Michael Jordan donates $2M from ‘The Last Dance’ doc to Feeding America

NBA Champion and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan isn’t showing any signs of slowing down with his philanthropic endeavors as he recently donated $2 million in proceeds from his The Last Dance documentary to Feeding America.

In a Tweet on Wednesday, the nonprofit hunger-relief organization, which provides food to needy Americans through its nationwide network of food banks, expressed gratitude to the billionaire business mogul.

“An incredible gift to be thankful for – NBA legend Michael Jordan is donating $2 million to help our neighbors facing hunger! #TheLastDance,” the organization tweeted.

Released in April, Jordan’s 10-part documentary chronicles his final season with the Chicago Bulls in 1997/98 and their run-up to winning the championship that season. Following its premiere, the ESPN co-produced miniseries went ahead to chalk a lot of success and became the most-watched documentary ever on the sports channel, averaging over 5 million viewers during the period of broadcast, CNN reported.

Before the documentary premiered, the NBA hall of famer pledged to donate proceeds from it to the Friends of the Children nonprofit organization.

“In these challenging times and in a year of unimaginable difficulty due to COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to pause and give thanks,” the 57-year-old said on Wednesday. “I am proud to be donating additional proceeds from The Last Dance to Feeding America and its member food banks in the Carolinas and Chicago to help feed America’s hungry.”

Giving back

In October, Jordan opened a second, fully-funded, medical clinic in Charlotte to provide healthcare to patients with limited or no health insurance, CNN reported.

The opening of the new Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic in the state the six-time NBA champion grew up and nurtured his talent comes three years after he pledged $7 million to Novant Health, and a year after the first of the two health facilities dedicated to the underprivileged was open.

“To see how this has evolved over the last year is to gratifying. It makes me want to continue doing more so that we can keep answering the bell when the bell is ringing,” Jordan, 57, said about the opening of the clinic.

The opening of the first facility in 2019 was an emotional one for the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, as he broke down in tears while delivering his speech. Upon opening, the first clinic has served over 3,000 patients and was also used as a screening and testing center for COVID-19 early in the year, conducting over 13,000 tests.