The NBA Hall of Famer and now owner of the Charlotte Bobcats (7-59) just watched his team finish the 2011-12 season with the worst winning percentage (.106) in NBA history.
After such an abysmal year, it's no surprise Jordan and the Bobcats have decided to go in a new direction, starting with the coach.
On Monday, the Bobcats held a news conference to announce the firing of head coach Paul Silas.
"We have been talking internally about what is best for us going forward," Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said. "The record kind of speaks for itself. When you look at the youthfulness of this roster … we just all felt collectively that the change was something we wanted to do at this time."
Silas wasn't surprised by the move, especially given how the season ended, and he said he is looking forward to life after basketball.
"I'm OK with that," he said. "I have had a very successful career coaching and playing, and it's time to move on."
The Bobcats won't make an immediate hire and are looking to bring in an energetic coach with an urgency to win, according to Higgins.
"We want someone who wants to win," Higgins said. "That's the main quality. We will have quite a few candidates. I would say there are quite a few people who come into mind."
While he'll no longer be calling the shots from the bench, it appears Silas had the support of his players until the very end.
Forward Corey Magette was campaigning for Silas to keep his job, using his words to back his coach after the season came to a close, according to the Associated Press.
"I think Paul did the best he could with the guys he had on the floor," Maggette said Friday. "We went through a year where night after night guys were going down with injuries and you're shooting under 30 percent from the field. You just can't win any games that way. That's tough. So hopefully they give him an opportunity to show what type of a coach he is and what he can bring to the table here."
Magette's words didn't appear to have any impact on the Bobcats' decision.
Silas heads off into the sunset, leaving a solid coaching record behind him. His most successful stint on the sidelines was during his first stop in Charlotte, when he coached the Hornets from 1998-2003. Silas led the Hornets to the playoffs in four straight seasons (2000-2003), including one in New Orleans, before leaving to coach LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for nearly two seasons.
Silas ends his career with a 387-488 (.442) record and making the playoffs in four of his 12 years behind the bench.
