There’s no denying that Michael Jordan is the most famous NBA figure in the world. He made the Chicago Bulls a marquee name in the sports business and took the game to every corner of the planet.
Besides his legendary career and unmatched skills on the basketball court, Jordan became a worldwide sensation because of his sneakers. The Jordan culture transcends every frontier, with millions of people carving a pair.
Jordan has made more money out of his endorsement deals than during his days in the NBA. He’s one of the wealthiest athletes in the world and the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets franchise.
Enes Kanter Calls Out Michael Jordan, Says He Cares More About Selling Shoes Than The Black Community
Nonetheless, Boston Celtics big man Enes Kanter is far from a Jordan fan. According to the Turkish activist, Jordan only cares about selling his shoes and that’s why he’s never done anything for the black community:
“Not many people are talking about Michael Jordan,” Kanter said on CNN. “Michael Jordan hasn’t done anything, nothing, for the Black community in America besides just, you know, giving them money. I feel like we need to call out these athletes. At least LeBron James is going out there and being the voice of all those people who are oppressed in America. Michael Jordan has not done anything for the Black community because he cares too much about his shoe sales all over the world and America, and I feel like we need to call out these athletes and not be scared about who they are.”
Jordan once said that he didn’t want to get into politics because ‘Republicans buy shoes too,’ drawing plenty of criticism from black leaders back then. Nonetheless, he recently committed to a $100 million donation to the BLM movement.
Kanter Called Out LeBron James, James Says He Only Wants Clout
This isn’t the first time that Kanter calls out one of the biggest figures in the league. Last week, he blasted LeBron James on Twitter over his ties with Nike and his silence on child labor in China:
“Money over Morals for the “King.” Sad & disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice. They really do “shut up & dribble” when Big Boss (China) says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?” the Celtics big man tweeted.
James, who has had a couple of stand-offs on the court with Kanter, was unbothered by his comments and pretty much implied that he’s only using his name as a way to get more attention:
“I think if you know me, I don’t really give too many people my energy. And he’s definitely not someone I will give my energy to. Trying to use my name to create an opportunity for himself,” James said of Kanter. “He’s always kind of had a word or two to say in my direction, and as men, really, if you had an issue with somebody you’d really come up to them. And he had his opportunity tonight. I saw him in the hallway and he walked right by me.”
Kanter is perhaps the biggest activist in the NBA right now and he won’t hesitate to take shots at whoever he needs to make his voice be heard. Whether he’s right or wrong about James or Jordan, well… we’ll leave that up to you.
