HoopsHype.com Rumors

Asked if he had ever spoken with Michael Jordan about a possible reunion in Charlotte, Phil Jackson said, yes, in fact, they had. But it was in that playful Jacksonian way that slams the door on a budding issue before reopening it just a crack. “Last year when he was searching for a coach, we talked about it,” he said. “We talked a little bit about what he was looking for. I had a couple of people I could recommend to him. He said, ‘You’re not interested in this, are you?’ I said, no, I’m not, I can’t do that right now.” New York Times

Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Coaching 

If given the choice of any player in NBA history to start a franchise, legendary coach Phil Jackson says Celtics center Bill Russell would win out over his former player Michael Jordan. “In my estimation, the guy that has to be there would be Bill Russell. He has won 11 championships as a player,” Jackson said in an interview with Time. “That’s really the idea of what excellence is, when you win championships.” SI.com

Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Bill Russell 

In addition to his 11 titles with the Celtics in the 1950s and 1960s, Russell was a five-time MVP and 12-time All-Star. Jordan won six championships playing for the Bulls in the 1990s under Jackson, earning five MVP awards and 14 All-Star Game selections. Jackson dodged when asked to select between Jordan and Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, whom he coached to five titles between 2000 and 2010. “I would flip a coin,” he said. “Whichever one came up heads or tails, I’d take that person. They were that good.” SI.com

Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson 

Rick Bonnell: There's a misconception Hornets name change took less than 18 months. Benson made request even before closing on purchase. Twitter @rick_bonnell

Charlotte Bobcats, New Orleans Pelicans, Michael Jordan, Tom Benson, Charlotte Hornets 

Jordan said his hope in pursuing the Hornets name is to move the atmosphere at Time Warner Cable Arena toward what it was like at Charlotte Coliseum when he played there as a Chicago Bull in the late ’80s and ’90s. “When I first played here years ago, the thing I was totally astounded by was the energy. I wanted to bring that energy back,’’ Jordan said. “(This decision) says a lot about how we’ve taken the input from our community and put that in action.” Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan, Charlotte Hornets 

Jordan said the team wouldn’t try to assume the Hornets’ records from when they were in Charlotte, but is interested in embracing players from that era. “When the time comes we want to incorporate some of the past,” Jordan said. “Dell (Curry) is with the team (as a television analyst) and I believe Muggsy (Bogues) is in town.” Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan, Charlotte Hornets 

Jordan acknowledged this name change is just one aspect of the many fixes the franchise needs. The Bobcats were an NBA-worst 28-120 over the past two seasons and will have their third head coach in as many seasons, after firing Mike Dunlap. “I understand the name is a name. What we want to be proud of is what’s on the basketball court,” Jordan said. “I totally understand that. I’m not running away from that.” Asked about churning through three coaches in three seasons, Jordan didn’t offer anything specific: “I anticipate these guys (president of basketball operations Rod Higgins and general manager Rich Cho) have done their due diligence. I feel very confident these guys going through the process to make the right decision.” Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan, Rich Cho, Rod Higgins, Mike Dunlap, Charlotte Hornets 

Alonzo Mourning: Scottie Pippen Said LeBron Would Kick Michael Jordan’s Ass. This is where we are in sports: Former athlete gets asked a question about LeBron vs. Jordan, because LeBron is the NBA right now. Former athlete (in this case, Alonzo Mourning) answers to the laughter of everyone. Was he joking? Maybe. Was he serious? Maybe. Could Scottie Pippen have actually said this? Who knows. And who cares? (Obligatory plug of Pippen’s wife, Larsa.) The Big Lead

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Alonzo Mourning 

If the Suns hadn’t been in the Finals, and Jerry Colangelo hadn’t attended that game, who knows whether he would have warmed up to an idea that led to the expansion Diamondbacks? Michael Jordan’s 55 points led to a Bulls victory in Game 4 and left the Suns on the brink of vacation. An incident during the game left Colangelo with a double-dose of ill feelings. He was sitting with his son, Bryan, when he heard a commotion behind him where his wife, Joanie, and mother were. “What’s going on?” Colangelo asked. “The guy behind us told your mom to shut up and sit down,” Joanie said. Arizona Republic

Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Michael Jordan, Jerry Colangelo, Bryan Colangelo 

The Bobcats will hold a press conference tomorrow at 6:00pm ET at Time Warner Cable Arena, a source said. It is expected that Bobcats Owner Michael Jordan will announce that the team will change its name to the Hornets, likely for the '14-15 season. Bobcats officials declined to comment. The Bobcats have been studying for months whether to adopt Charlotte’s original NBA franchise name, which became available after Saints Owner Tom Benson bought the then-New Orleans Hornets in '12 and this year changed its name to the Pelicans. The Hornets played in Charlotte from '88-'02 before relocating to New Orleans. Sports Business Daily

Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan, Owners, Charlotte Hornets 

Speaking at a Microsoft store opening in Miami, Alonzo Mourning was hit with the inevitable LeBron vs. Michael Jordan comparison question. ‘Zo sent his guy Scottie Pippen right up the river with his answer: Here’s the quote: “I’m gonna tell you what Scottie said. Scottie said that LeBron would kick MJ’s ass.” And then’Zo agreed with him. Dime

Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Alonzo Mourning 

Any change probably couldn't be implemented before the 2014-15 season. Silver said last month during a trip to Charlotte that it would take a minimum of 18 months to rebrand an NBA franchise. The league's uniform-maker, Adidas, and other licensees need that much lead time to produce branded merchandise. The Bobcats have estimated it would cost them about $3 million to rebrand because so much signage and other logo material would have to be replaced. Sources indicate both Bobcats owner Michael Jordan and outgoing NBA commissioner David Stern advocated a switch to the Hornets to better market Charlotte's team. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan, David Stern, Adam Silver, Charlotte Hornets 

Jeanie Buss: @PhilJackson11 Phil, in regards to Kobe vs. MJ - KOBE IS THE BEST. My humble opinion. @kobebryant #Lakers Twitter @JeanieBuss

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Jeanie Buss 

Phil Jackson: Listen friends of bball; don’t get hung up on words. I was most fortunate to have the chance to coach two of the greatest gds. EVER MJ/Kobe. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Jeanie Buss 

Kobe Bryant: The comparisons are #apples2oranges Wonder what the perception would be if M played wit @shaq instead #differentroles #differentcareerpaths Twitter @kobebryant

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal 

It's coming out now, though, in Jackson's 339-page memoir co-written with Hugh Delehanty and available Tuesday: "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success." MJ vs. Kobe? Here it is from the man who would know best. "Michael was more charismatic and gregarious than Kobe. He loved hanging out with his teammates and security guards, playing cards, smoking cigars, and joking around," Jackson said in the book, which was obtained in advance by The Times. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson 

"Kobe is different. He was reserved as a teenager, in part because he was younger than the other players and hadn't developed strong social skills in college. When Kobe first joined the Lakers, he avoided fraternizing with his teammates. But his inclination to keep to himself shifted as he grew older. Increasingly, Kobe put more energy into getting to know the other players, especially when the team was on the road." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson 

"No question, Michael was a tougher, more intimidating defender. He could break through virtually any screen and shut down almost any player with his intense, laser-focused style of defense," said Jackson, who coached Jordan to six championships and Bryant to five. "Kobe has learned a lot from studying Michael's tricks, and we often used him as our secret weapon on defense when we needed to turn the direction of a game. In general, Kobe tends to rely more heavily on his flexibility and craftiness, but he takes a lot of gambles on defense and sometimes pays the price." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson 

"One of the biggest differences between the two stars from my perspective was Michael's superior skills as a leader," Jackson said. "Though at times he could be hard on his teammates, Michael was masterful at controlling the emotional climate of the team with the power of his presence. Kobe had a long way to go before he could make that claim. He talked a good game, but he'd yet to experience the cold truth of leadership in his bones, as Michael had." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson 

Rapper Bow Wow learned this the hard way as a teenager, when he became friends with MJ’s sons. According to a recent interview, he once wore a pair of Allen Iverson’s signature Reebok shoes when he slept over at Jordan’s house, and His Airness was not impressed. I’m actually real cool with his sons, Marcus and Jeffrey…I would say, we kinda grew up together. Being on tour, every time we came to Chicago, even at the age of like 15, they would come around and we just clicked. There’d be times I stayed over at the family, ya know, Mr. Jordan’s house…actually a funny story, I actually wore some Iverson’s to their house…and Michael Jordan woke us all up and was like ‘Whose is these?’…and I was like ‘they’re mine’…and I never saw My A.I.’s after that moment. I was in some Jordan’s going down to play some basketball. For The Win

Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Sneakers, Bow Wow