Michael Jordan was not quite the same player he had been in the 1990s when he attempted a second comeback with the Washington Wizards. But he certainly retained his staunch competitiveness.
Jordan's former Wizards teammate Richard Hamilton had some telling comments during an appearance for the All The Smoke podcast about playing with “His Airness” in D.C.
Hamilton said Laron Profit once tried talking some trash to MJ. It did not go well for Profit, as he was traded to the Orlando Magic later that season.
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Despite the fact Michael Jordan threw himself back into playing, it is worth noting he had been Washington's president of basketball operations prior to the comeback.
Needless to say, Mike still had plenty of sway in the Wizards' front office.
It is interesting that Hamilton is the one to tell this story, considering “Rip” would also become a trade piece shortly thereafter.
Hamilton was a 20-point scorer during Jordan's first season with the Wizards (2001-02), and he was easily one of the brightest young pieces on that roster.
But the Wizards flipped Hamilton to the Detroit Pistons for Jerry Stackhouse in the summer of 2002. Granted, Stackhouse was coming off back-to-back All-Star appearances, including a 2001-02 campaign in which he averaged close to 30 points per game.
Perhaps Jordan should have known he could not coexist with another volume scorer like Stack.
The Wizards failed to make any noise even after acquiring Stackhouse. Meanwhile, Hamilton and the Pistons would go on to win the NBA title in 2004 after a stunning upset of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jordan is widely regarded as one of the best players ever. The same cannot be said in terms of his time with the Wizards or Hornets ownership.
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