Watch: When LeBron James shut lights out on Michael Jordan’s $3,000,000,000 Hornets in first playoff encounter

During the first round of the 2014 Eastern Conference Playoffs, Michael Jordan's Charlotte Hornets, then known as the Charlotte Bobcats, faced the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. The playoff series ended in a four-game sweep, with James emphatically leading his team past Jordan's team..

During the series, there was a moment when James stuffed home a thunderous dunk before starting over at the Hornets bench - with some believing LeBron was staring at Michael Jordan.

Here's the video:

The series marked the first time the Hornets met LeBron James in the postseason. It was also their first time facing off against the superstar forward following Jordan's purchase of the franchise.

Unfortunately, after getting swept by the Miami Heat, the Hornets wouldn't return to the playoffs until 2016, when they would once again lose to Miami. The Hornets have not returned to the postseason since that loss and don't project to be making a return to playoff basketball anytime soon.

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Michael Jordan's sale of Hornets gains approval

On Sunday (July 24), the NBA's board of governors approved the $3 billion sale of the Charlotte Hornets to Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin.

The finalization of the sale will take another week or two, but the deal is seen as a formality as Michael Jordan secures an incredible return on his $275 million investment.

"The NBA's board of governors approved the sale of the Charlotte Hornets to a group led by Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, clearing the way to end Michael Jordan's 13-year run as majority owner, sources told ESPN on Sunday," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

"The BOG vote was 29-1 to approve the sale -- with New York Knicks owner James Dolan registering the lone vote against, sources said."

Michael Jordan will reportedly keep a minority share in the franchise and is expected to remain in charge of basketball operations until the start of the new season.

As such, Jordan played a role in the Hornets selecting Brandon Miller with the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He will hope that Miller can be a success with the team so that he leaves a positive legacy from his time as owner.

The Charlotte Hornets have a young team, headlined by rising star guard LaMelo Ball. With Mitch Kupchak operating in the Hornets front office, the team appears positioned to begin building around their young core, but that could change once the new ownership group decide to stamp their mark on the franchise.