Pollin to make call on whether Jordan is best for franchise

WASHINGTON -- Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin wants to do what he believes is right for his team this time, even if that means saying goodbye to Michael Jordan.

At his state-of-the-union speech to Wizards employees last week, Pollin gave a hint of his mind-set heading into a crucial meeting with Jordan on Wednesday.

Pollin said while he has been always been a "league guy," he is now going to do "what's best for the franchise," according to two team sources familiar with the speech and speaking on condition of anonymity.

Pollin's clear implication was that he would not be swayed by anyone when he makes his decision about whether to continue his relationship with Jordan, who had planned to return to the Wizards' front office after his two seasons back on the court.

So, it's unclear if Pollin will welcome Jordan back as president of basketball operations next season. He held the job from January 2000 to September 2001, when he announced he would return as a player.

Authority debate

At today's meeting, Jordan will ask for the same authority he had before. Pollin will want to hear Jordan's plans.

"I'm just hoping that Michael and Mr. Pollin will be able to sit down together and get this resolved," coach Doug Collins said, "so we can move forward."

Despite reports of a rift within the franchise, Jordan said again this week that he wants to return.

"When I came down from the front office to play, I said at that time I wanted to play for two years then resume my duties running the basketball operation," Jordan told The Washington Post. "I always wanted to resume my responsibilities, always."

It's a difficult decision for Pollin, a 79-year-old owner looking for one more title. In the end, he must either turn away the world's most popular basketball personality and start from scratch or give control to someone whose management record is spotty at best.

The meeting comes amid a feeling of general discontent throughout the franchise. Players have been unhappy with Jordan and Collins.

Collins criticized players for being disrespectful. Jordan didn't like his teammates' effort. Pollin's sendoff for Jordan at the last home game was tepid, and his statements about the prospects of Jordan staying on have been surprisingly neutral.

The New York Times reported Sunday that unidentified team executives have concerns about Jordan's work ethic as an executive.

"If they've got a problem with me, I'd like to hear it from them," Jordan told the Post.

Working against Jordan is his record. The Wizards are 110-179 over 3 1/2 seasons since he became the top decision-maker -- he still essentially ran the team while he was playing. He acquired every player on the current roster except Jahidi White, yet the Wizards just finished 37-45 for a second season.

Collins points out that Jordan inherited a salary cap mess.

"I think it's moving in the right direction," said Collins, whose future will be in doubt if Jordan doesn't return. "For the organization to be in a situation where they'd want to start over, that would be awful. We're too close now."

If Pollin isn't confident in Jordan's ability, he might not like the alternative either. If nothing else, Jordan put the Wizards on the map. If he leaves, the franchise could easily return to its 1990s status as a nondescript perennial loser with no national profile.

Pollin and Jordan will have several questions to resolve. Will Jordan run the team from Washington or Chicago, where he won six championships with the Bulls? Will Jordan ask for say-so over how the team is marketed, infringing on the territory of Pollin loyalist Susan O'Malley? Jordan, Pollin and minority partner Ted Leonsis must also discuss the terms for Jordan to buy back a share of the team.

Pollin mentioned Leonsis in two other two key points to his speech last week. He said Leonsis would not be buying the WNBA's Mystics, and that there was no feud between Pollin and Leonsis, according to the sources.

Pollin, Jordan and Leonsis were unavailable for comment Tuesday.

If it doesn't work out, Jordan will contemplate his next move. He denied he has had preliminary talks with his friend Robert Johnson, who owns the new Charlotte franchise, but he knows there are others who would gladly take him on.

"My loyalty is to Ted Leonsis, to Abe Pollin and to D.C.," Jordan told the Post. "Now, if things don't work out in D.C., and I really want them to, then I may have to explore other options."