Big names dominate the world of sports, and each one has that single individual who is generally regarded as the best player of all time. For the NBA, that guy is Michael Jordan, who strung together one of the most successful careers in sports history, not just basketball.
Jordan was one of the most prolific scorers and winners the league had ever seen on the court. But his impact extended to his work off the court too, and in some sense, that was where he managed to truly show how one should carry themself when they are the face of their Association.
How Michael stood out from other superstars off the court
Jordan entered the NBA in 1984, so he wasn’t the first face of the league, and he wasn’t the last, either. Upon his entry into the Association, MJ initially took a backseat to the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson rivalry and then handed over the torch to LeBron James once he retired.
While these guys all did their own work off the floor, Jordan always managed to do something that made him stand out. An example of such is when he donated $5 million to the Chicago police department and a non-profit black organization after police were involved in a shootout.
“You know what Jordan did when it came down to an event that happened with cops shooting and back and forth? He gave both a Chicago PD and a black non-profit organization; he gave each of them $5 million,” Patrick Bet-David said on the PBD Podcast.
“You know what he’s trying to say? ‘Hey, here’s where I am. I support both…Both of you are important. Go do your thing.’… That’s the premier example. He’s not telling he’s a Republican; he’s not telling he’s an Independent; he’s not telling he’s a Democrat. All he’s saying is, ‘Look, both of you guys, here’s some money, go do something about it,” PBD added.
Jordan always knew the right way to make an impact
Some folks were put off by Michael’s gambling habits or how often he was in the news, but he never wanted the amount of attention he received. That’s often why some actions like this went unnoticed by the general public because Jordan simply did them without telling anyone.
MJ always seemed to know how to push the right buttons on and off the court. Whereas the face of the league today, James, is rather divisive regarding his off-court views, Jordan never let his views get in the way of what he did.
This isn’t to discredit James’s work but to show how the Chicago Bulls legend managed to do things differently than other guys who were the face of the league. He acted the way the face of the NBA was supposed to.
As the NBA struggles to continue to draw viewers for their regular season games, it’s important to note the contrast in how the league’s most prominent names act both on and off the court. While the NBA isn’t exactly in trouble, it’s clear that they miss having MJ as the face of their league.