6-time NBA champ Michael Jordan was called a 'bad role model' by Tupac Shakur, whose murder suspect Keefe D was arrested nearly 30 years later
Iconic rapper Tupac Shakur once criticized Michael Jordan as a 'bad role model' and challenged him to be more visible in impoverished communities. Being a public figure himself, he hoped that the six-time NBA champion would be more down-to-earth and use his influence to be more accessible, especially with the black community.
"You know Michael Jordan? I never seen Michael Jordan in the 'hood'. Let's see Jordan come down to the inner city, just a parking lot, and just shoot ball with the kids. I bet you that would change their life," said Shakur in an interview with MTV back in 1992.
Shakur stressed that kids identify with role models whom they can easily approach. From their grandparents, uncles, friends and neighbors - these are the people that kids will try to emulate the most growing up in the community.
On September 13, 1996, the influential rapper was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Fast forward 30 years later, the legacy of Tupac remains relevant as new developments in his murder case emerge. The arrest of Keefe D, a suspect linked to Tupac's unsolved murder adds a layer of complexity to the narrative.
Michael Jordan didn't want to be a role model
In a revelation that defied the hero-worship culture surrounding athletes, Michael Jordan expressed a profound reluctance to be seen as a role model. Despite Gatorade's influential marketing campaign with the iconic "I want to be like Mike" mentality among the youth, Jordan revealed his reservations that if he had a chance to rewrite his legacy, he would avoid the burden of being a role model.
"If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would never want to be considered a role model. It's like a game that's stacked against me," said Jordan in Episode 6 of The Last Dance Documentary.
This revelation by Jordan resonated deeply, challenging the notion that public figures, especially athletes, must automatically assume the mantle of being a role model to the youth.
As seen in "The Last Dance", being a model is indeed a huge challenge that comes with fame and the individual's right to define their own role in the public eye.