"I never saw you as Black or White" - Michael Jordan on the lesson that shaped his view of race
- Michael Jordan's parents taught him to be "colorblind" and see people for who they are, not their race.
Growing up in North Carolina, Michael Jordan could have led a different life, given how racially tense the environment was during the time. Fortunately, his parents taught him how to be "colorblind."
An interesting fact about the Chicago Bulls legend is that he was surrounded by mostly White people, from his neighbors when he was growing up to his roommates to a majority of his entourage during his NBA playing days. When asked about it in 1990, Jordan shared an important lesson he learned from his parents.
"That's the greatest lesson I've learned from my parents. I never see you for the color. I see you for the person you are. I know I'm recognized as being Black, but I don't look at you as Black or White, just as a person. I think one of the reasons I've been accepted by people of so many different races is that my personality fits that," Jordan told the Chicago Tribune .
"I grew up with David Bridges, who is White, since we were five years old, and we're still very close. I roomed with Buzz Peterson in college," he added.
MJ wasn't always that way
The thing is, despite having the right perspective on race once he had reached mental and emotional maturity, that wasn't always the case for Jordan. By his own admission, he saw himself as a "racist" during his teenage years.
In a 1992 interview with Playboy, the five-time NBA MVP recalled how he had to endure discrimination in his community, especially with his home state having been a hotbed for the Ku Klux Klan ideologies during his younger years.
He also experienced racism firsthand in high school, being called inferior due to his skin color and the N-word by a female classmate . The latter incident may have been the last straw, as Jordan threw a soda can at her, resulting in his suspension.
Watching the miniseries "Roots" and receiving a tender lesson from his mother helped Mike let go of his resentment and start treating people as individuals, not as categories.
A look at MJ's inner circle
To prove that Jordan never favored any race, we can look at the people he surrounded himself with throughout his journey to becoming the greatest basketball player of all time.
His first and longtime agent was David Falk, and to say that their partnership was fruitful is an understatement. If it weren't for Falk, the Jordan Brand might not even exist, as he was instrumental in urging Nike to make his former client the face of the company in the 1980s, and it's unclear whether the six-time NBA champion would turn into the endorsement god that he had become during his heyday.
The first guy Jordan ever met when he landed in Chicago in 1984 was George Koehler. It was serendipitous: The Bulls organization forgot to send someone over to pick Jordan up at the airport, and Koehler was there on business as the owner of a limousine business, but his client didn't show up. Recognizing Jordan, he offered his services. After that, he became the superstar's chauffeur, personal assistant and trusted confidante .
Another fellow who was always seen around Jordan was his longtime trainer, Tim Grover. Interestingly, Grover once revealed that Jordan paid him not to train anyone else during the regular season. So, we can only imagine how much time the pair spent together.
Of course, Jordan is still associated with people of color. Among his closest friends back in the day were fellow legends Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley, sportscaster Ahmad Rashad and former Chicago Bears star Richard Dent.
So, it's evident that at a time when conversations about race were not as comfortable as they are now, Jordan was able to view society through a different lens. And he has his parents to thank largely for it.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
