I was a bit surprised Michael Jordan stepped up to become principal owner for the Bobcats at the end of last week, namely because everything I’d read indicated the contrary. Jordan apparently didn’t want to put up all the money himself, and he was hard-pressed to find others who were willing to go in with him.

Factor in that when the Bobcats lost money — which is something they’ve been doing of late — it’s now Jordan losing the money. As the principal owner, he stands to lose more now than before.

So why is a guy that seems more interested in golf instead of focusing on the team as the head of basketball operations — this is the perception, and perhaps not the reality, mind you — going all in now?

Because this is Michael Jordan. And Michal Jordan, as we found out from his HOF speech, always has to prove the doubters wrong.

From Henry Abbott of TrueHoop:

Sources say that what Jordan wants more than anything is to prove once again to the doubters that he is the best in the business. Anyone who has seen him play basketball knows he’s allergic to losing. Yet, a decade into his time running NBA front offices, he still hasn’t had any significant success. Maligned for picking Kwame Brown first overall for the Wizards in 2001, he was then fired for his part in an underperforming Wizards front office, and laughed at again in Charlotte for picking Adam Morrison with the third pick in the 2006 draft.

The difference this time is if Jordan loses, if the team and revenues struggle, his pocket gets hit in a big way. This wasn’t the case when he was a competitor on the court.

So in that sense, it’s a risk. Perhaps a big risk. But this is Michael Jordan. And the challenge of proving everyone wrong trumps all.

The returns on Michael Jordan the basketball front office man have been less than favorable. He made a few blunders with the Wizards; there hasn’t been much to show for his time in Charlotte. Friday, he was quoted as saying he’d like to take over majority ownership of the Bobcats, if Bob Johnson was willing to sell. (Apparently the economy is still treating Jordan well.) But Bob doesn’t seem interested in selling right now. So does that mean Jordan might be shipping out for good?

According to Rick Bonnell at the Charlotte Observer, there’s a chance.

Here’s where it gets more interesting: I hear, from people connected to Jordan’s inner circle, that he can extract himself from the ownership group, for whatever he paid, at certain junctures in the agreement he signed with Johnson.

I’m also told one of those junctures is the end of this year. And I wonder if that makes way for Jordan to either seize some sort of succession plan, or move out.

The real question might be what the team is fairly worth right now. I doubt anyone would make Johnson whole, which would mean paying him more than $330 million.

Interesting indeed, Mr. Bonnell. I sort of want to see Jordan step aside. There are simply too many cigars to smoke, casinos to hit, and women to get at. Why waste your time with basketball operations?

Via True Hoop.