“His Teammates Hated Him”: Michael Jordan Would “Get Crushed” For His Wizards Era If Social Media Existed, Says Colin Cowherd
Feb 22, 2026; Hampton, Georgia, USA; Michael Jordan at EchoPark Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images Michael Jordan thrived in an NBA era where social media was not a thing. He became a phenom without the help of Instagram edits, or reels, and that’s why his impact on the sport is often considered to be greater than LeBron James’.
But look at it from a different lens, and in some ways, Jordan had it easier. Well, it would be difficult to criticize the Chicago Bulls team that Jordan led to six championships. They were almost unstoppable, but after retiring (for the second time), when Jordan came back to join the Washington Wizards for a couple of seasons, he wasn’t quite the same.
And Colin Cowherd feels that if X existed back in those days, His Airness would be been crucified online. The Wizards and Jordan were bad, and nothing constructive—except for the dollars—came out from those two seasons in the Capital. Had it been James today, playing for the Jazz for instance, social media would have destroyed him.
In a conversation with Jason Timpf on Volume Sports, Cowherd revealed that Jordan wasn’t a popular figure inside the Wizards locker room. In his opinion, it would have made for a great documentary. “He’d get crushed,” Cowherd spoke about the hypothetical of the 2001-03 Wizards playing under the watchful eye of the social media.
“There’s one great 30 for 30 sports documentary left. It’s MJ with the Wizards. His teammates hated him, the coaches hated him.