By Fitzgerald Cecilio

Charlotte, NC

In an apparent change in management style, Charlotte Bobcats owner and basketball legend Michael Jordan has relegated decision-making duties to general manager Rich Cho and his staff.

According to ESPN Magazine, Jordan decided to step aside and let Cho run the show after the Bobcats finished last season with a 7-59 record and a .106 winning percentage, the worst in league history.

Cho was hired last year to replace Rod Higgins as GM after a one-year stint with the Portland Trail Blazers.

"In order to win basketball games, Michael Jordan has removed himself from the equation. He's promised his front office staff that he'll let them do their jobs without his shadow looming over their war-room marker boards," the report said.

"More unlikely still, he's handed over the reins of the Bobcats to a next-generation GM, armed with high-level metrics, to do for Charlotte what he helped do for Oklahoma City — and in doing so, salvage Jordan's flagging basketball reputation," the report added.

Cho has already exercised his decision-making powers when he used the No. 2 overall pick to select Kentucky swingman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist over Thomas Robinson of Kansas.

"In today's world of restricted free agency, that's much tougher to do than it used to be. It's a system where a team that has a player isn't going to lose that player easily. That limits the shopping list. A young guy isn't going anywhere because a team is willing to spend on potential. So we have to find potential," said Cho.

Before Jordan took over the team, the Bobcats clinched their first-ever playoff appearance, finishing the season with a record of 44-38. However, they were swept by the Orlando Magic in the first round.

In his first season as owner, Jordan hired Larry Brown to coach the team but after a dismal 9-19 start, Brown stepped down and was replaced by Paul Silas. The Bobcats finished the season with a 34-48 record, 25-29 under Silas.

 

MJ Relegates Bobcats Decision-Making Duties to Rich Cho