Michael Jordan holds meeting with Charlotte Hornets players
What's the story?
Michael Jordan held a meeting with the Charlotte Hornets roster to decipher the concerns of the team before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
In case you didn't know...
The Hornets are in the midst of a poor run of form - they have lost seven on their last eight games and 13 of their last 17.
The heart of the matter...
Charlotte Hornets owner, Michael Jordan, is on the lookout for answers and wants to know any problems that the players might be facing.
According to Marvin Williams, Jordan wasn't hostile or argumentative in his approach and that he wanted to understand the players' standpoint as he reported to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer: "It wasn't a talking-to. He wanted to hear what our thoughts were, where we wanted to be. He gave his input on what he's seen, what he would like to see going forward. It was very constructive, very appreciative, and very much needed."
The coaching staff were not present in the room for this meeting according to Bonnell. Even after Jordan's confrontation, they ended up losing 110-99 to the Lakers.
Bonnell described Jordan as "looking understandably glum" after the defeat as he left the arena.
The Hornets are only above the tanking Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls as they have crashed to the 13th spot in the Eastern Conference after an impressive 5-3 start to this season. They suffered an overtime defeat to the Bulls on Friday, too.
What's next?
The Charlotte Hornets (9-16) will play against the Oklahoma City Thunder (12-13) on Monday evening.
Author's take
Looking at their situation in recent games, Jordan's intervention is justified and just as Williams said, was much needed.
They have been a below average side for the past few seasons now, showing little signs of significant improvement. His words are unlikely to have had an instant impact on them but should provide enough motivation for them to improve and individually perform better for the remainder of the season.