The Charlotte Hornets made the NBA Playoffs last season as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, and showed the potential for the future that they have been building toward. Heading into this past offseason, they needed to bring in another player that could help shoulder the scoring load and help them finish off games down the stretch.
Michael Jordan was able to go out and bring in former Indiana Pacers’ star Lance Stephenson, who will fit in perfectly this season.
On paper, they have the type of team that can make a run in the Eastern Conference, and compete for an NBA Finals appearance. They obviously have an uphill battle to beat teams like the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, but they have a lot of talent and their potential is nearly through the roof. Jordan is excited about the upcoming season, and would love nothing more than to win another NBA championship, this time as an owner.
"“I’m always dreaming about that seventh ring. And to get to that would be much more gratifying. I played this game for a long time and I always took criticism in a way that’s going to make me better as a basketball player and I could affect the game per se. Here, I can’t do that other than talking to my other employees or coaches or players.”"
Having an owner like Jordan has helped the Hornets compete for bigger names on the free agent market. Both Al Jefferson and Stephenson were intrigued by the opportunity to play for Jordan, and his presence helped close deals. The Hornets also made a couple other nice additions this offseason in Marvin Williams, P.J. Hairston, and Noah Vonleh.
Since Jordan became the teams majority owner in 2010, the Hornets have gone through quite a bit of up-and-down situations. He has had to deal with not being able to watch from the sidelines rather than being on the court and impacting the game, and that has been the most difficult part of being an owner for him.
It was the love of basketball that got Jordan back into the game as an owner, and he is very thankful to Bob Johnson for giving him the opportunity.
"“The reason for getting in was because I love basketball. Bob presented an opportunity to me which I’m very thankful of and a dream of mine to own a basketball team. I understood the city of Charlotte and the state of North Carolina is basketball country. I felt like I could contribute and make a difference within this franchise from an ownership standpoint … That was my purpose for buying.”"
He has won the hearts of Charlotte fans, especially now that he has replaced the team name with the Hornets once again. While Jordan may still deal with wanting to get out on the court, he has been improving as an owner and as a team builder. The Hornets wouldn’t be where they’re at right now without his leadership and basketball vision.
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Needless to say, the Hornets are going to be one of the more exciting teams to watch this year. They have a lot of young talent and playmakers who will never let games get dull. Jordan has put together a team that should play well together, and they are in a position to compete and move up in the Eastern Conference.
It’s always intriguing to hear the greatest player in NBA history talk, but it’s obvious that he wants another ring. Perhaps the Hornets can get him that ring in the next few seasons.