Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, and John Paxson….all three Chicago Bulls…all three hit title clinching shots. All three have secure legacies in the NBA.

Somewhere along the line, team owners felt that the success the three players had on court would translate into front office success as well. Well, with Isiah Thomas gone, it seems more like each is trying to hit the title winning shot to claim a championship as worst executive in the league.

Michael Jordan is the best player to ever play the game. Six Rings, 5 MVPs, 14 All Star games are among his accomplishments. Will he become the first two time “Worst Executive Ever” to add to the total? Jordan has already failed miserably with the Wizards. During Jordan’s tenure the team went only 110-179…traded Rip Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse, drafted bust Kwame Brown and ultimately did so little for the franchise that he ended up losing his job. It isn’t as though Jordan completely screwed the team though…he was brought in to help improve the team and failed.

Robert Johnson took a flier on Jordan’s popularity and his hope that Jordan could also help improve the Charlotte Bobcats. Although the jury is still out on the Bobcats long term outlook, Jordan’s draft selection of and subsequent trade of Adam Morrison brings to light his affinity for being a poor evaluator of talent. It may be time for Jordan to fade into the background and let a basketball mind take over in Charlotte..it is clear that he is not interested in building a team…and his front office forays have been nothing more than a curious desire to hang on to his past glories.

John Paxson took over the Bulls in 2003 when it became clear that Jerry Krause no longer wanted to chase the dream of showing the world that “great organizations, and not great teams” win championships. Since 2003 the Bulls have been on again / off again as title contenders. Paxson has drafted reasonably well bringing in talents like Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Derrick Rose (the jury still being out on Joakim Noah)…but the acquisition of and subsequent trade of Ben Wallace seems to stick out more than any good Paxson has brought to the team. As far as execs go Joe Dumars is head and shoulders above many a GM in the NBA…and if he wasn’t willing to go the extra mile to retain Wallace – all other GMs should have questioned their own selfish motives before signing Big Ben. The Bulls are 190-217 in Paxson’s tenure.

Where Jordan and Paxson were tasked with turning teams around and having mixed results, Steve Kerr was handed a perennial title contending team and has completely dismantled it. Whereas it can be argued that Mike D’Antoni may never win a title with his style of basketball, Kerr’s hiring coupled with his trade of Shawn Marion to Miami for Shaquille ONeal completely changed the chemistry of the team and destroyed any chance that we will ever find out about D’Antoni’s schemes winning a title . The core of the team has been gutted…Kurt Thomas, Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, the aforementioned Marion and now the rumors swirling around Amare Stoudamire being traded will send the Suns back to the bubble in the West…this even though the west has become the easier division to contend in.

Jordan, Paxson, Kerr, and Isiah Thomas have all been terrible executives. Add to the list Kevin McHale, and despite what the Celtics are doing now Danny Ainge has been a terrible executive. In fact the only former star in recent years to have a successful tenure as a GM has been Larry Bird. That is 1 of 7 off the top of my head – and I am sure I am leaving someone out. Is it not apparent that being a GM is much like being a coach in that the most successful ones are rarely the ones that had tremendous success on the court?

Those who can – do…those who cannot – teach.

You want your team to have success…pray that ownership doesn’t hire a former NBA All Star to run your team.

Ed Note: Commenters correctly pointed out that Larry Bird’s success was mainly the result of Donnie Walsh’s work…this makes Ainge’s one championship with the Celtics more impressive than Bird’s zero. Additionally, I mentioned Dumars brilliance earlier in the post, however failed to name him in the recollection of the post when naming GMs. In retrospect Joe Dumar’s is the exception to the rule when it comes to star players as GMs in the NBA. Ainge did win a championship with the Celtics which arguably makes him a close second to Dumars, however – Ainge was not considered a good GM until he got help from his former Celtic buddy and fellow terrible GM, Kevin McHale.

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