NEW YORK, July 25 (UPI) — When Carmelo Anthony said it’s “about time” when referencing Michael Jordan’s emergence on racial tension and American violence, he didn’t mean it negatively.
It was quite literal for the New York Knicks star, who referred to Jordan as the players’ “face,” when speaking to ESPN’s Marc Spears.
“To answer your question about the Michael Jordan thing it was brilliant and about time…He is our face,” Anthony told Spears.
Jordan’s open letter in The Undefeated quickly went viral Monday. The greatest basketball player of all time doesn’t speak out often on social issues, but this time he followed his wise words with cash flow.
In his letter, Jordan spoke about his personal experience of losing his father to a “senseless act of violence.” He also said that he is troubled by the deaths of “African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of police officers.”
Jordan spoke on several issues, and notes that he will pledge $1 million to the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s Institute for Community-Police relations, and to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Two weeks ago it was Anthony who stepped forward in condemning the violence, with an Instagram post.
“First off let me start off by saying ‘All Praise Due To The Most High,” Anthony wrote on Instagram. “Secondly, I’m all about rallying, protesting, fighting for OUR people. Look I’ll even lead the charge, By Any Means Necessary. We have to be smart about what we are doing though. We need to steer our anger in the right direction. The system is Broken. Point blank period. It has been this way forever.”
“Martin Luther King marched. Malcolm X rebelled. Muhammad Ali literally fought for US,” Anthony wrote. “Our anger should be towards the system. If the system doesn’t change we will continue to turn on the TVs and see the same thing. We have to put the pressure on the people in charge in order to get this thing we call JUSTICE right. A march doesn’t work. We tried that. I’ve tried that. A couple social media post/tweet doesn’t work. We’ve all tried that. That didn’t work. Shooting 11 cops and killing 5 WILL NOT work.”
“While I don’t have a solution, and I’m pretty sure a lot of people don’t have a solution, we need to come together more than anything at this time,” Anthony wrote. “We need each other. These politicians have to step up and fight for change. I’m calling for all my fellow ATHLETES to step up and take charge. Go to your local officials, leaders, congressman, assemblymen/assemblywoman and demand change.
“There’s NO more sitting back and being afraid of tackling and addressing political issues anymore. Those days are long gone. We have to step up and take charge. We can’t worry about what endorsements we gonna lose or whose going to look at us crazy. I need your voices to be heard. We can demand change. We just have to be willing to. THE TIME IS NOW. IM all in. Take Charge. Take Action. DEMAND CHANGE. Peace7. #StayMe7o,” Anthony wrote.”
Anthony followed his post by taking the stage with Chris Paul, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade at the ESPY Awards to encourage other athletes to have a voice and make a difference.
“That’s big,” Anthony told Spears, when asked about Jordan’s donation. “Thats’s M.J. That’s Michael Jordan. As African-Americans, that’s who we look up to. He’s a great voice with a great platform. I’m just glad that he came out now and he used it at this time with everything going on.”
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