Michael Jordan was slammed as an owner, but a former player is not letting that slide

Raymond Felton came to MJ’s defense.

Dec 7, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets team owner Michael Jordan yells at an official in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images / Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

Michael Jordan’s tenure as an NBA owner came nowhere close to the success he experienced as a player. That said, he was the greatest to ever do it, and to replicate that level of success in a completely different role is an unfair ask.

In Jordan’s 13 seasons as the Charlotte Hornets’ owner, his team compiled a record of 423-600, making the playoffs just three times and failing to win a single series. The 7-59 year in 2011-12 is one of the worst marks in pro sports history, but the Bugs put up several other horrendous seasons.

Over the years, Jordan caught a lot of flak for Charlotte’s shortcomings, but former Charlotte guard Raymond Felton came to his defense in a recent appearance on Podcast P with Paul George.

“MJ as an owner is how he was as a player. He was super competitive. He hated to lose. He came in the locker room many times and told us how he felt about how we was playing. A lot of people give him dirt about being an owner, but a lot of people don’t understand, man, it’s not easy. You’re taking a chance and drafting kids, signing people in free agency, and you just don’t know how things are going to pan out. I think he gets a lot of scrutiny from that. And I mean, obviously, he ain’t going to live up to being anything else in life outside of being the man who he is in the game of basketball. He’s the goat. Anything he do ain’t going to live up to that. But, you know, people always got a lot of negativity when it comes to him as a basketball owner.”