Fly Like an Eagle

It’s a natural thing for children (and young adults) to look up to athletes, movie stars, musicians, and other celebrities who excel at a certain talent. Kids used to look up to doctors, lawyers, teachers, firemen, and police officers. They used to aspire to be just like mommy and daddy. It seems, unfortunately, that those days are long gone. Sure, there are still a small percentage of kids that dream about being a fireman, lawyer, or doctor but, with the millions of dollars being paid to athletes these days, being a professional athlete is the way to go. For all the attention, glamor, and multimillion-dollar contracts, there are thousands of kids that don’t make it big. Or, more so, that do not have the opportunity to make it big because certain resources are not available to them or they don’t have the means.

Athletes have always, and will continue to be put on a proverbial pedestal by society and, thus, by our children. For every athlete that makes it ‘big’, there is a little kid with his or her poster on his wall, his jersey on his back, and his signature shoes on his feet. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are spending a great deal of time designing their next model of the “LB Line” or the “Zoom Kobe Hyperdunk” but are they giving back to their communities or trying to make a different in one of those very fan’s lives?

At the height of Micheal Jordan’s career, everyone wanted to “Be Like Mike.” Kids went out and bought his Air Jordans, they ran out and bought his jersey, and whatever they could buy to dress like Mike or dunk like his “airness”. Fans religiously studied his stats and took pride in knowing how many points he scored in his last game. But did we see M.J. in the community helping those kids get to relish in some of the same opportunities and successes he did? Did or does Michael Jordan even have a foundation or give to any specific charities so that he can be a well-rounded role model and a model citizen in the community?

These questions are probably difficult for even the most devout M.J. fans to answer. In short the answer to these questions is yes; Michael Jordan has not only gone down in history as one of the greatest basketball players of all time but is also a great humanitarian in many respects. Jordan recently hosted the eight annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI) at the Ocean Club in the Bahamas. Since its inception in 2000, this event has been a huge success, raising almost $5 million for charities such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Butch Kerzner Summit Foundation, and the James R. Jordan Foundation. Jordan founded the James R. Jordan Boys and Girls Club and Family Life Center, named for his father, in 1994. This establishment serves as a community center for citizens of all ages in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to this celebrity gold tournament and community center, Jordan gives back to the community through his active involvement in several charitable organization. For example he donates time and money to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNCF/College Fund, Special Olympics, and a variety of other charitable organizations that support children and families.

However, Jordan failed in creating his own charitable foundation. Jordan had to shut down his foundation in 1996, when it was revealed in the media, that little of what it raised reached charitable causes and that his contributions were minimal.

Professional athletes form a special group of prospective charitable givers. Many come into their money very quickly: one day they are living in ‘the projects’ striving to find food to keep them healthy enough to play, and, in a split second, they are signing contracts that put them in the national, and even international, forefront. Furthermore, because Michael Jordan is at the top of the top when it comes to famous athletes, does that hold him to higher standards of charitable giving? Just because he is flawless on the court does he need to be the same all-star in the “giving back” arena?

Posted by Stephanie Cantor