Henri Frederic Amiel, the 19th century Swiss philosopher, once said, “There is no respect for others without humility in one’s self.” Jackie Robinson gave it to us like this, “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” Then the big homie, Albert Einstein, spit that fire when he said, “Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized.”
Well playas…here’s the problem! Boyz out here not only respect Michael Jordan but they idolize him for all of the wrong reasons. Ole boy is the most powerful and influential person in the history of sports because of his resume and the Jordan Brand which should be respected because he’s certainly earned it. However, he’s NEVER used that power to do anything but play basketball and sell shoes. If life were only played on the court I wouldn’t have a problem with him being a national hero. Unfortunately, life goes well beyond the game of basketball.
While everybody and their baby’s momma, Uncle LeRoy and cousin Man-Man have been completely fascinated by ESPN docuseries “The Last Dance.” Most folks are completely looking past Mike’s selfishness as a person and his lack of concern for the very people that support him.
It’s been 30 years since Mike said the infamous words “Republicans buy sneakers too.” It was in response to him NOT publicly endorsing Harvey Gantt, a black man running for the North Carolina senate. Gantt was looking to unseat the incumbent white Republican, Jesse Helms.
Helms was a long time known racist in the home state of Jordan himself. When asked if he would endorse Gantt, Mike made the statement that “Republicans buy sneakers too.” In the documentary Jordan tried tell a boy that it was a joke that he told on the back of a Bulls team bus. Here are his exact words, “I don’t think that statement needs to be corrected, because I said it in jest on a bus.”
First of all, who jokes like that about real life. Racism in American isn’t a joke and real people have been living under it for 400 years in this country. Real people that look like Mike. Not only was Gantt running against a racist but he was running against a racist in Jordan’s home state.
So in other words Mike was telling folks then and now that he doesn’t give a rip about what common black folks have to deal with because he’s immune to the racism that most of us have to deal with. That’s MIKE! That’s the guy most folks love and worship around here. That one liner tells you who he is.
Here was his excuse. “I never thought of myself as an activist. I thought of myself as a basketball player,” he said. “I wasn’t a politician. I was playing my sport. I was focused on my craft.”
“Was that selfish? Probably,” Jordan said. “But that was my energy.”
This is the type of foolishness the most influential black man in America gets to say and NOBODY’S upset about it but me? That’s crazy!!! Just think if an athlete today would have said the exact same thing Jordan. An election taking place with a known racist candidate running against someone, anyone, black or white that was trying to change America for the better and he said “Republicans buy sneakers too.” And God forbid it was someone like LeBron. OMG people would lose their minds!!!!
Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! Ole boy entered the league in 1984 and you’ve NEVER seen him take a stance on any issue whether civil, racial or social because all that he has ever been concerned with is his freakin’ brand and robbing boyz in the ghetto for sneakers.
Okay, the dun did wait 32 years to make a freakin’ statement through a publicist after the three police officers in Dallas were killed following the shooting deaths of the guys in Baton Rouge and Minnesota. Here’s what a publicist wrote on his behalf. He still never made a statement with his own mouth.
“As a proud American, a father who lost his own dad in a senseless act of violence, and a black man, I have been deeply troubled by the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of police officers. I grieve with the families who have lost loved ones, as I know their pain all too well.” He goes on to say, “We need to find solutions that ensure people of color receive fair and equal treatment AND that police officers – who put their lives on the line every day to protect us all – are respected and supported.”
Then he pulls a fake drive by and donates $1 million each to The Institute for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. That was even worse. Donating to both causes was like cutting the baby in half because he still never gave an opinion of what’s going on in the real world.
Mike showing up bearing gifts after 32 years of silence and neglect was like the dead beat dad that was never around deciding to walk into his daughter’s wedding with a brand new car. Let me put it where the goats can get it. She doesn’t NEED the car bruh! She needed him there to teach her HOW to drive. She needed him there to help her when she was helpless with no voice of her own. She’s grown now and somebody else is looking out for now and his name is Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, the Indiana Fever, and all of the other pro athletes that actually care about what’s going on with the injustice that black folks still live with in America.
As a African-American Jordan has an obligation to be a leader for change both on and off of the court because of his influence. Why? Because he’s standing on the shoulders of those that came before him. It’s not often that black athletes possess the economic power that he did as a player and now as an owner. He’s worth over a billion dollars and with that comes power and influence not just in the black community but all communities all over the world.
