An emotional Michael Jordan unveiled the first of two medical clinics he and his family funded to provide care to underprivileged members of the community in Charlotte.
The six-time NBA champion and owner of the Charlotte Hornets was on hand Thursday for the grand opening of the $7m Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic. Tears streamed down Jordan’s cheeks as he said, “This is a very emotional thing for me to be able to give back to a community that has supported me over the years.”
Steve Reed
(@SteveReedAP)Michael Jordan teared up when talking about the new $7 million family medical clinic project and said “this is just the beginning.” This project obviously means a lot to him. pic.twitter.com/Ys7xtNSLCC
The clinic, located in a lower-income section of North Carolina’s largest city, will provide vital access to primary and preventive care to individuals in the community, including those who are uninsured or underinsured. He is a longtime resident of the state and played collegiately at North Carolina before launching his Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Bulls.
“It’s … from the heart,” the 56-year-old Jordan told the crowd gathered at the grand opening.
“I stand here before you as a proud parent, son, obviously a member of this community,” he said, adding his extended family deserves as much credit as he does for the clinic. “You see my name, but yet you see a lot of people behind me and the commitment, especially from my mom, about caring for other people and being a part of a community that matters.”
The Novant health system marked Thursday’s event on Twitter, saying that thanks to Jordan, “low-income Charlotte residents of all ages now have access to get the affordable medical care they need, with or without insurance.”
Jordan’s $7m gift, first announced in 2017, also will be put toward a medical clinic in a second area of Charlotte, the Charlotte Observer reported.
“I’ve gone off and made my life in Illinois and other places,” he said. “But I know where it all begins.”
