He is regarded as the best basketball player of all-time, a player who made the NBA an international brand, and now seven years after he played his last NBA game Michael Jordan became the first ex-NBA player to be a majority owner of an NBA team.
Jordan took control of the Charlotte Bobcats officially on Thursday night, from former owner Bob Johnson in front of a few hundred season ticket holders and said he would take an active role in running the franchise.
“I've never been asked to be out at the forefront of an organisation. I never had the financial commitment to do that. Now I have. Now I'm involved. How can I not, when I'm owning 80 percent of the basketball team, not put my face on the organisation?” Jordan said.
Jordan's $275million purchase of the club from Bob Johnson was approved by the rest of the league's owners on Wednesday and he is determined to make the franchise a success.
“For me, everybody just wants to see us win. Doesn't matter if it's me. Doesn't matter if it's Bob. Doesn't matter if it's anybody else. I'm happy to be in this position and given this opportunity by Bob.
"But that part of being the first athlete to control his own team is secondary in terms of me trying to provide a winning program here in Charlotte,” Jordan added.
The 47-year-old will assume about $150million in debt in the deal and becomes the second black majority owner of a major pro sports team, replacing the first in Johnson, who paid $300million for the Bobcats.
Jordan has already made some impressive moves this season signing Stephen Jackson from the Golden State Warriors, a move which has helped the team sixth seed in the east.
“You guys got to admit on nights where we play well and we can beat the Lakers, we can beat Cleveland on the road, we can beat Orlando on the road, man, the imagination runs wild," Jordan said. "With that said, I'd like to see where this imagination takes us."
Asked whether criticism would deter him from owning the team Jordan was upbeat when he said: "I've dealt with criticism my whole career and each and every time it's been a motivating factor for me.”
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