Cats like Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, John Carlos, Tommie Smith and Muhammad Ali put their careers on the line daily by supporting the civil rights movement and other social issues in this country. People hated Ali until he was unable to speak but he died a national hero. He stood up to the government in protest of the draft and the Vietnam war etc. Brown founded the Amer-I-can program in 1988 to help young African-American males transition out of the gang life and prisons in L.A. and Cleveland. Kareem was very active in the civil rights movement in the late 1960’s. Both John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised the black power fist on the medal stand at the 1968 Olympics.
Jordan was given the opportunity to make the impact that he has as a result of the efforts of the people that came before him. So he’s obligated to pull the next generation of not only black athletes up but all athletes because the American sports landscape is so diverse now. Instead of taking the baton handed to him by the folks mentioned above he literally dropped it on the floor in disgust. And that literally goes for all of the duns that played pro sports in the 1980’s, ’90’s and early 2000’s if we’re gonna keep it 100!! Well…with the exception of cats like Chris Jackson now Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Craig Hodges, that “The Last Dance” doesn’t even bother to mention as the best shooter on the team and the NBA during their first two title runs.
However, these young thunder cats in today’s game are stepping up and at least speaking out on the injustice in America. We’ve seen cats like D. Rose, LeBron, D. Wade, Melo, CP3, the five wide receivers from the St. Louis Rams with their hands up etc. wearing hoodies and t-shirts “I Can’t Breathe” in support of those that have died in these streets at the hands of the police or “so-called” police. We even saw Cardale Jones while at Ohio State use his power of influence to at least make a statement about the injustice surrounding this Sandra Bland death. But for more than 36 years all we’ve EVER gotten from Jordan was a jumper, a slam dunk, a tongue wag and some darn shoes! And that’s the edited version. And over the past 10 years he hasn’t given a boy a new pair. He’s got you duns so twisted that he keeps selling you the same joints and telling you it’s a Retro IV, V or MXIII or whatever he thinks you’ll stand in line for.
It’s not just about playing your particular sport and making money. It’s about being an influence for change and helping our youth progress. On some real talk, our kids are suffering the most. I put Jordan in the same category as Michael Jackson when it comes to our community. Yeah, he was a huge philanthropist around the world but he never gave two dead flies smashed about the “G” (Gary, In.).
I grew up just four blocks from 2300 Jackson Street playa which is where the King of Pop lived as a child. Mike traveled all over the world spreading hope and joy and never once spoke to kids from his own neighborhood or donated a dime to the schools or music departments at the crib. Mike was the biggest entertainer in the world and we NEVER laid eyes on him back in the hood. That’s Jordan bruh!
Jim Brown has called both Jordan and Tiger out on several occasions because they’ve continued to stick their heads in the sand on social issues. For those that don’t understand why he needs to step his game up let me put it where the goats can get it. God doesn’t bless you just for you. He gives you an abundance so that your overflow will spill over to help those that are standing underneath you. All Jordan ever wanted to do was make money, play ball and sell shoes. So anything that would jeopardize that was and still is taboo to him. I’m not asking for him to donate a million dollars. I’m asking him to be seen and use his influence to encourage kids that look like him.
When these young cats are killing each other over his shoes I would at least like to see him tell boyz that he doesn’t condone that foolishness. I’d like to just see him act like he cares about what’s going on in the hood.
I did a Hot Joint several years ago entitled “The Jordan Effect” on how Mike completely changed the sports marketing game and how that has allowed other players to prosper off of the court. However, that doesn’t do anything for the kids in the hood dreaming of getting out. As products of the black community we all have an obligation to reach back and help or encourage others to become great and in my opinion Mike hasn’t done that. And yes playboy, I’m in the hood at some school or church all of the time speaking to the young homies and I’m nobody but a boy from the “G” that cares about kids that look like me. Mike’s got all of the power and influence and all he’s gonna do is sell them some freakin’ shoes!
I’ve got the utmost respect for Kaepernick and these other young pro athletes in today’s game because they actually care about what’s going on out here.
You can’t tell me with all the stuff that has gone on in the world since 1984 that a GROWN MAN has no opinion one way or another about ANYTHING! Stop it! You sound crazy! A man with no opinion is a man with no soul! And that’s why I’ve got NO respect for Michael Jeffery Jordan! And don’t look at me sideways my friend. I’ve just got the nerve to say what you were thinking. Why? Because I don’t care anything about Jordan dappin’ me up when I see him and my career isn’t dependent upon that dun liking me like most of these media-types think. Mike doesn’t feed me. Stop me when I start lyin’!
Playas Thesaurus:
1) Spit: verb – to say
2) Fire: noun – important information
3) Dun: noun – the person in question, dude, guy, girl, etc. It’s whoever I’m talkin’ about.
