In This Trump Era, Michael Jordan’s Free Health Clinics Are Very Much Needed
In the first few days of his second presidential term, Donald Trump signed a number of executive orders that will have an impact on the health care industry, some issuing new policies and some rescinding policies set forth by prior administrations. This has had a devastating impact on the American people.
While the country is on pins and needles awaiting the next bomb (both literally and figuratively) to drop from the Trump administration, Michael Jordan has figured out a way to actively combat one of the casualties (U.S. Health Care) of Trump’s plan for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and extended tax cuts for the upper echelon of the American population.
From an article in The Guardian titled:
“Medicaid recipients fear ‘buzzsaw cuts’ for Trump’s agenda”, it reads
“Republicans are considering a rollback of the federal social safety net, particularly Medicaid, which has nearly 80 million enrollees in all 50 states. The budget plan proposes an $880bn reduction in funding for the insurance over the next 10 years, an amount that experts warn would hollow out the program and have ripple effects across the entire American healthcare system.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/01/republicans-medicaid-cuts
From an article in the MaynardNexsen titled “President Trump’s Latest Executive Orders Impacting Healthcare” it reads…..
“President Trump rescinded former President Joe Biden’s order that extended the enrollment periods for Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) plans in most states, and granted additional funding for third parties aiding enrollment in ACA insurance. While ACA enrollment nearly doubled under the Biden administration to about 24 million people, those gains are attributed primarily to government subsidies that lowered the cost of ACA premiums. The effect this rescission will have on enrollment trends is one thing to watch in the coming years”
While all this is happening in real time, Michael Jordan has opened his fourth health clinic in North Carolina on February 19 in Wilmington. This new clinic, established in collaboration with Novant Health, focuses on providing care to uninsured and underinsured patients.
MJ has spoken publicly exhibiting a tremendous amount of sincerity and passion about how important these clinics are and how many people they will help. He has addressed the growing issue of healthcare disparities and affirmed his dedication to providing healthcare to all people regardless of their income or economic status in particular in his hometown of North Carolina.
Many people are pleasantly surprised to see this side of MJ, but it goes along with what I witnessed as his teammate for the Washington Wizards.
I recall one time in particular, I was sitting in the training room getting treatment and he was getting his knee drained, which fans didn’t know at the time he had to often do in order to continue playing. MJ asked me about a book (Soul On Ice by Eldridge Cleaver) he saw me reading on the plane and we engaged in a deep conversation about race, politics, the community and much more.
Sitting in ear shot was his bodyguard, George, who chimed in and said jokingly, “Yea Michael doesn’t like to tell anybody the things he does, so people don’t think he does anything”
He then proceeded to tell me a story of when MJ was all set to have this big event at an exclusive golf resort in Georgia back in the day, and he found out that they were still keeping an old tradition of not allowing Black People to join the club, but of course they would let MJ participate. Well, long story short, right before the event, MJ informed the organizers that he was going to cancel everything if they didn’t change their policy and of course they capitulated to his demands.
I remember responding saying, “That’s a great story that people need to hear. Why wouldn’t you tell people that ?” And MJ looked at me and said, “No, I don’t do it for that.” and I remember looking at George and him saying, “See, he doesn’t want to tell anybody anything”
I tell this story for this reason. Playing with MJ for two years with the Wizards, I saw him do a lot of things quietly that nobody knew about. And from time to time I would whisper to him, “You’re not gonna tell anyone about this either huh ?” And he would just smile and shake his head. In fact, he didn’t even tell anyone that he donated his entire salary to the victims of 9-11. I remember being in the locker room when he was watching the coverage on TV and made the decision. Nobody found out until later that he did that.
Now, for years I have been on panels and programs talking about activism and athletes and they would always bring up MJ as the antithesis to the activist athlete and his infamous statement “Republicans Buy Shoes Too”. They would always paint MJ as the athlete who doesn’t care about the community or really anything outside of himself and I would always push back on that because that’s just not what I saw when I was his teammate. Now, did he lend his voice to causes or speak out on political issues that directly impact the Black Community ? No he didn’t. But did he do nothing behind the scenes and have no interest or care for the community ? I can’t say that because that’s not what I saw.
People don’t know about MJ’s community impact platform, known as the Black Community Commitment (BCC), which is a 10-year, $100 million initiative focused on creating equitable futures for Black Americans through education, economic justice, narrative change, and social justice.
They also don’t know about him funding nonprofit institutional grantees and grassroots organizations across the country through his Open Call Community Grants program.
They don’t know about his Jordan Brand Wings Scholars Program that has sent hundreds of kids to college on full scholarships
But like George told me in the training room, he doesn’t tell anyone so people assume he does nothing in the community.
Now, going back to MJ’s 4th healthcare clinic.
There is indeed currently a national healthcare crises in the United States.
In 2025, an estimated 27.1 million Americans of all ages are projected to be uninsured, representing an uninsured rate of 8.2%, according to data from the National Health Interview Survey. MJ’s efforts have helped thousands of uninsured Americans actually receive care. Furthermore, as many Americans have found out the hard way, being insured does not guarantee full coverage. There is a large percentage of Working Class Americans who are currently drowning in medical expenses, faced with increased costs of medications (thanks to the Trump administration), and higher co-pays all while having limited access to essential treatments.
An article by Vishwesha Kumar of Fadeaway World, described Jordan’s Health Clinic as,
“After witnessing the positive impact of these centers, Jordan donated $10 million to Novant Health to expand the project, leading to additional clinics being built in Wilmington. His efforts have helped thousands of patients receive their first-ever primary care visits, reinforcing his dedication to improving healthcare access.
The new Wilmington facility spans 7,300 square feet and includes 12 patient rooms, offering comprehensive medical services to uninsured and underinsured individuals. In addition to primary care physicians, the clinic will have a community health worker to connect patients with essential local resources. The facility will be open on weekdays, aiming to serve as a lifeline for many who struggle to access consistent coverage.”
Micheal Jordan doesn’t have to do any of this. He could ride off into the sunset and not care about what anyone thinks about him. He doesn’t need any additional notoriety. He already has all the fame a man could possibly have. He doesn’t need pats on the back or nods of approval from anyone. He does this because he genuinely cares.
“Michael Jordan gives back but you didn't know it. Like LeBron does, but it's just seldom they show it”~Nas
