Hornets Owner MICHAEL JORDAN last night “tossed aside his prepared remarks and spoke from the heart during a 10-minute speech” to accept the Charlotte Business Journal Business Person of the Year award. Jordan said of his NBA team, “We’re nowhere near where we need to be. My promise to this community … is to bring a winner to Charlotte.” Jordan, “with tears streaming,” said, “Thank you for allowing me to cry in front of you. … I take great pride in something the city of Charlotte can feel proud of” (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/20). Below are excerpts from Jordan's speech.
CORE STRENGTH: I’m a little bit more nervous than when I played. I don’t know what to say. I think when you look at me you see a lot of different components of who Michael Jordan really is. It’s not just the basketball player. My wife is here, my daughter’s here, my brothers are here, my financial guy. … They are the backbone of what I try to do each and every day. They give me different advice, different insight to help me make sound decisions.
COMING HOME: I bought this team five years ago, and as I talked to my financial advisor five years ago I asked him, I looked at him, I said, "Look, I got the money, but I’ve worked hard to get this money. I don’t just want to throw it away. Is it something worthwhile?" He said, "From a financial standpoint, it’s worthwhile. How do you feel?" I said, "It gives me an opportunity to come home."
ONE AND THE SAME: I’m from North Carolina. This is where I’m from. Each and every day when I come into this office and every day I sit down and I meet with all these people and I see all the workers, they’re a product of North Carolina, which is where I was bred and where I was born and where I was raised, even though I was born in Brooklyn. ... I am tied to this community. I’m tied to what you guys represent.
POINT OF PRIDE: I don’t know why I’m so emotional right now. I’ve received a lot of awards in my life, a lot of them basketball related, and I’ve been criticized in a lot of different areas from a business standpoint. But I take great pride in ideas and concepts and the views that come out of this organization to build the type of basketball program, something that you guys -- the city of Charlotte -- can feel proud of. Me personally, I can ride off into the sunset and never worry about a thing, but my pride brought me back to North Carolina for whatever reason. I don’t know how.
IN HIS WILDEST DREAMS: When I first got involved with (former team Owner BOB JOHNSON) ... my idea was to never own this team. It was contributing in whatever way to turn this team around, and next thing you know, I had an opportunity to buy the team. I would have never dreamed that. ... I left home and I came back home, and I plan on staying home. For all the people that think that I’m in this for the short-term, you guys might as well pull your socks up and hang around because my promise to this organization and to this community is to bring a winner. ... I do everything, to being out in front, being behind, being alongside, invest, communicate, spend time with all the business leaders, come up here and cry in front of millions of people.
EMOTIONAL CONNECTION: We want to say a hearty thank you for at least allowing me to be a part of this, allowing me to receive this award, allowing me to cry in front of most of you guys. I don’t want this all on the Internet. Be very considerate of how a grown man shows his emotions and protect me to some degree. But it shows how passionate I am about my commitment to you guys, my connection with you guys. My being back home means a lot to me. I will do anything within my power to turn this organization into something successful (Hornets).
