2002–03 Washington Wizards season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the Wizards' 42nd season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Wizards acquired All-Star guard Jerry Stackhouse from the Detroit Pistons, and signed free agents Larry Hughes, Bryon Russell, and Charles Oakley. The Wizards got off to a 6–4 start to the season but then struggled losing six straight games afterwards. The team finished fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 37–45 record, which was the same as the previous season. This marked the final season for All-Star guard Michael Jordan, who retired for the third  and final time, averaging 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game in all 82 games. He also made his final All-Star appearance in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta. Following the season, Russell signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Tyronn Lue signed with the Orlando Magic, and Oakley was released to free agency. (See "2002–03 Washington Wizards season#Regular season") Roster. Regular season. Jordan announced he would return for the 2002–03 season, and this time he was determined to be equipped with reinforcements, as he traded for All-Star  Jerry Stackhouse and signed budding star Larry Hughes. Jordan even accepted a sixth-man role on the bench in order for his knee to survive the rigors of an 82-game season. Heading into the season, as he was still dealing with injuries, Jordan started the first 15 games coming off from the bench. However, a combination of numerous team injuries and uninspired play led to Jordan's return to the starting lineup, where he tried to rebound the franchise from its early-season struggles after a 6–9 start. The move led to mixed results, as several of Jordan's  younger teammates complained about playing in Jordan's shadow and his unfair expectations of them. By the end of the season, the Wizards finished with a 37–45 record once again. At the age of 40, Jordan ended the season as the only Wizard to play in all 82 games, as he averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in 37.0 minutes per game. He also became the only 40 years old in NBA history to score over 40 points in a game, which he did several times during the season. In addition, Jordan became the oldest NBA  player in NBA history to average at least 20 points at the age of 40. This was also the first season where Jordan was not the team's better scorer, as Stackhouse averaged 1.5 more point per game, but Jordan still led the team in steals at 1.5 per game, while Christian Laettner led the team in rebounds at 6.6, Stackhouse in assists at 4.5, and Brendan Haywood in blocks at 1.5. After the season, Wizards' majority owner Abe Pollin fired Jordan as team president, much to the shock of teammates, associates, and the public. Jordan felt he was betrayed , thinking that he would get his ownership back after his playing days ended, but Pollin justified Jordan's dismissal by noting that Jordan had detrimental effects on the team, such as benching Larry Hughes for Tyronn Lue, making poor trades, and squandering the teams' first round pick at the 2001 NBA draft on high schooler Kwame Brown who never panned out. Without Jordan in the fold the following year, the Wizards were not expected to win, and they did not. Despite the signing of future All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas, which had been made possible by Jordan's previous  cap-clearing maneuvers as a team executive, the team stumbled to a 25–57 record in the 2003–04 season. Jordan's stint with the Wizards was closely watched by both fans and the media. While the team failed to qualify for the playoffs in either of Jordan's two seasons as a player, the team was competitive and sold-out arenas around the league. The Wizards replaced Jordan's managerial role with general manager Ernie Grunfeld. Although the organization fielded a competitive team built around Arenas for several years, the team again stumbled into the lower echelon of the league in  the years following Arenas' numerous off the court issues. Player stats. "Note: GP= Games played; MPG= Minutes per Game; STL= Steals; RPG = Rebounds per Game; APG. = Assists per Game; BLK = Blocks; PPG = Points per Game"