Former President Barack Obama is reportedly mad at NBA legend Michael Jordan.
Insiders say Obama holds a grudge with Jordan for his refusal to support Democrats. ESPN’s 10-part documentary series “The Last Dance” highlighted how the basketball star declined to support a North Carolina Democratic Senator in a bitter 1990 election.
” … I never thought of myself as an activist,” Jordan was quoted saying. “I thought of myself as a basketball player.”
“Republicans buy sneakers too,” he had been quoted saying to his Chicago Bulls teammates.
Jordan’s apolitical stance left Obama fuming.
After all, the former President considers Chicago –– the city where Jordan cemented his NBA legacy –– his hometown. Obama began his political career as a community organizer in the city. He also represented Illinois during his short stint in the Senate.
And like all Democrats, Obama was stunned to learn that not everyone shares his liberal views. In Jordan’s case, he just wasn’t a very political person.
“The Last Dance” further detailed how Jordan faced public pressure to back Democratic congressional nominee Harvey Gantt, who was facing off against incumbent Republican Jesse Helms.
“I wasn’t a politician when I was playing my sport,” Jordan said.
Obama seemed to think otherwise.
“I’ll be honest,” Obama said. “When it was reported that Michael said ‘Republicans buy sneakers too,’ for somebody who was at that time preparing for a career in civil rights law and public life, and knowing what Jesse Helms stood for, you would have wanted to see Michael push harder on that,” the former president added, referring to Jordan’s decision to remain apolitical.
Michael Jordan – "Republicans buy sneakers too"
The GOAT never bent the knee to politics.
Be Like Mike #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/EEHw2MNmlO
— DDayCobra (@DDayCobra) May 4, 2020
Jordan, even as far back as the 1990s, knew that giving into liberal pressure was a trap.
” … everybody has a preconceived idea for what I should do and what I shouldn’t do,” he said.
Who knew that list of people would include Obama?
The Horn editorial team