What do you see when you think of someone like Michael Jordan? You expect the fire, the grit, the no-nonsense swagger who lived and breathed basketball with an intensity few could match. But beyond the dunks and dominance, there’s a lesser-known side: a man whose heart often matched the size of his ambition. “Still got the same game, hasn’t gone anywhere,” Tracy Murray once told about Michael Jordan to the New York Times after Jordan’s second retirement. Despite being in his late 30s, he still possessed the same power and competitiveness. Off the court, he hadn’t changed either. Now, his former agent has recently revealed that Jordan was one of the greatest players in the league, not just because of his on-court presence, but also because of the kind of person he is, recalling one of his sacrifices.

Back in 2000, the former NBA player became part-owner and team president of the Washington Wizards. His former agent, David Falk, had organized a meeting for Jordan and the team. While he wasn’t present during that particular session, Falk remembered what had happened and how Jordan jumped in to save the situation. 

He recalled how one of the Washington legends, Wes Unseld, who was the then-former general manager of the team, had declared that he would quit after Jordan joined the team. “’If you leave, I will not come. I respect you, you paved the path for young players like myself, what’s the problem?’” Falk recalled Jordan’s words during his conversation with The Stephen A. Smith Show. When Jordan urged, Unseld revealed the reason to him. As Falk recounted, the Bulls player had immense respect for the veteran players before him. Not just a request, Jordan made a promise beyond his 

“(Former Wizards Owner) Abe Pollins runs around telling everyone else that ‘he’s like my father’ and I’m the lowest-paid general manager in the entire NBA. He’s disrespecting me, and I’m quitting, and Michael said to him, ‘Don’t, please don’t quit, I will take care of this,’” Falk said. That is when the Chicago Bulls legend discovered Unseld’s dissatisfaction and issues regarding his pay. Needless to mention, Jordan stepped up to help out during the situation.

During his visit to the former Wizards owner, Jordan suggested: “Why don’t you pay me $2 million. Give one of my two million to Wes, and I’m gonna give the other million to charity. He worked for free, and he took care of Wes,” Falk recalled.

Michael Jordan’s generosity wasn’t limited to grand gestures or public donations, but it was woven into the way he treated those around him. Whether helping former teammates, supporting community initiatives, or quietly backing those in need, Jordan consistently used his influence and resources to uplift others without seeking recognition. Similarly, Unseld has always spoken highly of Jordan, except for one thing!. And he used it to solve the issue.

Why did the Wizards’ locker room refuse this one gesture for Michael Jordan? 

Jordan’s time with the Wizards is well known. Unseld acknowledged that the 6x NBA champion was crucial to the team, particularly in boosting ticket sales. However, in terms of on-court performance, Jordan was unable to lead the team to the playoffs during his tenure.

In a conversation with Washington Post columnist Mike Wise, Unseld noted that while Jordan had led the Chicago Bulls to six championships, he couldn’t build the same kind of relationship with his Wizards teammates. Much later, Wise shared that conversation on Slate’s Hang Up and Listen podcast. 

“Wes Unseld told me this. He said, ‘Michael has been great for many of us in this organization in ways that has raised the value of the franchise, has made us respectable in other ways. And yet, he’s poisoned the locker room,’” Wise recalled. How did Unseld know there was tension? He realized it during Jordan’s retirement. 

Unseld revealed that when he asked the team if anyone wanted to contribute to a retirement gift for Jordan, no one stepped forward. Years later, Gilbert Arenas, who joined the Wizards after Jordan, felt a similar sentiment, that the younger players couldn’t relate to Jordan’s intense competitiveness and weren’t particularly fond of him. While he might not have been able to build the same old connection, Jordan’s sacrifice for Unseld shows how much he cared for the team!