Getting The Royal Treatment

By Sean Gregory

In When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback (Simon & Schuster; 435 pages), Michael Leahy, who spent two years covering His Airness's disappointing tenure as player--general manager with the Washington Wizards, argues that Jordan's on-court performance in D.C. won't taint his legacy. (At 40, he averaged 20 points a game.) But in the locker room and executive suite, explains Leahy, the game's greatest player tossed an airball. Jordan ran the Wizards from distant Chicago and hired cronies. And once, after Jerry Stackhouse hit a buzzer shot to give the Wizards a win, Jordan credited himself for drawing the defense's attention. Wanna be like Mike? Not when it comes to management. --By Sean Gregory