When Michael Jordan reacted to getting fired from Washington Wizards in a GQ interview from 2007: "You look at yourself like, God, you're so stupid"

The Washington Wizards fired Michael Jordan as the team's president of basketball operations on May 7, 2003, shortly after his third retirement. Jordan felt betrayed by then-Wizards owner Abe Pollin, but he reacted in a different way four years later.

In an interview with Larry Platt of GQ Magazine in 2007, Jordan was asked if getting fired by the Wizards continued to motivate him. At this point, "His Airness" was a minority owner and managing member of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats, now the Hornets.

"Washington was one of those situations where you go in knowing that you want to have control, but then you decide to trust certain people," Jordan said. "You think the risk will never come up and bite you. And when it does, you look at yourself like, God, you're so stupid."

Despite most considering him a failed executive, Michael Jordan looked at his tenure with the Washington Wizards differently. MJ believes that he was successful on the business side of things.

"Everyone thinks I did such a terrible job in Washington," Jordan said. "And now it's a challenge to prove them wrong. We didn't make the playoffs, but I think in terms of where Washington is now, it's because of what we did from a business standpoint. Setting up the cap room, getting out of debt. No one looks at that as a success, which drives me nuts."

After a few years as a minority owner of his hometown team, Jordan became the majority owner in February 2010. He was the first former NBA player to own a franchise. He was also the lone African-American majority owner in the league at the time.

To read Michael Jordan's entire interview with GQ Magazine in 2007, click here.

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Michael Jordan's tenure as an executive and owner

Michael Jordan at the 2016 NBA All-Star Game

Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all time. However, the same cannot be said for his tenure as an executive for the Washington Wizards and owner of the Charlotte Hornets.

Jordan's worst decision as president of basketball operations for the Wizards was drafting Kwame Brown first overall in 2001. Brown might be the biggest draft bust in NBA history. MJ could have picked Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson or Tyson Chandler over Brown.

MJ has had no success as an owner either. The Hornets have made the playoffs three times since Jordan became the majority owner. In those three postseason appearances, Charlotte never made it out of the first round and were swept twice.

The draft picks during the Jordan era in Charlotte do not look good either. Adam Morrison over Brandon Roy, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist over Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal, Noah Vonleh over Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk over Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo are some of the questionable choices his front office made.

Nevertheless, the Hornets got it right with Kemba Walker, who is one of the greatest players in team history. LaMelo Ball was also a great decision, but they need to surround him with talent to make him stay for as long as possible.

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