Jordan throws in the towel at Hornets helm

In this famous phrase, Michael Jordan, for many the greatest basketball player of all time, sums up his career on the court: fall down, get up, wipe away the tears and, finally, through tenacity, get up to succeed.

In the office, however, the story has been a little different. Because Jordan, the 6-0 in the Finals, the five-time MVP, the man who changed basketball, drove the NBA business like never before and sold more sneakers than anyone else -among so many other things-, decided to throw in the towel as owner of the Hornets. After continuous ups and downs, of controversial and ill-advised decisions, Jordan gave up. He threw in the towel and said enough is enough.

At the end of the day, having been the best on the court is no indication that you can be the best off the court. There are cases of success in management, such as Jerry West, creator of Showtime at the Lakers, but there are also cases to forget, such as Isiah Thomas at the Knicks. In short, there is a bit of everything.

But if we talk about owners, Michael Jordan is possibly, without exaggeration, the worst in history.

We already saw in ‘The Last Dance’ MJ’s constant criticism of Jerry Krause as general manager of the indestructible Chicago Bulls of the late 90s. Time played a dirty trick on His Majesty, because fate, as sometimes happens, gave an unexpected twist to this story.

Those stinging darts in the form of words are the same ones that have come back to haunt him today.

Jordan’s first problem was himself. It’s hard to say uncomfortable things to someone who many consider the God of basketball. If you go against what he believes, instead of seeing it as a help, as a warning, he sees it as a betrayal. Many dare not speak up and when someone has the audacity to stand up to him and point out mistakes, the King puts his thumb down. You either think like him or you leave. Jordan was, in the Charlotte Bobcats, Louis XIV in Europe: “The State is me.” And like the legendary French ruler of Versailles, known as the Sun King, Jordan sought to shine, even if the shadow was cast over everyone else.

Success doesn’t come without a little self-criticism and listening to no one.

“One thing about being famous is the people around you. You pay all their bills, so they rarely disagree with you because they want you to pay the bill. They want to fly on your private jet and they’ll never disagree with you.”

His ego would not allow him to build something more important than himself. Recall the crossovers with his own players, or the times he would visit practices to play one-on-one duels with those youngsters whose salaries he paid afterwards. What’s the point of humiliating an athlete in practice? What’s the point? Jordan was first respected and then feared.

Of course, we are talking about a genius who was Midas and will remain so: with his hands, everything he touched and touches is gold. But it is one thing to do and another to let do: when it comes to lowering lines and guidelines, things have never been so simple and clear. It is not enough to shout or get angry. It is not enough to rant and offend. To be a leader is to build consensus. As Danish Hans Christian Andersen wrote in the 19th century, the legend told in “The Emperor’s Clothes” happened to Jordan, it was enough for one person to recognize that the “King was naked” for the word to spread and expose it to the world.

“Buying the Bobcats was the culminating goal of my career: to own an NBA franchise,” Jordan said in 2010 in a statement, when he went from minority owner in 2006 to majority owner. “I am happy for the opportunity to achieve a winning team in my home state of North Carolina.”

Three general managers accompanied Jordan at the Bobcats-turned-Hornets since his arrival. Rod Higgins first (2007-2011), Rick Cho second (2011-2018) and Mitch Kupchak third and last (2018-present). Jordan has been the laughing stock of the NBA for his decisions, embodied in the various front office managers. When he was still president of the Wizards, he drafted Kwame Brown with the No. 1 pick in 2001 and it was the fiasco we all know. Then, already with the Bobcats, in 2006 he drafted Adam Morrison third over players like Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay. Or in 2011, when he selected Bismack Biyombo with the seventh pick over Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler. And in 2012, when he selected Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with the No. 2 pick over Bradley Beal (3rd) and Damian Lillard (6th). I could go on with many more and the list of hard-to-swallow picks would be huge.

Oh, I forgot: 2018 pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and traded him the same night to the Clippers for Mikal Bridges. Changing the subject.

They went in the first round: swept by the Heat in 2014 and fell in seven games, also to Miami, in 2016.

Jordan demonstrated, with his decision to leave the franchise as owner, his earthier side since he hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy in 1998 with the Bulls. From then until today, no one has questioned anything about his actions. To speak of Jordan was always to refer to a divinity on the court. No wonder: he earned it for being by far the most brilliant player of the modern era.

Genius on the inside, fiasco on the outside, his legacy to basketball will not change at all. Things don’t always go the way you expect them to, even for the greatest player of all time.

At the end of the day, we are all human beings, with flaws and virtues.

Fall down, get up, wipe your tears and get up again. That’s life for everyone.

Including, of course, Michael Jordan.