Agent: Jordan never said sorry

ByDarren Rovell ESPN logo
Friday, March 21, 2014

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tony Wroten's Air Jordan sneaker did indeed fall apart during last Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers, but Michael Jordan himself never called to say he was sorry.

The Delaware News Journal quoted Wroten as saying he received an apology from Jordan.

"He called my agent," the paper quoted Wroten as saying. The quote was republished by a host of media outlets, including ESPN.com.

Wroten's agent, Greg Lawrence, told ESPN.com on Friday that his client was misquoted.

"Tony told me that the media asked him if he thought Jordan would apologize and he answered, 'He can call my agent,'" Lawrence told ESPN.com.

Jordan spokesperson Estee Portnoy also denied that Jordan called Wroten's agent.

Lawrence also said Wroten is not a Jordan endorser but does get compensated by Nike.

Wroten's sneaker split apart during Philadelphia's March 14 loss to Indiana. Play was briefly stopped, and Wroten ran to the locker room to retrieve another pair.

Wroten, 20, is a bright spot on the 76ers' roster, averaging 13.5 points per game.

Philadelphia is 15-53 and has lost 22 in a row heading into Friday night's game against the New York Knicks. The record for consecutive losses in a season belongs to the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost 26 straight games.