Being part of the Chicago Bulls dynasty has etched many players’ legacy in NBA history. However, a young guard who shared the court with Michael Jordan and has won more three-point contests than Stephen Curry seemingly found himself out of the NBA in 1992 after winning back-to-back championships with the Chicago Bulls. That is the tragic story of Craig Hodges.
However, there is more to it than meets the eye. Hodges, who was always a great role player during his time in the NBA, was in no way one of the worst players in the NBA. Yet he failed to find himself a team after openly speaking out on racial injustice in America in the 1990s. After having conflicted thoughts about Michael Jordan for not being invited into The Last Dance documentary, Hodges has now come to terms with Michael Jordan.
During a recent interview with Infobae, Craig Hodges said, “Jordan is an intelligent businessman whom I applaud for that and I don’t hate at all. I feel that over time, he has gained experience and promoted decent projects. I am sure that now he is more aware of everything that happens in the country and in the world.” While he initially thought that Jordan might not have brought him on the series because they shared different views, he was happy to see Jordan give his money to charity and various organizations in the past few years.
Hodges also revealed how he was ‘blacklisted’ by the NBA, similar to what Colin Kaepernick faced in the NFL. Hodges once said, “The biggest way to blacklist someone is to make him invisible.” The 2x champion believes that’s what happened with his NBA career and him not being invited onto the show.
But it is to be noted that The Last Dance documentary covered the final championship of the Chicago Bulls. This was years after Craig Hodges was let go from the NBA.
Craig Hodges did not get Michael Jordan’s support
Craig Hodges wanted the players to stick together and take a united stand against racial injustice in America. This was after police brutality against the African American protestor, Rodney King, in 1991.
Hodges wanted the players to make a statement. He asked both Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan to make the players sit out Game 1 of the NBA finals. After all, Hodges had played with Jordan for 4 years. However, both of them rejected the notion, stating that it was too extreme.
Along with failing to make a stand, Hodges was let go by the Chicago Bulls the next season. It was stated that his skills had deteriorated with time.
Do you think Michael Jordan intentionally did not bring in Craig Hodges in the Last Dance documentary? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!