Michael Jordan, the scourge of the players

"If you can not make a profit, you should sell the team." These words, addressed to then-Wizards owner Abe Polin, out of the mouth of Michael Jordan in a meeting during the 'lockout' of 1998. Jordan then hurried their options to keep playing (announced his retirement months later) and sat at the negotiating table on the side of the players, trying to get the best deal for him and his companions.

Now, 13 years later, Jordan returned to the negotiating table while sitting on the other side. In fact, now he is the owner who takes advantage of his team. Perhaps it has emerged as the leader of the most inflexible owners throughout the negotiation. The owners of the smaller franchises. Jordan is the voice of the 14 owners opposed to making any concessions over his former teammates in order to try to alleviate the economic losses of these teams in recent seasons.

The basketball player who changed the faction leader of the negotiating harder and is not willing to give the players more than 50% of BRI. In fact, notes the New York Times, during meetings held by owners have been able to see a Michael Jordan angry with their more powerful. Jordan and the other set would not yield more modest 47% to players and is quite upset when negotiators agreed to extend the NBA players to a 50-50.

Such was the anger of Jordan and the other smaller owners, according to sources close to the negotiations, are willing to boycott the agreement , if the players transferred. Once an agreement is reached, the measures taken must be approved by a majority in the Assembly of owners. Jordan speaks on behalf of 14 owners and the time to convince one more (there are 30 franchises) would defeat the vote.

The very 'New York Times points to the reason for Jordan to close at band to negotiate the BRI. According to the newspaper New York, Jordan would have hardened their position to try to obtain benefits and attract new buyers to the Bobcats. The American newspaper suggests that some minority shareholders want to leave Jordan alone and are looking for buyers for their shareholdings. A sale, with the numbers who have left the Bobcats in recent seasons (one speaks of seven million dollars in annual losses) does not seem feasible. For the time being.