NEWSLETTER
When players decided to halt play on Wednesday in wake of the police shooting that severely injured Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the NBA season was in jeopardy.
Well, when a game – let alone a season – is on the line, there is only one man to turn to: Michael Jordan.
Players waffled over whether or not continuing play was the best way to use their platform in the fight for social justice, while many also wanted league owners to show a stronger effort. According to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, Jordan has acted as a voice of reason over the past 24 hours, bridging the gap between players and owners.
The owners held a virtual meeting Thursday morning, and two participants confirmed that Jordan — who serves as the NBA Labor Relations Committee chairman — was a voice of reason, urging the other owners to allow the players to express their frustrations and concerns before offering any of their own solutions.
“Right now, listening is better than talking,” Jordan told the group, according to sources.
Before the meeting last night, Jordan reportedly spoke with Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook about what the players hoped to accomplish. He also wanted to offer his assistance before the union spoke with the Board of Governors on Thursday.
MacMullan also shared that one league official referred to Jordan as the “perfect person” for this situation. Not only an idol to so many young players but also the only Black majority owner in the league, Jordan holds a mass amount of respect among players and owners.
While he hasn’t necessarily proven to be the most outspoken athlete on social change or political issues in the past, we’ve certainly seen him take a stand lately. Specifically, Jordan Brand has pledged $100 million over the next 10-years to organizations that focus on Black empowerment. Now, he’s playing a vital role in helping the NBA find their place in a very emotional and important fight against racial inequality. One way he continues to do that is by motivating players to speak out, as ESPN also reported that he’s “expressed his admiration to current NBA players for taking such a strong stand on racial issues”
GOAT doing GOAT things.
With another Board of Governors meeting scheduled for late Thursday, Jordan’s voice should likely only get louder. The plan is for owners to think of even more ways to push the league’s collective message of unity and equality forward. As of now, the season is set to resume sometime this weekend.
Read ESPN’s latest below:
ESPN's Jackie MacMullan on Michael Jordan's impact in bridging the gap between NBA players and owners. https://t.co/qAP2LLC0m8
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
