When he was a player for the Chicago Bulls, NBA icon Michael Jordan did not like to be looked up to.
When Jordan was playing for the Bulls, he was the most well-liked athlete in the country.
In the documentary The Last Dance, Michael Jordan declared, “If I could do it all over again, I would never wanna be considered a role model.” It feels like the odds are against me in this game. I’m not going to win.
Jordan, contrary to popular opinion, didn’t like being well-known. He was constantly in the news and had little privacy in public.
“I had a good start to my fame,” Jordan remarked in a 1990s commercial. “It’s wonderful to hear pleasant remarks about you whenever they occur. But you hear more than just encouraging speech now that you are in a position of authority. You hear some arguments and some criticism of you.
And that fundamentally alters the notion of putting yourself out there for others to view. You want to withdraw yourself from public view by going behind closed doors.
Jordan received criticism from the African American community in 1990 for his failure to openly support Harvey Gantt in the North Carolina Senate race. One of the greatest NBA players ever, Michael Jordan, is famed for saying, “Republicans buy sneakers too.”
According to Jordan, “I don’t think that statement needs to be corrected,” from The Last Dance. “I said that spontaneously on a bus with Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. To create a PSA for Harvey Gantt, my mother requested. “Look, Mom, I’m not talking about someone I don’t know out of pocket, but I will send a contribution to help him,” I said. which is what I carried out.
“I never considered myself to be an activist. In my mind, I was a basketball player. When I played my sport, I was not a politician. I concentrated on honing my craft. Was that self-serving? Most likely. But that’s where my energy was, that’s what it was.
It will never be sufficient for everyone. I am aware of that. I understand that. Everyone has predetermined notions about what they believe I ought to or ought not to do. Setting an example is how I live my life. And fantastic if it encourages you. I’m going to keep doing it. If it doesn’t, perhaps I’m not the right person for you to follow.”
