Draymond GreenForward, Golden State Warriors

Gilbert Arenas talks about bringing the Wizards out of the Jordan era #shorts #nba #michaeljordan

6 Mar 2023 · 0 min

Watch on YouTube

0:27

Gilbert Arenas recalls Wizards owner Abe Pollard asking him to shift focus away from Michael Jordan's legacy and build the team's own identity. Arenas knew it was a tough ask but committed to changing the narrative around the franchise.

I had the relationship with the owner, you know, Mr. Abe Pollard, rest in peace. Me and him, you know, had the conversation that all he asked for is, "Get me out of the Jordan era. Everyone's killing me about Jordan. I need you to make them stop talking about Jordan and, you know, what happened with us. I'm indebted to you." And I said, "All right, I got you." And that was it. That's a tall task. You know what I mean?
That's a tall task.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Make people forget about Michael Jordan. That's a tall task.
Think about it. It's MJ, and you were supposed to be an owner. You didn't hire him as an owner. He was getting killed in the media, you know? So he was like, you know, "Make them forget about this," you know, "and focus on, you know, the team." And I was like, "All right, hey, I'mma go out there and do my best." And he was like, "As long as you're, you know, doing what you're doing, I'm gonna push for you."