A lot has been written about Michael Jordan’s lukewarm attitude to African American social struggles, especially his perceived silence on several killings of innocent African Americans in the hands of the police. There are also accusations that he has monetary investments in the American private prison industry that has incarcerated so much black males. Jordan was a brand and he changed the way professional athletes were marketed. He wasn’t just a spokesperson, people speak about him because of his legendary status in the history of Basketball.
One place you won’t find Jordan’s fingerprints is on social issues. He never spoke out on racial issues issues or the inequality his fellow African Americans are facing, won’t address problems facing his fellow athlete or even the general public.
Fellow NBA icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, believes this was one of Jordan’s major missteps, that he failed to properly utilize his voice for the greater good by choosing shoes of social issues.
Abdul-Jabbar was recently the guest of NPR’s Michael Martin at a live event in Washington, D.C., and the basketball legend had some interesting thoughts about Jordan’s famous quote in regards to political association, that he chose commerce over conscience.
“You can’t be afraid of losing shoe sales if you’re worried about your civil and human rights. He took commerce over conscience. It’s unfortunate for him, but he’s gotta live with it.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Bruce Lee in ‘Game Of Death’
Abdul-Jabbar, who featured with Bruce Lee in the classic Kung Fu movie ‘Game Of Death’, also spoke about the repercussions of speaking out.
“I did. But sometimes you can’t pick or choose. When something happens, it doesn’t matter if it’s convenient or not — if it’s time to speak up, you have to speak up. You can’t be afraid. When Dr. King was assassinated, within a couple of days I was involved at UCLA. We had a demonstration … People were telling me, “Hey, you’re going to get a chance to play in the NBA and make a lot of money, you shouldn’t be out here protesting like this.”
Jordan was not required to be a voice for change. It was his right to use his time towards marketing and business, just as it was Abdul-Jabbar’s decision to use his voice to make a difference.
You can listen to the interview below:
