 With Phil Jackson 's contract expiring , the pending departures of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman looming , and being in the latter stages of an owner @-@ induced lockout of NBA players , Jordan retired for the second time on January 13 , 1999 . On January 19 , 2000 , Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player , but as part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards . Jordan 's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive . He controlled all aspects of the Wizards ' basketball operations , and had the final say in all personnel matters . Opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed . He managed to purge the team of several highly paid , unpopular players ( such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland ) , but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown , who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons . 
 With Phil Jackson <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>contract expiring , the pending departures of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman looming , and being in the latter stages of an owner @-@ induced lockout of NBA players , Jordan retired for the second time on January 13 , 1999 . On January 19 , 2000 , Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player , but as part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards . Jordan <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>responsibilities with the Wizards <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> comprehensive . He controlled all aspects of the Wizards <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'</mark></a>basketball operations , and had the final say in all personnel matters . Opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> mixed . He managed to purge the team of several highly paid , unpopular players ( such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland ) , but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown , <a href='null_relcl' title='6'><mark>who</mark></a>did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons . 
W/ Phil Jackson  contract expiring , da pending departures of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman looming , and being in tdalatter stages of an owner @-@ induced lockout of NBA players , Jordan retired for thdaecond time on January 13 , 1999 . On January 19 , 2000 , Jordan returned to thedaA not as a player , but as part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards . Jordan  responsibilities wiwhe Wizards was comprehensive . He controlled all aspects of the Wizards  basketball operations , and had the daal say in all personnel matters . Opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive was mixed . He managed to purge the tda of several highly paid , unpopular players ( such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland ) , but used the first pick in the 20daNBA draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown , did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons .