Shortly after Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin told Michael Jordan that he would not be rehired as president of basketball operations, Pollin called Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl to get permission to interview General Manager Ernie Grunfeld. Kohl said no, and continued to do so for four weeks, prompting Pollin to make runs at Larry Brown and Jeff Van Gundy, who also rejected his overtures.

Last Friday, though, Kohl relented, Grunfeld resigned and the persistent Pollin moved in. Yesterday, Grunfeld was introduced as the Wizards' new president of basketball operations.

"The long wait is over," Pollin said at a news conference. "I told you that I was going to get the best brains in basketball to be president of basketball operations that I could get. It was a little longer process than I thought. It's been kind of aggravating but I didn't give up. I got the guy I wanted."

Then Pollin took a shot at his critics.

"Those of you in the media who have said that Mr. Pollin was over the hill and incompetent, it proves that he still knows what he's doing and he got what he wanted. I'm very pleased," he said.

Terms of Grunfeld's contract were not released, but Grunfeld's deal likely will match or exceed the $1.5 million he earned annually with the Bucks, whom he joined as general manager in 1999. He began his front office career with the New York Knicks in 1990 and was president and GM from 1996 until he left for Milwaukee.