[1] This season is most memorable for the return of All-Star guard, and six-time champion Michael Jordan, who came out of his second retirement to play for the Wizards at age 38.
Brown failed to live up to expectations as a top draft pick, only averaging just 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game off the bench, while shooting .387 in field-goal percentage.
On August 1, the Wizards traded Laron Profit and a 2005 1st round draft pick to the Orlando Magic for Brendan Haywood.
[60] Roster After retiring from the Chicago Bulls in early 1999, Michael Jordan became the Washington Wizards' president of basketball operations as well as a minority owner in January 2000.
In September 2001, after divesting himself of any ownership of the team due to NBA rules, Jordan came out of retirement at age 38 to play basketball for the Washington Wizards.
Jordan stated that he was returning for the love of the game, indicating his intention to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11 attacks.
[61][62] Jordan was heading into his return dealing with tendinitis in his wrist and both of his knees, from which he would have fluid drained multiple times throughout the season.
[65] This poor performance and reduced minutes led Jordan to question his coach Doug Collins' faith in his abilities, asking him whether he could still play.
[66][67][68] In the first game against the Charlotte Hornets, Jordan scored 51 points on 55% shooting and added 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in a 107–90 win.
[69] The second game was against the New Jersey Nets, who would go on to be in the 2002 NBA Finals, and Jordan added 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals to 45 points on 50% shooting in a 98–76 win.
[1] In the last game before the All-Star break, Jordan suffered a knee injury in a collision with Etan Thomas on February 7 against the Sacramento Kings.
In the Wizards' 26–21 stretch, Richard Hamilton, the best scorer after Jordan, missed 5 weeks of playing time due to a groin injury.
[79][80] Chris Whitney was the only Wizard player to play all 82 games while Popeye Jones, Jordan, and Brendan Haywood had the best average for rebounds, assists, and blocks at 7.3, 5.2, and 1.5, respectively.
[1] His subpar performance as a first-overall draft pick has led many analysts to label Brown as one of the "biggest busts" in NBA history.