And here I was, thinking he was out of my life forever.
When I was a kid, Jordan made me miserable. His team always won, he always made the shots at the buzzer, and he did it so effortlessly. He destroyed the Blazers every time he played against us, knowing that we passed him up for a big man.
But that's for another time.
See, I never hated Jordan. I hated Karl Malone and John Stockton, and I hated everyone on the Spurs, and I HATED Bill Laimbeer. But not MJ. I never held any animosity towards him, which was odd considering how many times he broke my heart. I wondered why.
Now I know why.
#23 graced the cover of ESPN Magazine this week. Read this.
My favorite part:
"One thing to learn from me is that everything I've ever done has been me, not something that someone calculated me to be."
How stupid does he think we are?
Jordan's whole career was based on a persona that was created by Wall Street. Everything. The tongue wagging. The shaved head. Everything. Jordan Brand (yes, that's the actual name) is so big that they host Super Bowl parties. They make golfing apparel. They are environmentally friendly.
It's made Jordan rich beyond his wildest dreams. And he has the balls to now claim that he was being himself the whole time? The robotic press conferences, the by-the-book post game interviews? The complete absence of any political or social commentary or opinion? Space Jam???
Indeed, it was his unwillingness to take any stand for anything he truly believed him that made him millions. He was a sponsor's dream, always thinking about his image, always thinking about the shoes he peddled, or the drinks he pushed, or the highlight videos that stroked his ego, giving way to the LeBron Jameses of the world, guys who won't sign a Sudanese human rights petition for fear of scaring away his Chinese sponsors and investors.
Yikes.
And Jordan usually gets a free pass from media and fanboys alike. Why? And why are players like Allen Iverson constantly denied their much deserved reverence? It's not rings. It's image, coupled with racism, entwined with completely misplaced priorities. People selectively avoid the fact that Jordan cheated on his wife, had a huge gambling problem, and is a complete failure as an NBA executive. They avoid these things because they remember MJ as a squeaky clean ad-man, pitching underwear and hamburgers with a smile on his face.
I urge any basketball fan to read "The Jordan Rules", Sam Smith's incredible account of Chicago's first title run, or "Playing For Keeps", David Halberstam's take on Jordan's empire. Then ask yourself if the Jordan you know is the real Jordan.
Michael Jordan didn't give me reason to hate him when I was a kid. He liked basketball. I liked basketball. He liked McDonald's. I liked McDonald's. He seemed like a nice guy, a superhero in short pants.
That's why I didn't hate him then. And that's why I hate him now.
TJH
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