazeem Famuyide asked him about his memories of Michael Jordan playing in his last days in the league, Anthony shed light on the same.
I just remember watching him as a basketball player like, damn he just looked so different. He’s not MJ of old like he’s not MJ flying through the air, but the game looked so easy to him. He’s just catching it and in two dribbles, it’s right, shot fake, boom get to the rack. One dribble, hesi pull, he’s just picking his spots, and they can’t do sh*t about it.
Carmelo Anthony said
What Carmelo Anthony is referring to is Jordan playing smart basketball. As he did not have the athletic ability of old, he preferred to play it smarter than others. Those are the reasons why Michael Jordan averaged 20 points per game even at age 40. That smart basketball helped him to play efficiently without using up all his energy despite playing in 82 games. He could not guide the Washington Wizards to the playoffs, but at least he tried.
Even though he retired for good after winning his 6th NBA title, as part owner of the Wizards, he chose to come back. That led him to play through injury in his first season and then chose to play it smart in his final one.
Michael Jordan’s life as an NBA executive and part-owner of the Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards was the first stop in Michael Jordan’s post-playing career as an executive and part-team owner. He became part owner and president of basketball operations 6 days after his 2nd retirement. In that role, he was given the keys to the franchise suggesting everything was to go through him.
He took that role seriously and first cleared the team of its high-priced veterans. Turning his focus towards building a younger team, he picked Kwame Brown with the 1st pick of the 2001 draft. But even then, his team were not good enough, which prompted him to start his 3rd and final comeback as a player.
Playing two years and still not making the playoffs that too with a No. 1 overall pick started to take its toll on Jordan. His decisions had not helped the team improve and they parted ways after the 2003 season. He might have further reinforced the notion that as a basketball player, he is second to none. But as an executive, it was a rather forgettable experience.
