JORDAN'S RULES STILL IN EFFECT?

[DR. P]

Just thought I'd see whether you guys perceive the apparent "Jordan's Rules" carrying over to the front office. Seems an e-mailer questioned ESPN about the double standard applied to the Cavs and MJ's Zards. Let me know what you think:


FAN'S QUESTION

Q: Interesting anecdote recently about LeBron James and Michael Jordan playing pickup ball together. But you seem to think the most important question raised by that story is whether or not LeBron can play with the big boys. I think a much more significant question is: Why were Jordan and the Wizards not punished? Earlier this year, the Cavaliers were hit with a stiff fine -- and their coach suspended -- for daring to have James present at an offseason workout. Yet here is Jordan, representing the Wizards' front office, doing the exact same thing, and there's not even a hint of displeasure from the NBA. Perhaps I don't have my facts straight and these are two totally different situations. Is there actually some legitimate reason Jordan is allowed to work out a high school student while the Cavs are not? Or is the moral of the story the same garbage we've been fed for almost 20 years -- that Michael Jordan can do no wrong in the NBA's eyes, whether he's committing blatant fouls, feeding his colossal gambling addiction, forging close off-court relationships with referees or circumventing the league's rules about draft-ineligible players?

ESPN'S RESPONSE

LeBron James scrimmaged with MJ the player, not MJ the GM.

A: Fair question, Nathan, but the circumstances are different. Even though we all know that MJ unofficially still rules the front office in D.C., he isn't a member of the Wizards' management team officially. He surrendered that status when he came back as a player (again), and players aren't forbidden from fraternizing with players during the offseason. So, technically, there is no violation. The Cavs were dinged because LeBron was brought to their practice facility to work out with Cavs players and in the presence of team officials. That's the violation. The pickup games in question are closed to the Chicago public and closed to NBA executives. With all the hype LeBron has been getting for years now, he was inevitably going to get lots of invites to glamorous pick-up games over the summer. Can't blame him for wanting to prove himself on MJ's court.

Best,

P

[Rens]

Like, where Jordan was allowed to carry the ball over and over and over again and the rest of the league wasn't

[scubilete]

I believe both of them have some point there.
Why did the Cavs got punished? it could be unfair now that you know a lot of players don't go to college, Starks was recruited from the streets as well as Mason I believe, maybe they attended college but became players directly from the streets, Starks played I believe in the 90 season for Golden State and never came back til Pat Riley decided to give him a chance. That other guy, the James one, he's a player like anyone else I believe, so don't know why really was the punishment. If there's punishment for you to try to recruit some highschool player or elementary school player, you could use the excuse that the guy just wanted to improve his level of playing, like they are using that one with MJ. Regarding the MJ matter, I remember when Magic Retired for the first time, he wanted to buy a team and he said he had few guys he thought were prepared to play in the league, he didn't mentioned who those were but being part of the Lakers Organization like he is, having share stocks there I believe, he would be punished like you want MJ or the Wiz to be punished, so I think there's for real some exception for those who play to workout with kids.

[TheBob]

I don't think this is even remotly a double standard. The Cavs got penalized because they brought Lebron in for an OFFICIAl practice I believe, whereas Jordan had him playing in private games with other Nba players. Lebron wasn't playing with the Wizards team so you could say that the other NBA players are as much at fault seen as they get to see first hand how good Lebron is too. Finally, as someone mentioned previously, MJ is no longer a member of the Washington front office so he isn't breaking any rules.