With the threat of the NBA pulling its '17 All-Star Game from Charlotte in the wake of North Carolina's controversial House Bill 2, Hornets Owner Michael Jordan yesterday "reinforced his franchise's position against any form of discrimination," according to a front-page piece by Rick Bonnell of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Jordan in a statement to the Observer said, "The Charlotte Hornets and Hornets Sports & Entertainment are opposed to discrimination in any form, and we have always sought to provide an inclusive environment." Bonnell notes Jordan's comments are "consistent with a statement previously released by the Hornets," but as "arguably the most iconic former player in NBA history, anything Jordan says has weight." Meanwhile, the NFL Panthers have "yet to comment publicly on HB2" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/27). YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Devine notes if Jordan's statement sounds familiar, it is "probably because it's the same one the Hornets organization tendered last month" after the passing of the bill. Either way, it "seems to communicate Jordan's approach to the matter: that he'll speak through the organization rather than offering significant separate or extemporaneous thoughts on it." The words and views expressed by Jordan -- "obviously the most visible of the NBA's owners, and still the most famous basketball-related person in the world, nearly 15 years after his retirement -- carry significant weight ... even if they're not necessarily communicating radical stances, or even really new information" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/27).
