Jordan May Buy Into Club

Former NBA great Michael Jordan is involved in discussions to buy a share of the Washington Wizards and become the team’s president of basketball operations, a television station reported Wednesday night.

NewsChannel 8 said Jordan would become part-owner of the team in a partnership with Ted Leonsis, the AOL executive whose group purchased part of the Wizards and all of the Washington Capitals last year.

Leonsis’ group has the right of first refusal to buy all of the Wizards and the MCI Center when majority owner Abe Pollin decides to sell the team.

The report said the deal could be in place by next month’s All-Star break.

The Wizards, a struggling franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in 12 years, haven’t had a sellout this season at the two-year-old downtown MCI Center.

Jordan retired from the NBA one year ago and was involved last summer in an unsuccessful bid to purchase a stake in the Charlotte Hornets.

Jordan’s agent, David Falk, did not return phone messages. The Wizards had no comment.

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