Michael Jordan withdraws his participation in the Presidents Cup – NBA Update
NBA legend and Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan has withdrawn from the Presidents Cup. Jordan cited the NBA labour dispute and the ongoing lockout as the reason for not attending the event, which will be held in Australia
later this month.
The Presidents Cup is a prestigious golf tournament played between an American team and one comprising golfers from outside Europe. Fred Couples was named as captain of the American team and asked Jay Haas and Jordan to join him
as assistants.
Jordan had participated in the event as an honorary member previously but declined because he thought his presence was required in the USA with the NBA lockout still going on.
"After careful consideration, it is with regret that I have decided to cancel my trip to Australia later this month for The Presidents Cup," Jordan said in a statement released by the PGA Tour. "With the NBA labour situation unsettled,
as the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, I feel it is necessary that I remain in the country. It was an honour to have been chosen by Fred Couples to serve as a captain's assistant. I wish Fred and the United States team the best of luck."
The basketball legend will be replaced by John Cook, an 11-time PGA Tour winner who is playing in this week's Charles Schwab Cup on the Champions Tour. He is a friend of Tiger Woods, who will also be featuring on the American team.
Fred couples also released a statement to accept Jordan’s decision.
"While the team will miss his friendship, spirit and leadership, we certainly understand the complexity of his current team obligations," Couples said.
The NBA is currently in a lockout stretching back to over 4 months as the NBA owners and players continue to brawl over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The league has claimed that it lost money for many of the previous years
and $300 million alone last season. They want an overhaul of the financial system in the NBA that will guarantee all 30 teams significant profits.
Players have accepted credible cuts in their salaries but are willing to go to the extent that owners demand. They point out that no business guarantees profits and if owners manage the franchises with an ounce of intelligence
then they won’t be in the situation they currently are.
Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, is now a majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. He has previously made headlines during the lockout by breaking NBA Commissioner David Stern’s gag order regarding
the dispute. Jordan had spoken to an Australian publication about the NBA lockout and was fined $100,000 by Stern, who recently fined Micky Arison a whooping 500,000 dollars for committing the same folly.
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