RSS
Home
Air Jordans' son has already surpassed dad, off the court that is
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Marcus Jordan, son of Michael Jordan, claps at halftime of UCF football game.
Marcus Jordan, the son of Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, is making news at the University of Central Florida for his refusal to wear Adidas shoes like the rest of the basketball team. Here’s the deal. Jordan was told by recruits that he could wear his dad’s shoes if he committed to the program. But once Jordan got there they tried to bait and switch the younger Jordan by demanding he wear Adidas.
Marcus Jordan may not be a chip off the ole block in terms of basketball skill but he’s already done better than dad off the court by taking a stand. Something the elder Jordan never did.
The younger Jordan stood tall with conviction. He said he wasn’t wearing Adidas because he was told he could wear Air Jordans and that’s what he did. In an exhibition game Wednesday Jordan sported his dad’s sneakers. As a result Adidas announced it wouldn’t engage in future dealings with the institution because of Jordan’s stance.
Should Jordan have acquiesced and simply wore the Adidas like everyone else or stuck to his guns?
Two issues here. One, if Jordan was indeed told he could wear the shoes by recruiters then it’s a moot point. The university should’ve worked something out with Adidas. Instead they figured Jordan would balk under pressure. He didn’t.
Secondly, if you believe in something you must stand your ground even it means you are ridiculed. I salute Marcus Jordan for being a young man who is making his school accountable to their word and letting the chips fall where they may. Unlike his dad he took a stand against something he deemed unfair and held in his conviction.
Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. He’s left us with memories of his style and grace that can last a life time. When Jordan was on the court no one was more appreciative of the excitement he provided. But after Jordan showered and shaved I had little respect for him.
Why?
Jordan is a corporate pitchman. He never talked about anything but the game of basketball and money. MJ was molded into a robotic figure that was trained to say the right things, not rock the boat and make money.
Much like his golfing buddy Tiger Woods in sports and President Obama in the political realm Jordan routinely read prepared scripts and steered clear of controversy to keep a clean image in white America. Translation, you can’t associate with the African American community and you must play it safe.
Michael Jordan never used his platform to make a stand of any kind within sport or society. He was no Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown or Muhammad Ali. He doesn’t belong in the same breath as these great pioneers who did more than play their sport. The latter greats were athletes who used their platforms for the betterment of all. Their collective efforts have forever altered the landscape of society and sports.
It’s great to see someone who is young stand up to authority when authority is wrong.
Even though Marcus is MJ’s son and he’s proud to represent his dad he’s certainly not entirely cut from the same cloth as dad.
I think that’s a good thing.
Did the younger Jordan speak out against racism, or the lack of African American Athletic Directors or recruiters in college basketball?
No.
But his actions demonstrated he has the ability to potentially forge a legacy outside of sports and use the leverage of his dad’s name to make a difference in other sectors of society.
I’d love to say that Marcus Jordan is a chip off the old block but I can’t. On the court Marcus probably won’t outshine his father, but off the court he’s done more that Air Jordan ever did in terms of activism.
I guess his activism came from mom.
Related Articles:
Comments
- drttcd@gmail.com
