Assume everything else is the same and they work some cap magic to make the salaries work it’s Jordan, Kobe and Shaq + the rest, maybe excluding a few role players to make the scenario more plausible, how many do the lakers win? How does that impact each of their legacies?
It’s almost kind of crazy he didn’t do that. Maybe it’s just because we have gotten so used to players being savvy and doing whatever is best financially and legacy wise, and not caring about teaming up and looking “weak” but that is honestly a realistic scenario that it makes me think it was just a miscalculation by Jordan not to do it. He would have cemented his legacy even further and made a ton more money.
He could still play, he had a relationship with Phil Jackson, he would have been great working off of Shaq in the triangle and Kobe would have come along behind him to take the physical toll off of him.
At the very least it would have been better than chucking up shots on a bad wizards team. Take 99 off to recover and come back 2000-03 and get three more rings at least.
It was mostly because he was part owner or GM of the Wizards so if he came back, i would be with them.
That said, you also point to other factors with "Maybe it’s just because we have gotten so used to players being savvy and doing whatever is best financially and legacy wise, and not caring about teaming up and looking “weak” "
For better or for worse, before 2010ish, players generally tried to win their team and not go title hunting and when they did, it was usually at the end of their careers and they had no titles. If they had already won, they usually weren’t interested in title hunting later in their careers.
Thats why you see Barkley (34?) go to HOU at an old age, Drexler to HOU at age 32, Malone & Payton to LAL at age 38-40, etc.