08-12-2018, 03:07 PM
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#163
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Retro NBA Nut
OVR: 19
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Ireland
Posts: 1,533
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Wizards owner Abe Pollin Dies.
Wizards owner Abe Pollin dies, aged 78.
June 1st, 2002 | by NBA.COM
WASHINGTON -- Abe Pollin, the Washington Wizards owner who brought an NBA championship to the nation's capital and later had the savy to bring Michael Jordan out of retirement, died Tuesday. He was 78.
His death was announced by his company, Washington Sports & Entertainment. No details were disclosed but Pollin suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder that impairs movement and balance.
"The NBA family has lost its most revered member, whose stewardship of the Wizards franchise, together with his wife Irene, has been a study in unparalleled dedication to the city of Washington," NBA commissioner David Stern said. "During his illness he fought with a determination and valor that will remain an inspiration to all."
Pollin was the NBA's longest-tenured owner. With his death, a group led by longtime AOL executive Ted Leonsis is poised to take ownership of a Washington-area sports empire that began when Pollin purchased the Baltimore Bullets in 1964.
"I just lost a real, real good friend," said Wes Unseld, star of the 1978 championship team and now the team's general manager. "And I think it's more than any of you will understand or I could even explain. It's just going to be a big void in sports in this community."
A moment of silence will be observed in Pollin's memory before the NBA Draft Lottery on Friday night.
"He would want us to celebrate his life and not mourn his death," coach Doug Collins said. "That's just the individual he was. But when you're here going through it, it's not that easy."
Leonsis previously bought two of Pollin's teams -- the NHL's Capitals in 1999 and the WNBA's Mystics in 2005 -- and secured the right of first refusal to buy the rest of Pollin's Washington Sports & Entertainment holdings -- including the Wizards, Verizon Center and Washington-Baltimore TicketMaster -- when Pollin retired or died.
"We are committed to continuing his tradition of building exciting, championship-caliber teams," Leonsis said in a statement. "One of Abe's dying wishes was that I would continue to run the franchise and lead it towards a championship." "I endeavor to do just that, it was a common goal in which we first became good friends."
In the changing world of professional sports, Pollin stood out for decades as an owner who tried to run his teams like a family business. He bemoaned the runaway salaries of free agency and said it would have been difficult for him to keep the Wizards if it weren't for the NBA's salary cap.
Pollin considered his greatest accomplishment the Verizon Center. He risked much of his fortune to build the arena in a neglected D.C. neighborhood, and it has spearheaded a revitalization of downtown Washington since its opening in 1997.
"There's no important initiative or any end to difficult situations or any settlement or any legislation that Abe was not leading the way on across all these years," Stern said in March. "He's been an extraordinary league person, always voting the league way, similar to what he did in building Verizon Center. He was going the D.C. way, not necessarily what was in his best economic interest but what was in the best economic interests of Washington, D.C."
A builder by trade, Pollin also constructed the Verizon Center's predecessor, originally known as the Capital Centre, in the Washington suburbs in 1973. He renamed his NBA team in 1997 because of the violent connotation of the word "Bullets," particularly in a city associated with crime.
Pollin was critical of modern-day player misbehavior and wouldn't hesitate to trade a star who got in trouble off the court. At his insistence, the final labor agreement after the 1998-99 lockout included stricter rules concerning player conduct.
"You may or may not want to be role models, but you are role models," Pollin told his players after the labor talks ended. "If you don't want to be role models, you should get out of this business and go do something else."
Pollin's ultimate coup -- getting Jordan back into the NBA -- was a plan that has so far looked like a master stroke. Jordan bought a minority stake in the Wizards in 2000 and was given the title of president of basketball operations.
The sport's biggest name has so far spent 2˝ seasons in Washington. The last season made Pollin's decision look like an ingenious move as the Wizards grabbed the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference and reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Pollin was proud to see Jordan don the Wizards blue uniform and bring winning days back to DC.
Pollin later explained his decision in an interview with The Associated Press.
"It was a horrible atmosphere losing night in and night out," Pollin said. "Michael and I knew we had to think outside the box in a bid to build a winning team again. ... I knew that there would be some negative stuff thrown at him by the basketball royalty, telling him it was a mistake, but when he made his decision, I was so proud. The greatest player in the history of basketball, wearing my team's uniform."
The drama of Jordan's return brought much needed income and sales to one of the leagues worst teams. Jordan's uniform became a top 5 seller. Washington sold out all of their 41 home game and all of their playoff games.
"He had opportunities to go to other places, but this is where he wanted to be," Pollin said. "He wanted to do this for my team, my city. I'll never forget it, it gave me peace to see the Wizards as a top team one more time."
"He loved Washington," Unseld said, "when some of us at the time really didn't care a lot about it."
Last edited by RMJH4; 08-12-2018 at 03:13 PM.
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