Momentum towards the NBA resuming its season might not have happened if not for the contributions of none other than His Airness.
ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan reported on Thursday that Michael Jordan served as an important liaison between the owners and players amid the discussion over whether or not to continue the season. Jordan, who is the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and the only black majority owner in the league, reached out to NBPA president Chris Paul to get a better understanding of what the players hoped to achieve. The retired basketball icon also reportedly spoke with Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook about issues of social justice.
MacMullan adds that Jordan served as a voice of reason during Thursday’s NBA owners meeting. Jordan urged his fellow owners to listen to the frustrations of the players before pitching any of their own solutions.
The 57-year-old Jordan has been Charlotte’s majority owner since 2010. He is also perhaps the greatest player of all-time and was in an intense spotlight for virtually his entire NBA career. That gives him a significant amount of credibility and gravitas with both sides.
While not particularly socially active during his playing days, Jordan has worked hard to flip the script recently. His contributions here in bridging the gap between two sides with seemingly divergent interests are just another example of that.
