Michael Jordan’s Ex- Bulls Teammate Critiques his Stance on Republicans & Sneakers originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
When the words “Republicans buy sneakers too” left the lips of Michael Jordan in the early ’90s, they ignited a cultural firestorm. The comment — meant to explain why the Chicago Bulls superstar didn’t publicly support Harvey Gantt’s Senate run against known racist Jesse Helms in North Carolina — has haunted Jordan’s legacy ever since, painting him, in some eyes, as apolitical at best and indifferent at worst.
But Craig Hodges, Jordan’s former teammate and longtime friend, sees it differently. To him, the quote and the man behind it are far more complex than the headlines ever suggested.
“That’s my brother behind closed doors and in the locker room and we’re looking at the bigger picture, you know what I’m saying,” Hodges told me in a recent conversation that cut through decades of speculation and commentary.
Michael JordanGetty
“But I understand when he comes out here, he has to do what he gotta do, alright? That’s why Republicans buy gym shoes… You remember that?”
Yes, we remember. The quote became synonymous with Jordan’s so-called political silence, a decision that separated him from athletes like Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and even Hodges himself, who famously wore a dashiki to the White House and handed President George H.W. Bush a letter calling out racism in America.
Still, for Hodges, Jordan’s journey isn’t something to mock or dismiss. Instead, he offers grace and context.
“Who am I to say when we come into consciousness and be humanitarian in the heart? You know what I’m sayin’? And him doing that, that’s a good thing.”
The “doing” Hodges refers to? Jordan’s later involvement in philanthropy, which includes donations to racial justice organizations and inner-city initiatives; reflects a different, more nuanced legacy. One that Hodges, despite his own public activism and sacrifice, respects.
That honesty, both raw and unfiltered, is classic Hodges. His voice remains a necessary compass in the ongoing conversation about athletes, activism, and accountability. While others may have used Jordan’s quote to draw lines in the sand, Hodges reminds us that behind closed doors, there was always love, respect, and shared struggle.
More than three decades later, “Republicans buy sneakers too” still sparks debate. But through the eyes of Craig Hodges, it’s less an indictment and more a window into friendship, evolution, and the complex reality of what it means to be a Black man navigating fame, commerce, and conscience in America.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.