It’s been months since we found out that Michael Jordan was on the cusp of selling the Charlotte Hornets after a 13-year stint as the majority owner of the franchise.
We all played the “will he, won’t he” game as the NBA lottery came and went. The thought was maybe Victor Wembanyama would change his mind. Or maybe getting Scoot Henderson could convince him to stay.
But, apparently, there was an offer out there that Jordan just couldn’t refuse. The NBA Hall of Famer has reportedly sold the Hornets to an ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
BREAKING: Michael Jordan is finalizing a sale of the Charlotte Hornets to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, ending his 13-year run as majority owner, league sources told ESPN on Friday. pic.twitter.com/5TonSrIQhF
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 16, 2023
Jordan bought the Hornets for $275 million back in 2010. The team was reportedly valued at $1.7 billion last year, per Forbes. So, yeah, that sounds like an offer that would be pretty difficult to refuse.
With that being said, let’s go over some of the best (and worst!) Michael Jordan moments over the years. Because there are plenty to choose from.
Drafting Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker is the best player in the history of the Charlotte Hornets (and Bobcats) franchise.
Michael Jordan and company absolutely nailed this pick. He’s the franchise’s all-time scoring leader and definitely the best player of the MJ era in Charlotte.
And Jordan actually liked watching him play.
Michael Jordan loves watching Kemba Walker cook 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/2Rjc2hkckl
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) December 8, 2018
Good pick, Mike.
Drafting LaMelo Ball
Picking LaMelo Ball in the 2020 NBA Draft was not a forgone conclusion. There were plenty of questions about what he’d be as an NBA player.
Jordan and the Hornets still did it, though. And, now, they’ve got an All-Star on their hands. The two of them apparently hit it off immediately, too.
"Even when I met Michael Jordan on the phone, it was all love."
New @hornets guard LaMelo Ball can't wait to get to work with MJ.#AllFly | @TermineRadio | @franfraschilla | @Jumpshot8 pic.twitter.com/FSktIi2UFt
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) November 19, 2020
That moment he shared with LeBron James
We’ve rarely seen or heard of Michael Jordan and LeBron James connecting. So when MJ popped up at the NBA’s 75-year celebration and shared this cool moment with James, it became a moment we’ll never forget.
Michael Jordan and LeBron James share a special moment at the #NBA75 Ceremony.
Greatness. pic.twitter.com/wrRYwtGYzy
— NBA (@NBA) February 21, 2022
Just two GOAT’s kicking it. We love to see it.
His $100 million donation to Black charities
This doesn’t really have anything to do with the Hornets in particular, but it was extremely cool to see Michael Jordan pledging $100 million over 10 years to help promote racial equality in America in the wake of George Floyd’s killing.
Black lives matter. This isn't a controversial statement. We are you. We are a family. We are a community. pic.twitter.com/cGH8bJl1GQ
— Jordan (@Jumpman23) June 5, 2020
That work is going to be felt for decades to come.
The crying Jordan meme
Y’all knew I couldn’t leave this out, right? This might be the funniest thing Michael Jordan has ever done. And that’s a long list.
I mean, look at this y’all.
GIVE ME ALL OF THE #CryingJordan #MarchMadness #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/BgARe6ewgl
— Wolf of Waiver St. (@WolfOfWaiverSt) April 5, 2016
Or this one.
A Look into my soul right now…but it's all good we will be back! pic.twitter.com/fKbDjGx0on
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) February 8, 2016
Schoolboy Q even made an album out of it.
JULY 8tH pic.twitter.com/lLXDru8KfZ
— ScHoolboy Q (@ScHoolboyQ) June 14, 2016
This was iconic, man.
Slapping Malik Monk
Remember that time he slapped Malik Monk on the back of the head? That was pretty weird.
Sure, it seemed like a friendly sort of tap. But there’s still a workplace power dynamic going on there that makes this very strange. Imagine Mark Cuban doing this to one of his players as an owner.
Michael Jordan went Full Disappointed Dad Mode on Malik Monk, smacking him upside the head after Monk picked up a silly tech for running on the court too soon to celebrate Jeremy Lamb's game-winner. pic.twitter.com/nOKDczgHxt
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) December 13, 2018
I get it. It’s MJ. But that still wasn’t a good look.
Drafting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Hindsight is always 20/20, obviously. But picking Michael Kidd-Gilchrist over Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard in the 2012 NBA draft is just always going to be one of the biggest mistakes of Michael Jordan’s career.
Fun fact: MJ apparently beat MKG one-on-one.
Charlotte Bobcats rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist said Friday in Houston that 49-year-old Jordan beat him in a one-on-one game. Jordan turns 50 Sunday, while Kidd-Gilchrist is seven months away from turning 20.
“It was hard for me,” Kidd-Gilchrist said before playing in the Rising Stars Challenge rookie-sophomore game Friday night. “I lost. He’s the greatest man that ever played the game.
That’s wild.
Running the Bobcats in 2012
After the Bobcats 7-59 season, Michael Jordan was public enemy No. 1 in Charlotte.
The man was legitimately booed at a game when he was put on the jumbotron. Here’s a story from ESPN detailing it.
That’s when an image of the Bobcats owner flashed onto the massive HD screens over center court. Michael Jordan wasn’t in his customary spot at the end of the Bobcats’ bench. He was ensconced — a cynic might say hiding — in his private box high above the floor. But the scoreboard operator hadn’t gotten the memo, and as Jordan’s face appeared on the screen, what had once seemed all but inconceivable happened. From somewhere in the sparsely populated upper deck came a short but strong burst of … boos.
You can’t blame them. Jordan’s Bobcats were coming off of a 7-59 season. That’s the worst winning percentage in NBA history to this day.
Hilariously sending those kids home
Michael Jordan brought the “[expletive] them kids” meme to life that one time when a couple of LaMelo Ball fans were wandering the Hornets’ facility looking for their favorite player.
They accidentally ran into Michael Jordan and were elated about it. And then…MJ just sent them home. It was amazing. And he didn’t let them get a picture.
They were looking for LaMelo Ball and ran into MJ instead
“Can we get a picture?”
“No” 😅
(h/t @overtime )— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 22, 2022
Hilarious.
The Mark Williams Duke joke
Michael Jordan called Mark Williams the night the Hornets drafted him in 2022. That’s what owners do, obviously.
But the thing is, Williams went to Duke. Michael Jordan obviously went to UNC. And, obviously, there’s a huge rivalry there. MJ decided to set the rivalry aside, though, and take Williams. Everyone thought he was joking. He probably was not.
Best. Phone Call. Ever. #NBADraft | @MarkWi1liams pic.twitter.com/4xd2ad2yAc
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) June 24, 2022
MJ, man. Gotta love him.
