Jordan’s First Move: Fire Heard

Gar Heard was fired Saturday night as coach of the Washington Wizards, the team’s first major move since Michael Jordan became head of basketball operations.

Heard was fired after the Wizards’ 103-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Washington is 14-30 and in last place in the Atlantic Division.

Rod Higgins, an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and a former teammate of Jordan’s in Chicago, will be the new coach.

Jordan, in Atlanta for the Super Bowl, was not with the team when the announcement was made.

“I mentioned that when I was became a member of the Washington Wizards that I would evaluate the team and the coaching staff,” Jordan said in a statement released by the team. “I felt it was necessary to make a change at this time.”

After Jordan joined the team Jan. 19, it was immediately clear that Heard was on the hit list. Heard had little one-on-one contact with Jordan from the start, and Jordan put on a jersey and used his own motivational tactics to liven up one of Heard’s practices Monday.

“You never have a chance to show what you can do,” Heard said. “Unfortunately that’s the nature of the business. I think they had their mind made up when he got here. I never got an opportunity to talk to him. When you come in, you want to bring your own people. Next time things will work better.”

The Wizards’ job was a long-awaited break for Heard, who toiled for 12 years as an assistant with Dallas, Indiana, Philadelphia and Detroit. His only previous head coaching experience in the NBA was in 1993 as interim coach of the Mavericks, who were 9-44 under him.

Also fired were assistants Butch Beard and Mike Bratz. Assistant Tree Rollins will be retained.

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Dickey Simpkins of the Bulls was fined $5,000 for committing a flagrant foul against Sacramento’s Vlade Divac in a game Friday. . . . The Golden State Warriors signed guard-forward Mark Davis to a second 10-day contract.