For years, Michael Jordan has come under criticism from those who’d wished one of the most famous, visible, wealthy and powerful athletes in the world would use his considerable public profile and influence to speak out on social issues affecting the African American community. For years, the six-time NBA champion and basketball legend’s legacy of on-court success has been counterbalanced by four non-quoted words — “Republicans buy sneakers, too” — often used to call Jordan onto the carpet for failing “to embrace the leverage he possessed as the nation’s most iconic athlete across the 1990s.
Michael Jordan speaks out on police shootings: ‘I can no longer stay silent' (Ball Don't Lie)
