Great Players Make (bad) GMs

Aside from Gretzky and Lemiuex, name another star player who owns a big time sports franchise.
Jerry Richardson?, Not really a star player.

Lived in the DC area during Jordan's ill fated attempt to be a GM, he was awful and would have been worse than Thomas had Abe Pollin not out smarted him.

 

Chris Mullin?
Joe Dumars?

 

Mullin was generally considered to be awful up until this year, it's not like the Warriors set the world on fire during the regular season (#8 seed), and after the huge upset of the Mavs, were wiped out by the Jazz. If the Warriors had missed the playoffs by a game or two -- or gotten broomed in the first round by Dallas -- Mullin would still be considered an idiot.

Dumars' status as a genius has taken some hits lately too. Everything is forgiven of course if they win it all, but it's not hard to see this team falling apart in a big hurry. If they don't re-sign Billups this summer, everything could fall apart at the seams very quickly.

 

1) Bird is team president. Walsh is GM. 2) Bird as president came after the trade for Artest by a couple years, but don't let facts get in the way of your hatred of all things NBA.

 

Jordan was never Isaiah bad. We need more categories.

 

The number of outstanding GMs is limited just like the number of superstars are.

Isaiah Thomas is in a class by himself as far as being awful. He's ruined several teams and an entire minor league. The only possible explanation is that he has a gallery of incriminating pictures and information.

 

Bird tolerated having Artest and Jackson on the roster. If you're the team president, and your GM (Walsh) is doing something stupid, like building your roster around psychotic maladjusted thugs, you order him to stop it, or else he's fired. So eventually, it all comes back to Bird.

The building-your-roster-around-headcases strategy seems to have a proven track record. Exhibit A: the Portland Trail Blazers (several editions). Exhibit B: the New York Knicks. Exhibit C: the Indiana Pacers. Exhibit D: the Sacramento Kings.

I think we're seeing a pretty consistent pattern of outcomes here.

 

Jordan has the potential to worse but lacks the desire

 

Um, WRONG. Bird never acquired Artest. He came to the Pacers during the Isiah era nearly two seasons before Bird took over.

 

The 2006-07 New York Islanders, save for the Ryan Smyth acquisition, were put together by Neil Smith.

 

He tolerated keeping him on the roster, the wisdom of which, after Auburn Hills (Artest should have gone to jail as a result) should have been self-evident.

 

You mean with his carefully-crafted plan to win the draft lottery and get Crosby?

His ownership has been something of a sham anyway. He's been out front but the money man is billionaire Ron Burkle. They spent five years poor-mouthing when the owner could have written a personal check for the entire NHL.