MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, 1 July 2003 — Michael Jordan once dominated National Basketball Association rivals, but the 40-year-old former superstar has been slam dunked by an NBA owner for the second time in two months since retiring.
Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl has foiled Jordan’s bid to purchase the NBA club, announcing here Sunday that he is taking the club off the market.
That move came hours after Kohl released Ernie Grunfeld from the final year of his contract as the Bucks general manager so he can take Jordan’s former job as president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards. Jordan left that post in 2001 to play the past two seasons for the Wizards with expectations he would return to the role after retirement, which came in April after the Wizards failed to make the playoffs.
But in May, Wizards owner Abe Pollin told Jordan he was no longer welcome. In addition to snubbing a man who made millions of dollars for his club, Pollin oversaw the firing of coach Doug Collins, Jordan’s handpicked selection.
Kohl, a US Senator, released a statement that said he has “decided not to sell the Milwaukee Bucks at his time, and will continue to own them, improve them, and commit them to remaining in Wisconsin.”
Newspaper reports in Milwaukee and Washington indicated Jordan’s group was set to take over the Bucks. But Kohl’s statement said talks had ended with Jordan.
“I must say that I enjoyed those conversations and was pleased with Michael’s commitment of substantial personal time and personal financial resources to the proposed transaction,” Kohl’s statement said.
“I was also impressed with the quality of the professionals that he was prepared to engage had we gone forward, as well as his willingness to make every effort to keep the team in Wisconsin. “I think Michael will be an excellent owner of an NBA franchise and have encouraged him, for the benefit of the NBA, to continue his consideration of such an investment. “On balance, I simply decided that I am not yet prepared to sell the team at this time and have instructed my representatives accordingly.”
