Monday, March 22, 2010

Bobcats Extra: Jordan's Open Letter

After taking over the Charlotte Bobcats last Thursday, new Majority Owner Michael Jordan said that he wants to get it back to the way it should be, referring to the days when Charlotte's first NBA franchise, the Charlotte Hornets, sold out the Charlotte Coliseum for 344 consecutive games and led the league in attendance for 8 out of 9 seasons during their 14 year run in Charlotte.

Yesterday in the Charlotte Observer, Jordan wrote an Open Letter to the City of Charlotte talking about what he wants to do to bring the people of this city to support the Bobcats down the stretch on the road towards possibly their first ever Playoff appearance in their 6-year history. In it, Jordan said that he is here to "Build a legacy as a owner by turning this into a model franchise that's focused on winning and creating a great fan experience."

One of those two goals are being met as we speak, as the Bobcats are currently 35-34 and are in 7th place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Jordan also went on to say that "I want to build a connection between this team and this community." in which the Bobcats are mostly active throughout North and South Carolina and he wanted the fans of the Charlotte Bobcats to join him on this journey by saying "Owning this team is my number one priority. I will do that by putting a winning team on the floor, making the experience at a Bobcats game memorable, and I want you to be a proud supporter of the Bobcats."

These reasons that Michael Jordan talked about in yesterday's open letter truly meant that he wants the people of Charlotte to get behind their Bobcats in the final 13 games of the season and be there at Time Warner Cable Arena, where Jordan wants to get it back to the days of when the Coliseum was the place to be during the Hornet years and if he commits to doing it, Jordan could cement his name as one of the NBA's best owners down the road.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Bobcats Extra: Jordan wants to lead by example as Bobcats owner

After much speculation and weeks of planning, the Charlotte Bobcats are now in the hands of one Michael Jeffrey Jordan. The NBA's Board of Governors approved his purchase of the team from Bob Johnson yesterday for $250 million, after reaching a deal to buy the team last month, and now the next chapter in the history of Charlotte Bobcats Basketball has commenced and it was already commenced last night, when the Bobcats gave Jordan his first win as their new owner by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In a press conference that was held today at Time Warner Cable Arena, Johnson said that "Today the similar event you'll always remember is when Michael Jordan becomes the new majority owner of the Bobcats." says Johnson, the teams outgoing owner who founded the team back in 2003. "Michael, you got to come down to Charlotte, and I'll tell you now, it was the best decision I've ever made for the Charlotte Bobcats." Johnson said.

Jordan became a part of the Bobcats family back in 2006 and over the last couple of seasons, Jordan has made some good and bad moves, which included 3 good moves during his time, bringing in Hall of Fame Head Coach Larry Brown, trading to get Stephen Jackson and just recently, bringing in Tyrus Thomas and Theo Ratliff, and some of his bad moves included hiring Sam Vincent and drafting Adam Morrison.

In his first remarks as the team's new boss, Jordan says "I love the game of Basketball, I grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, went to the University of North Carolina, and I basically established myself as a kid leaving home, and here I am, back home in North Carolina." says Jordan, "It's a dream come true for me. I am dedicated to do that and I am looking for any way to get it back to the way it should be."

During the first 5 years of the team's existence, the Bobcats had been somewhat cellar-dwellers, but let's fast forward to this season. Charlotte is on the verge of breaking through in the Eastern Conference playoff race as they hold on to the 6th spot in the Eastern Conference.

"I think we've made a lot of great strides, getting to the Playoffs, that's the goal, and I just want the city to experience what winning is all about." Jordan quoted, "Making the playoffs sets a certain standard. Each and every time you meet a certain plateau. Once I make the Playoffs, I want to go deep into the playoffs."