'After the Dance': Whoopi Goldberg talks Michael Jordan's aversion to politics, says 'it’s not for everybody'
'The Last Dance' had a segment that showed Michael Jordan's aversion to politics and his thoughts on social issues during his professional NBA career. On 'After the Dance with Stephen A Smith' a prime-time ABC special, Whoopi Goldberg, one of Hollywood's finest was asked by Smith, ESPN host and NBA expert commentator, about her thoughts on Jordan's disinclination towards politics.
Goldberg, being the straight-shooter she is, said: "Everybody is not cut out for it. He did what he did the way he did it. There he was, a big black man that was sweeping the world. What else did he need to say? What else did he need to do in particular? He was doing what he could do when he was doing it. It’s not for everybody."
And as far as Jordan goes, he's always an athlete first. In Episode 5 of 'The Last Dance', a video clip shows him interacting with Muhammad Ali; however, Jordan is a stark contrast when he says, "I do commend Muhammad Ali for standing up for what he believed in, but I never thought of myself as an activist," Jordan affirms. "I thought of myself as a basketball player. Was I selfish? Probably."
Then there was that business with Harvey Gantt, a Democrat who looked to dislodge Republican Jesse Helms in his journey to becoming the state's first black senator. "My mother asked me to do a PSA about Harvey Gantt," Jordan explained. "I said, 'Look, mom, I'm not speaking out of pocket about something I don't know, but I will send a contribution to support him'.''
As it panned out, Gantt lost the election, but there was this one line from Jordan "Republicans buy sneakers too" that saw him land flush in the attention of the critics. The 10-part ESPN docuseries final episodes, 9 and 10, averaged 5.9 million viewers across the world. 'After the Dance' had a distinguished guest list in the form of Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Robin Roberts, and Anthony Anderson.
What are your thoughts on Whoopi Goldberg's comments on Jordan's political aversions?
'The Last Dance' is available for streaming on Netflix.
