WASHINGTON — Abe Pollin, the Wizards’ owner who brought an NBA championship to the nation’s capital and later had the mettle to stand up to Michael Jordan, died Tuesday. He was 85.
No details were disclosed, but Pollin suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder that impairs movement and balance. He had heart bypass surgery in 2005 and broke his pelvis two years later.
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 who later became the team’s coach and then general manager. “And I think it’s more than any of you will understand or I could even explain.”
A moment of silence was observed in Pollin’s memory before the Wizards’ game Tuesday night against the 76ers.
“He would want us to celebrate his life and not mourn his death,” coach Flip Saunders said. “That’s just the individual he was.”
Pollin’s ultimate coup — getting Jordan back into the NBA — was a plan that didn’t pan out. Jordan bought a minority stake in the Wizards in 2000 and was given the title of president of basketball operations.
Jordan spent 3 1/2 seasons in Washington, the last two on the court after deciding to come out of retirement as a player, but his domineering personality overwhelmed the organization and made losing even more miserable. He expected to return to his front- office job and repurchase his ownership share after playing his final game, but Pollin parted ways with No. 23 during a stormy 20-minute meeting in May 2003.
Footnotes.
Wizards forward Caron Butler is day to day because of a sore right ankle.
• In a 6-1 ruling, New York’s top court said the state can use eminent domain to force homeowners and businesses to sell their properties for a massive development in Brooklyn that includes a new arena for the Nets. The Associated Press
