Michael Jordan on 'Ingrained Racism' in America: 'We Have Had Enough'
NBA legend Michael Jordan issued a statement Sunday on the ongoing and widespread protests across the United States:
“I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country,” Jordan said. “We have had enough."
Jordan, who has largely stayed away from any political commentary throughout his public life, issued his comments nearly a week after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man who died Monday evening after being violently apprehended by a Minneapolis police officer.
Floyd was 46-years-old.
Video of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck went viral earlier this week and sparked ongoing protests throughout the country.
On Friday, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was was seen on video kneeling on Floyd's neck, was arrested on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter.
With his comments, the Bulls' legend becomes the latest athlete to comment publicly on the developing unrest.
On Sunday, Clippers coach Doc Rivers released a statement that urged people to vote in November, among other pleas. On Saturday, Celtics guard Jaylen Brown drove 15 hours from Boston to Atlanta, where he led a peaceful protest march in his home state.
Many others in the sports have shared an image of the Minneapolis Police Department's treatment of Floyd next to a photo of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling in protest during the 2016 NFL season.
On Friday, Kaepernick's charitable arm, the Know Your Rights Camp, launched an initiative to hire top defense lawyers for people arrested protesting police brutality in the Minneapolis area.
During ESPN's recent airing of The Last Dance documentary, Jordan addressed one of the famous quotes of his career, "Republicans buy sneakers, too," a phrase that came during the 1990 U.S. Senate race in race in North Carolina between incumbent Republican Jesse Helms and Democrat challenger Harvey Gantt.
"I don't think that statement needs to be corrected because I said it in jest on a bus with Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen," Jordan said. "It was thrown off the cuff. My mother asked to do a PSA for Harvey Gantt, and I said, 'Look, Mom, I'm not speaking out of pocket about someone that I don't know. But I will send a contribution to support him.' Which is what I did.
"I do commend Muhammad Ali for standing up for what he believed in. But I never thought of myself as an activist. I thought of myself as a basketball player.
"I wasn't a politician when I was playing my sport. I was focused on my craft. Was that selfish? Probably. But that was my energy. That's where my energy was."
The Charlotte Hornets, who are owned in-part by Michael Jordan, also shared the Bulls legend's statement regarding George Floyd on their team social media feeds.
