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Michael Jordan Refused to Pass the Torch to Young Star During Tragic Wizards Run That Dented His Legacy

Published 02/26/2022, 7:00 PM EST

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The Chicago Bulls are arguably one of the greatest teams to ever play in the NBA. Led by Michael Jordan, the super team won 6 NBA titles and dominated an entire decade. While Jordan’s stint with the Bulls will be forever remembered, his career had a quiet ending.

Many expected him to finish his glorious career with the Bulls, Jordan finally ended his long career with the Washington Wizards. While his time in Washington may not be remembered by many, Charles Oakley talks about MJ’s time in the Wizards.

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Talking in an interview, Oakley reveals how Jordan refused to pass the torch to a young star. Despite not being in his prime, MJ refused to play the second fiddle as mentioned by his former teammate Oakley.

Michael Jordan still wanted to be the main guy in the Wizards

Michael Jordan and his time in the Chicago Bulls is more than historic. Dubbed as one of the greatest teams to ever exist, the Bulls was led by Jordan. He went on to win 6 NBA titles with Chicago and establish himself as one of the greatest players ever.

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Charles Oakley played with Jordan during the early days of his career in the Bulls and also sided with him during the dawn of his career.

Talking in an interview, Oakley reveals the mindset Jordan had while playing in Washington. He said, “His athletic ability was about 8. He had lost some of it. Jerry thought the Wizards should pass the torch to him and let Michael be the second. He can have one leg, he’s still gonna be the main guy.”

This goes on to prove how Jordan still carried the same mindset, which made him great even while he had reached the end of his career.

Jordan in the Washington Wizards

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The Washington Wizards boast of having one of the greatest athletes ever retire in their team. While it may come as a surprise to many, Jordan did leave the Bulls and he ended his career elsewhere.

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Just a few weeks after the Bulls clinched the 1998 NBA championship, MJ parted ways with the franchise and announced his retirement for a second time. However, in 2001, Jordan announced his comeback in the league with the Washington Wizards. He averaged 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 2 seasons with the team.

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What is your favorite memory of Michael Jordan? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Abhinava Ghosh

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Abhinava is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication. Abhinava has been following NBA for the past 6 years and is a huge fan of the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry.
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