In NBA circles, the discussion between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan has been going on for a while, and it’s probably going to last long after the former decides to retire from the game. However, picture them working for the same company. In the same hallway are perhaps the two best shooting guards in NBA history.
Now picture it coming close to happening. When Bryant became a free agent in 2004, he intended to sign with the Washington Wizards, according to Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Bryant said to Lee, “That is true.” “Long time ago? Yes.
Naturally, Jordan returned to the court with the Wizards in 2001–2003. Jordan and Bryant conversed during that period, with the current Lakers star telling His Airness that he intended to sign with the Wizards upon becoming a free agency in 2004. It’s unknown if Jordan would have been participating in games or working in the front office.
The ideal was never realised since Jordan was fired from his post overseeing basketball operations and retired after the 2002–03 NBA season. Due to continuous internal conflict inside the Lakers, Bryant almost signed for the rival Clippers. However, he ultimately decided to re-sign and add two more championships to his resume. Bryant informed Lee that if Jordan had stayed with the team, those titles might have been in Washington:
“We would’ve put together a great team and we would’ve won championships. Listen, man. There are not a lot of players in this league that say, ‘Come hell or high water, we’re going to get this [expletive] done.’ People can look around and joke around about winning, saying they want to win. For me, it’s a matter of life or death. It was that important to me. And if it’s that important to me, I’m going to get there.
In their entire history, the Wizards have only won one championship, and they haven’t even won a division title in almost thirty years. Given Bryant’s injury situation, it’s unlikely that Washington supporters would make the trade-off at this time, as the team is sitting at 30-15 heading into Monday night and appears to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. However, Bryant and Jordan play for the same team? That will always rank among the greatest “what ifs” in NBA history.
