Not many in the NBA community could say no to Michael Jordan but the Washington Wizards owner was a different breed. MJ’s stint with the Wizards after his second retirement was a clear indication that he was not done with the game. It started with minority ownership in the franchise and the position of head of basketball operations. Jordan’s desire to create a winning culture, however, was so strong that he gave up the ownership and stepped back on the court. But things did not go the way he would’ve imagined. Unraveling what was going on behind the scenes was Gilbert Arenas on REAL ONES with Jon Bernthal. 

Appearing on the podcast, Arenas recalled the time when he had heard that His Airness would not be on the Wizards. And that the franchise was going to approach him. “I remember we went there, talked to Abe [Pollin]. First question, my dad, because my dad’s a Jordan fan. So he was like, ‘So why isn’t Jordan here?’… He wanted to go there so he can meet Jordan again for third time.” 

The ex-Warriors star further stated Pollin told his father the entire thing with Mike. Pollin’s courage to say no to someone like His Airness left Gil’s father impressed. “Because Michael Jordan, the way he was talking to some of the guys… Those young guys didn’t like it. And the owner stood up for them,” Arenas recalled.

Hearing Pollin’s reason and backstory, Arenas’ father had a newfound respect for the then Wizards owner. “My dad was like, ‘This is a good man… He chose men over money…'” And this was a big thing coming from Gilbert Arenas Sr., considering he himself was a big-time Jordan fan.

As stated by the 3x All-Star himself on REAL ONES with Jon Bernthal, the only thing his father ever forced him to do was Jordan camp. One of the main reasons being that he could himself meet MJ. No wonder he was impressed with Collin for standing up to the person whom not just he but almost the entire NBA community admired.

Michael Jordan’s unceremonious exit from Washington

When MJ came out of retirement (for the second time) to join the Wizards, fans were equal parts thrilled and curious. But looking back, even the 6x NBA champ admits it wasn’t his best move. “One of the bad decisions I made was to go back and play,” he confessed during a 2005 interview with Marvin R. Shanken.

Sure, it scratched his competitive itch and gave him a firsthand look at the team’s talent, something that he wasn’t able to do just being the minority owner and head of basketball operations. But here’s the catch–Jordan’s legendary drive didn’t sit well with everyone. He admitted that his intense style of play—and his habit of being brutally honest—alienated his teammates.

“I became more critical of them because of the way I played the game… and the players didn’t respond to that,” he explained. But the drama didn’t stop there. When MJ’s farewell season ended, most people thought he’d slide back into his role as the Wizards’ basketball operations president.

Instead, team owner Abe Pollin decided to part ways, offering Jordan a $10 million thank-you check instead. Think MJ took it? Nope. According to Gilbert Arenas, Jordan threw the check back and stormed out, shouting, “f-ck off”. While MJ’s anger is justified on his end, Pollin’s will to stand for his team should also be appreciated.