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Did Michael Jordan and Larry Brown enter witness protection?

Quick, there is an NBA team that employs the greatest player in league history and one of the most successful coaches in the history of basketball. Can anyone name that team?  The answer to this question is the Charlotte Bobcats, the NBA franchise that probably possesses less brand recognition and notoriety than any other team in the sport.

Michael Jordan currently serves as the managing member of basketball operations for the Bobcats.  Jordan is a former NCAA Champion, six-time NBA Champion, five-time NBA MVP and 2009 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. He joined the team's ownership group in 2006. In addition to being a part owner of the team, Jordan also runs all basketball related aspects of the organization.

Larry Brown is the only coach to win a national championship in college (Kansas '88) and an NBA Championship (Pistons '04). Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, Brown is the fifth-winningest coach in NBA history.  

With this level of star power, it is astonishing that barely a word is mentioned about this team. 

The Bobcats began play in 2004 as an expansion franchise.  The NBA acted quickly to fill the void left by the Hornets relocation to New Orleans.  This season, the Bobcats are 17-19. The team has never won more than 35 games in their franchise history and has never really had a true star player.

If basketball fans are interested in catching a glimpse of hoops royalty.  Simply turn on a Bobcats game to see Larry Brown working the sidelines and one of the most famous Americans who has ever lived, sitting right next to the bench. 

 

Photograph Source: USA Today

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Jon Rapoport has spent his career working on all sides of the media and sports industry. He began his career at ESPN in studio production at the ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. While there, he won an Emmy for his contribution to "SportsCenter." Following his tenure at ESPN, Jon relocated to Los Angeles, joining the staff of the “Best Damn Sports Show” on FOX Sports Net.

Upon leaving the show, Jon worked in Web site and sports radio show development/production, with Major League Baseball in media operation logistics for the World Baseball Classic and on behalf of Los Angeles’ effort to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics back to Southern California. Jon currently writes a political blog for the Los Angeles edition of Examiner.com.

Born and raised in Plymouth, Minnesota (just outside of Minneapolis), Jon is an avid sports fan, particularly for his beloved Minnesota teams. Jon graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned his BA in communication and interned for ABC’s “Good Morning America” in New York City and Washington D.C. He is married and resides in Los Angeles.  

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